Over the past year Whiskey has been getting bumps that appear pretty quickly and disappear just as fast. The bumps never stuck around long enough to get to a vet and so we put on our detective hats to find out what the problem was.
small ear bumps
Her bumps were concentrated on her upper head, ears, and the front of her legs and were raised but not red. They would get better within 15- 30 mins once we took her away from the environment she started showing symptoms in, and would rarely show for more than 1 hour. At the least, they were a couple round bumps on her ears, at the worst her whole face was swollen to the point she couldn’t even see, but even then, her bumps would fully vanish within 2 hours (so no time for vet). When the bumps were at their worst, (as happened about 3 times) she would be very quiet, tired, and sad looking. They didn’t seem itchy, and she would be back to normal as soon as they went away. They were like bee stings and we did try some Benadryl but it was hard to tell if it helped because the bumps always went away so fast either way. We also tried a holistic Allergy Supplement, as well as local raw honey but neither seemed to show much improvement over several months.
a medium-bad example
It was pretty clear from the get go that these were allergic bumps and since I feed home made raw, it was pretty easy to eliminate food as her allergy source. We noticed a pattern after a couple months that was interesting; if we took her to a park several times a day, only sometimes she would come back with bumps (even if we took her to the same place on the same day). Most of the times if we went into forests or mountains she would be fine, so in general she had more bumps in the city, or close to the city. I have to emphasis that although these pictures look absolutely terrible, the bumps at their worst only stuck around for about 20 mins and in 2 hours, they were gone. I hate seeing Whiskey like this and I’m only posting this as I hope this may help another Vizsla or puppy.
the worst it got with us (about 3x ever)
the worst case only happened when it rained
Something else that was interesting was the worst cases were when it was raining and if she wore a jacket, she would have no bumps where the jacket covered (a strong case for environmental allergies). Also, she had more bumps on the front of her legs, not the back of her legs where she was more exposed to water spray, or where she would have a higher chance of touching allergens. From my research, I found out that tree pollen becomes more concentrated when it rains, and comes down from the air in rain droplets. People that have tree pollen allergies react more in rain as well. Also, in the city, we plant mostly male trees so when pollen is released from male trees, there aren’t enough female trees to capture pollen so there is more pollen in the air causing allergy issues in humans (says Scientific America and Vancouver Sun).
Anyways, since we’ve both been working a crazy amount of overtime, we finally had a chance to book Whiskey in with a pet dermatologist (yes that’s a thing!) about a month ago. I find when visiting vets, I’ve learned I need to really stand up for my beliefs. Vets love to prescribe loads of tests and medications “just in case” and many times these are not needed, and not only will cost more, but you are also giving your pet unneeded chemicals. Now, I’m not expert but I do know my dog so we opted to test Whiskey only for environmental allergies (I had to insist it wasn’t food related) and I opted out of flea control (twice) since I was absolutely sure these were not fleas. We did both a skin test and a blood test. The skin test unfortunately, called for her side to be shaven, a grid to be drawn, and 40 plus tiny allergen injections to compare reactions to a placebo.
Poor girl is also on her heat
Her side is shaven and a grid is tested
Whiskey was given a reversible sedation and I was able to watch the whole procedure. Afterwards we needed to wait 3-5 more weeks for blood test results, and then depending on the results we would have to order either drops or injections to give Whiskey to help her allergies. We ended up with drops and the ordering took another 3 weeks, so a month and a half later, we picked up the drops. At the moment we are just giving her a little drop a day in her mouth and that’s it. We are supposed to see noticeable results from 3 months to 1 year and this is all covered by insurance 80% (I really recommend insurance). Whiskey’s highest reactions seem to be to a mold and some tree and weed pollen. Without insurance this would have cost about $1400 (for all tests and 5 months of drops).
she was half sedated and I was there every minute
For the past 3 months though we’ve not seen seen much allergy reactions at all so we are wondering if this is more a fall/winter thing (or wet season thing) but we are trying the drops (one set lasts 5-6 months) for at least a year to see if this improves. For the time being, we are taking one sided photos while we wait or Whiskey’s hair to grow back!
Awhile back, we had a scary episode where Whiskey was suddenly limping and wouldn’t use her left hind leg. We had taken to her to emergency and had no answers after a rather large bill (xrays were fine). It strangely only lasted a day and she seemed 95% back to normal by the next day.
her first limping episode
However, this happened again a couple months later in late November and while we didn’t go to ER again, we did keep a very close eye on her and like before, it resolved within 24 hours. At this point, I really wanted to get to the source of the issue. We’ve had two tentative diagnosis as a back stress injury (reason why the recovery was so fast, from our vet), and/or soft tissue trauma (ER vet). A friend had a recommendation to a well known vet/surgeon that specialized in lameness assessments as well as chiropractic therapies and orthopedic surgeries, so we called him up to make an appointment. Let me tell you, this is a very rare find indeed!
all is well now!
We made the date to head to Whistler (about 2 hours away) and took Whiskey for her first appointment with Dr. Lane. My goal was to pinpoint the underlying issue that was causing her periodic lameness and hopefully treat it without any drugs. I know many people might think that this issue “isn’t so bad” since she doesn’t consistently show symptoms; two days of limping isn’t the end of the world, especially with active dogs. However, I would much rather solve this now then wait 5 years and have this become a chronic issue. Also, we are covered by insurance (80%) with Pets Plus Us, which I highly recommend since we’ve tested their claims very very thoroughly.
Vizslas are pretty active
Since Dr. Lane is extremely busy and was only working once a week, it took about 1.5 months for us to secure an appointment. He started the appointment by listening and recording our issues and watching our video of her which we had filmed to record the limping event. We then took Whiskey out for a walk to demonstrate her walk, her trot, and then went up and down some stairs. Dr. Lane noticed that going down stairs, she had less “wiggle” in her lower back which seemed tight. He started treating her by feeling with his fingers all over her as well as extending her legs. Whiskey wasn’t too sure of this strange man so we needed to bribe her with treats. Acupuncture as well as massage, lasers and chiropractic therapies were all used and we even ended the session with some IMS. At the end of it all, poor Whiskey was ready to leave, hugging the door with sad eyes 🙁
acupuncture and laser treatment
Dr. Lane narrowed down the problem to a hip misalignment that was causing her to put stress into her back that would eventually lead to a limping episode after too much explosive activity (ie jumping and sprint starts). The activities we toned down were jumping and continuous fetch although we never did too much to begin with. He thinks that perhaps there was an incident that caused her hips to move out of line and over time her body just got used to it. We were working to correct her hips and let her body ‘remember’ the new alignment by having less activity for awhile. This was pretty easy since she happened to have also started her heat, so it was on-leash walks away from other dogs for a month anyways.
her second heat has her very mellow
After the initial consultation, we went back twice more and were given the all clear (and to come back 6 months-1 year just to check up). After every consultation, I could see a difference in the way Whiskey was running (less so on the last one). She seemed a bit looser. We’ve not had any limping since, and hope this is all over. At the worst, we’ve got a clear explanation and someone that can help us out if anything happens again. I think the hardest part was not knowing the problem and throwing money at an ER vet that didn’t have a clue.
So Whiskey has been running and doing really well lately. She’s even been filling out her very skinny frame (adding much more fat, oils, quinoa, sweet potato into her diet is helping). Then one day while at work, I received a text from her walker informing that she was limping and favoring her left leg. I had taken her out that morning and played fetch and she was doing really well, no sign of any issues before she was put into her crate to rest up. The walker noticed nothing different as she was taken from her crate, to the van to be transferred to her walk. It was only after getting out of the van, there was an obvious limp. He noticed the limp within minutes and kept her on leash for the walk (checking her paws but finding no problem). After he dropped her back home, he put her in the crate, and when we got home from work, she was a very different dog.
so so mellow and sad
getting her eyes tested
not putting weight on her back legs
switching from one leg to another
She wouldn’t come and greet us, she was very sad and wouldn’t stand or walk. She wouldn’t squat to pee, and she was refusing a bullystick which was very very out of character. We took her into ER immediately and carried her the whole time. At the ER, the vet pointed out that a dog with a physical problem doesn’t normally show signs of such lethargy and wanted to test both her legs as well as blood and more. She tested her legs, put her under sedation for xrays, and did a couple blood tests. In the end she said we ruled out the serious stuff and it was probably a soft tissue damage. She gave her a little painkiller and we went back home to watch her. The ER vet prescribed 3-5 days of on-leashed walks.
xrays
That evening I carried Whiskey to her normal potty spot and kept her lying for the evening. Since she wasn’t interested in eating from her bowl, I literally spoon fed her and she would only eat her favorite bits. I slept with her in bed, and the next morning I woke up to find Whiskey had forgotten the previous evening and was her normal self again! I couldn’t see a limp at all whereas the previous night she wouldn’t even stand! She ate her breakfast, cleaned the bowl, and there was a super happy wagging tail with lots of face licks, and she was very ready for her morning walk. I was astonished at the change. I only did a very short walk on leash so she could pee and poop.
The next day we pose for photos since we can’t do much walking
Still working for treats!
3 days later I took Whiskey to see another vet for to check her legs for any sign of trauma, for a second opinion, and to see how slow/fast we could expect to have her to full running again. The vet was very thorough and was unable to find/feel/see anything alarming. She also mentioned that instead of a soft tissue injury it could have been more in her back/spine which is why it seemed like a huge change from one day to the other. She prescribed a more conservative 10 days of on-leash walking (no running and jumping) with a gradual work up to off leash and longer hikes. At the moment it’s been very difficult to keep a one year old from running or jumping but we are trying our best. Today we took her on a canoe ride (because I really hoped there would be limited running and jumping in the canoe) with a tiny bit of water retrieving and some short on-leashed walks. It’s been a tough week but it’s worth it to make sure whatever the problem was doesn’t happen again and Whiskey can fully heal!
activities for the resting Vizsla
swimming much better this year!
Update: 2 weeks later Whiskey’s shown no signs of limping. Hopefully this was a one time thing and it doesn’t happen again! I think the lethargy was mostly Whiskey’s personality when she is feeling sorry for herself. Alot of dogs don’t show signs of this, but even when Whiskey is cold from swimming, or it’s started to rain, she looks so miserable you wonder if there is something truly wrong.
Whiskey’s been feeling so much better lately after the vet visits. She’s actually been more energetic than ever and I’ve increased her daily ration to over 1kg a day, I have no idea what she does with it! With the longer hours we’ve been having, our sunsets are now at around 830 and we love walking on the beach after work. This day we headed over to Spanish Banks which has a fantastic dog beach and wanted to see how far the beach went. Well guess what? It keeps going until Wreck beach and the walk was really nice full of little beaches, and nice secluded picnic area, and no one around (how we like it!).
Spanish banks was rough today!
how lucky to be living here
the start of a really nice walk
Between Spanish Banks is a very beautiful connection with lots of smaller beaches. Perfect if you want to chill or just have a quiet walk. There’s also a small picnic area with garbage bins and bathrooms. At some point we ended up at the University of British Columbia’s grounds and headed back to our car.
We’ve had a couple minor health problems since spring rolled around. We’ve had a couple bumps crop up and are currently finishing up another case of Giardia (Giardiasis) so I thought it might be of interest to keep a diary of small problems should they crop up again.
Bumps
I self-diagnosed these as hives which was caused by an allergic reaction to physical contact (in this case) with something in the environment (a vet would later confirm, but was unable to see the bumps). A couple small bumps would come after a walk in the park and last several hours only appearing on her lower muzzle. I was pretty sure it wasn’t food since I hadn’t been introducing anything new to her diet and it was a specific area (the part she shoves into everything interesting on the ground). Her appetite didn’t change but because she was a little swollen she looked miserable. They were slightly itchy but otherwise didn’t seem to bother her. The bumps appeared on and off for about a week and even her worse case of it had the swelling go down quite fast.
the worst case she had that lasted just hours
Bumps on ear- bumps all over just one ear after a play at the park. Gave her a ear mite treatment just in case, but they disappeared and never came back.
Treatment
I boosted her immune system by cutting out the kibble entirely (she only has at most a cup a day) and giving her a spoonful of local honey every night. Honey has been my go-to when Whiskey has a problem. It’s great for infection and wound healing (applied to the skin) and in this case local honey helps both humans and canines for allergies. I also sprayed on some Burts Bees Anti Itch Soothing Spray because it seemed like she had a mild itch. We also washed all bedding just in case and gave her extra cuddles.
Giardia
A week after the bumps went away completely, there was one evening when I noticed she was less energetic at the park (walking to retrieve the ball, not running). I kept an eye on her and she happily ate dinner and but then was super sleepy. An hour later I noticed her tummy gurgling more than usual (I was lying down with her because I felt something was off) and she didn’t even seem interested in some cantaloupe which she normally loves. Overall it wasn’t a huge change in temperament, because even my partner thought she was just tired from her hike that day. That night she woke us up whining and when we took her out, she pooped twice (soft) and went back to sleep for the rest of the night.
My sleepy girl with gurgles in her tummy
The next day her energy level seemed better but she vomited during a car ride. In the evening again she seemed ok, but in the middle of the night woke us for another poop. After that she was fine with no symptoms since I changed her food back to home cooked and added extra probiotics. We weren’t too concerned at this point because everything went back to normal and we had assumed that she just ate something bad at the park.
energy level is quite normal
Then several days later the wake-up calls to soft poops started again. After a couple days of getting progressively worse it got to the point she was straining to go but couldn’t and would try over and over again. She would also wake us up 3 times at night to go out. At this point we took her to the vet.
waiting at the new vet
During the wait for the vet, she tried to go poop 5 times in an hour. Because it was last minute, we tried out a new vet closer to home that was available (her normal vet was booked up that day). This one was much more thorough in the examination, but asked to do more expensive (and maybe unnecessary) tests. He noticed her heartbeat was slower than normal and did an EKG (she’s just really fit). We also ordered a very comprehensive parasite panel and diarrhea panel, but needed to wait a couple days to hear back. That night I went to Costco and bought a ton of ground chicken and sweet potato so I could start her on a bland diet.
during the day she is normal
We went back to the vet the next morning after 2 rounds of vomiting (mostly bile) and waking up 4-5 times at night for poops. Strangely she was eating fine and her energy was good at the park, but more subdued at home. This time they did a full blood test, gave her extra electrolytes, a subcutaneous fluid injection (fluids injected under her skin) to help elevate any dehydration, and got her started on antibiotics and some special super canine probiotics. Her blood test came back with everything normal, which was a relief because with home-feeding it’s good to have the feedback she’s doing well. Within an hour Whiskey had perked up again has been getting better ever since. Eventually a couple days later we got a call about the poop results and confirmed she had Giardia and I could come pick up more medication.
the lump is the fluid injection, disappears over the day
Whiskey’s had Giardia before as a puppy but this time didn’t present the same as last. As a puppy it came on very fast and was obviously a problem. This time the illness was non-continuous and harder to tell it wasn’t just something she ate in the park.
a bit skinny, needs more food!
Treatment
Vet bills were over $900 so it’s good we were insured!!! If we weren’t insured, we wouldn’t have agreed to all the tests and treatments. So Whiskey had a heart test (EKG), bloodwork, poop test, electrolytes, a subcutaneous fluid injection, probiotics, prescription probiotics, antibiotics, and a small change of diet. The last time we had Giardia we only had a poop test, with quick feedback (40 mins vs 4 days) and antibiotics so the price to treat and diagnose this can vary like crazy depending on the vet!
extra velcro these days
Lessons Learned
-Insurance pays off, especially moments where you don’t want to make decisions based on money
-Even though we spent more at this vet and did more tests, it took longer to get a diagnoses because the fecal test was sent to another lab. Our other vet would have been quicker because they can do it immediately, even though we would have had to wait an extra day to get an appointment.
-A sick dog plus two working parents make for a very hectic week and lots of worrying
So within the span of a couple months I decided to rescue my cat, Moo, and fly home a puppy- Whiskey. I went from never having pets to being surrounded by fur. We purposefully picked up a cat-like dog (Vizslas are supposed to be cat-like) and dog-like cat (Moo was advertised as very dog-like in personality). Here are my personal perspectives on owning a dog vs a cat
dog-Whiskey
cat-Moo
Training
-both are equally trainable to DO something. Moo is crazy for food, just as much as Whiskey is so training them both was pretty easy. Both have great recall, sit, lie down, paw, roll over, and go where I point (up, down, etc). I just spend more time training Whiskey because it’s more useful and she doesn’t make you bleed when she is frustrated.
-it seems impossible to train my cat NOT to do something. With a dog, it’s still difficult because you may not always be able to control the situation (ie, Whiskey barks when she is playing with other dogs) but Vizslas generally want to please you. On the other hand, my cat completely understands she’s not allowed to do something, but doesn’t really care about what you’d like. You need a strong enough incentive for her not to do something bad at ALL times, and we’ve so far not found that incentive yet (water spray, loud noises, scruffing, bitter taste, double sided tape, etc).
try to train a cat not to escape….
training recall on the long line
Ease of Toilet
-Cats are so much easier to potty train and you don’t need to walk them outside in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain when they need to do their business. In most cases, cats come trained and kittens learn by copying mom. Of course, you still need to buy and clean litter in most cases (we are trying to train Moo to use the human toilet so we are past the litter stage), but it’s generally easier than picking up dog poop and carrying it around until you see a garbage. -It took about 3 months to fully housebreak Whiskey and we’ve trained her now to ring a bell, but when she needs to go in new situations or if we leave her for long periods of time, it’s still sometimes tricky.
Moo using her toilet
Boarding
-Whiskey is actually easier to board, surprisingly. She’s really sweet and will listen to others, recalling without issues and doesn’t tend to rummage through and eat everything in sight
-Moo is only trained to me and people she knows (her recall is usually only to me) and she’s so sneaky she’s able to get everywhere she’s not supposed to go (eg: the windowsills 30 floors up). She’s also harder to deal with in terms of her getting into food on the counter and getting into drawers and shelves (so far the dog hasn’t learned to open drawers yet). Also moving her to another location is more of a problem since cats are generally territorial, and won’t immediately get along with other household pets like Whiskey does. Luckily we have amazing friends that will cat-sit Moo at our apartment and have learned to cat-proof any food.
She’s been so easy to board
Health Issues
-Because Moo is an indoor cat, there are much less vet visits or digestion problems from eating stuff on the ground. Dogs get into everything, everywhere, so more vet bills but both have been really healthy so far. -It is far easier to inspect and handle Whiskey.
An outdoor dog has more health problems
Claws/Nails
-We are getting better at trimming the nails of both animals as we do it weekly with really good snacks. Only Moo will draw blood and bite but we are making progress!
Food
-Both Whiskey and Moo love their food though Moo is less picky (she will happily eat anything from dog kibble, butter, raw anything, to slices of bread and chips). They will enthusiastically help clean pans and dishes and Moo regularly jumps into the fridge to approve of our groceries. Moo eats daintily while Whiskey inhales her food. Moo also steals Whiskey’s Kongs and enjoys them just as much.
We trained Moo to tolerate Whiskey with lots of treats around the puppy
Moo stealing Whiskey’s Kong
Cuddle factor
-Strangely my velcro dog doesn’t normally cuddle unless we’re in bed (prefers cave bed to couch) but if we force her to cuddle, she’ll tolerate us -Moo only cuddles on her time, when she wants, where she wants (even if you are sitting on the toilet, you may be informed it’s cuddle time) though she also has the softest fur ever and never smells bad.
both are great sleeping buddies
it can be slightly more uncomfortable with the dog on top
Grooming
-Whiskey is pretty clean for a dog but extremely smelly and dirty when compared to a cat -Both will groom themselves but Moo has never had a bath (god help us if we need to), Whiskey gets a bath once a month when she starts to smell or has rolled in something foul
Moo is twice as soft
Exercise factor
-Contrary to what you may think, cats need you to exercise them too! Moo needs about 15mins daily compared to 2+ hours Whiskey needs. On the plus side, we can hike with Whiskey but Moo refuses to wear a collar or a leash so we can’t take her outside. -You can exercise Whiskey whenever is convenient, though Moo has her own schedule and may decide that midnight is time for Kung Fu practice.
playing together (ie, Whiskey trying to avoid getting hit)
Toys
-Whiskey plays with both cat and dog toys and regularly destroys them -Moo will only play with feathers, string, boxes, and your newest package of food on the counter. She will also destroy them
Destruction level of home
-So far my socks and sheepskin slippers are now dog toys. Whereas all my wicker baskets, my cloth hampers, my bedframe, my blankets, my bathrug are all Moo’s. All the curtains (bath and windows) as well as the leather couch have little claw marks from climbing training. -Whiskey will relocate items around the home, while Moo just shreds them in displeasure -Knitting is difficult!
both love to chase yarn
our bed is now theirs and require lots of washing
Friendliness
-Both will meet me at the door, but whereas Moo sees it as a chance to escape, Whiskey will give me a welcome like she’s just won the lottery. There’s really nothing like coming home to a Vizsla -I think my cat just stays with me because I have the best treats. Whiskey actually likes me (and the treats).
Both rock our world!
Curiosity
-If a poor neighbour happens to have their door open at the moment we have our door open, both pets are likely to rush into their home and immediately start exploring. Both are quite fearless and love checking out what is going on in our bags but overall I would say Moo is more curious and thorough
And what is for dinner tonight?
Ultimately…
In conclusion, Whiskey is like my human daughter with floppy ears, a sweet personality, loves you to death, and totally dependent, while Moo is like a cranky elderly roomate who yells at you to feed her, has a taste of everything you eat, is totally up in your business, but is also really sweet once in awhile.
We play with Whiskey throughout the day, flipping her over and tumbling all around with her. The other day I saw some red spots around her arm and leg ‘pits’ and after a quick check, discovered she had picked up fleas from a dog at the park (most likely). She’s currently on Sentinel, although she was just overdue for her monthly pill so I wasn’t 100% sure if the pill was still active. Sentinel mainly kills heart and tummy worms but is also a flea preventative: it doesn’t kill adult fleas – it causes the adult fleas to become infertile, so as to avoid infestations.
Immediate treatment
As soon as I found the spots I rubbed her coat with a vinegar/lemon mix. I also boiled her collar (with some rosemary sprigs) and found a bunch of fleas in the water confirming my fears. I suppose because I had covered her in vinegar, that the fleas must have jumped on the collar. Those were the only fleas I ever found. I set out a flea trap at night (soapy water in a pan with a light) and caught none. Thankfully, cat also showed no signs of fleas. I don’t even want to think about attempting a bath with our very overconfident cat. It was very late when we noticed the bumps so we didn’t get to clean the house until the morning.
boiling her collar
This is what floated up from the water! gross!
day 2 photos
her armpits
poor girl!
Day after
The next day, we cleaned all dog and human bedding, vacuumed the house very well, and gave her a bath with her emu oil shampoo (it’s supposed to repel fleas). Also, after the first day we saw no signs of more bites so I think we caught them early, or the Senntinal was working. I also vacuumed the house that evening, and everyday for a week. Crossing fingers, we avoided an infestation. In two days we already saw improvement in her rashes and bites.
day 3 photos
no more new bites, but old ones are poofy
heeling already
you would have never known from her sweet temperament
Flea pills
I had been going back and forth about giving Whiskey a dewormer/flea preventative monthly as it’s basically like putting chemicals and poison in them. The problem is we live downtown, and the dog parks are not very clean. There are homeless dogs around, and we meet around 100 dogs a week. There is old poop every foot in the city. We are also going to start daycare soon, and many daycares require preventatives so I guess our decision is made. Sometimes the treatment to kill fleas and worms can be worse than the preventative. Especially flea infestations!
More bumps!
In hindsight I think it was just bad luck with bad timing, but while her flea bites were healing she got another kind of bumps all over her tummy. When it rains, it pours I guess! These were different bumps. They were evenly spotted over her tummy and upper legs and were not itchy or red. They were hard and raised and after some research I was pretty confident they were allergy bumps (actually I had seen them on forums before so I wasn’t panicked). I wasn’t as concerned because we seemed to have dealt with the fleas ok, so I figured I’d delay a trip to the vet until the bumps bothered her, or got worse. The bumps came and went over the next week and these were our very amateur guesses at what caused it:
-chicken (she normally does not get chicken and I had given her some the night before)
-bedding detergent (I had finished an old jug of non-environmentally friendly detergent I don’t normally use)
-water from the beach
allergy bumps on her tummy
Allergies
The bumps are now mostly gone after coming and going for a week and a half. I’ve ruled out bedding detergent, but the fact that they weren’t on her back makes us suspicious that something could have been in the water at the beach she frequents. She usually wades in to her tummy and doesn’t go fully in. Food allergies are super tough since symptoms can come several weeks after the dog has eaten the problem food, and symptoms can last several weeks after the dog has digested it. Also dogs can get allergic to something they seem to have been fine with, but they only show symptoms after their body has tolerated too much. The detective work needed is frustrating and Whiskey has been eating a huge variety of food. In general it’s tricky with puppies too since their immune system is still growing, so with luck she won’t keep this allergy (if that’s what it is). Since the bumps have been going away, I’ll just keep an eye out for them when we give her tummy rubs.
you can see bumps are just on her tummy but are getting fewer
This week I’m off work, and I’m really looking forward to relaxing at home with the pets. Since we don’t own a car, we decided to rent from a car share a couple times this week to get out of the city.
Today we tried out Jug Island in Coquitlam. It’s a short little hike with minimal incline and a great way to start the day. The highlight of the hike is a little beach that faces the Indian Arm and Jug Island. We caught (and released) some tiny crabs, talked to kayakers and just chilled. As a joke, Thierry tossed a stick in quite far into the water and Whiskey actually retrieved it! She swam out further than she’s ever been before, although it was a bit of a panicky swim back. We were so proud!
working on our agility (yes they made it to the top!)
our hiking group
Whiskey fetches and swims!
catching small crabs
we are going higher and higher with this little girl
On the way back we popped into a wild game butcher for pet and human meats (kangaroo, bison, venison, elk, ostrich, wild boar). I think we’re stocked for awhile now! At the moment I’m trying out various foods for Whiskey so we’ll let you know how our experimentation goes. We’ve got tons of kibble and even raw samples from Petapalooza.
a bison heart is enormous!
Continuing on our day, after we dropped the meat home, we took Whiskey off to the vet for her last set of shots (Rabies and Lepto). She was amazing and even got a little handkerchief. As long as she’s eating a snack, she doesn’t even feel the needles. So as far as Whiskey understands, the vet means lots of attention, pets, and snacks! I wonder if she’ll wise up eventually. The cat is under no such illusions.
Whiskey has no idea she’s getting a shot
After the vet, we drove to the off-leash dog area of Spanish banks where we met the cutest German Shepherd puppy. Whiskey was pretty tired but perked up for some glorious playtime, digging and sniffing. Then it was back home for a dinner of turkey hearts and gizzards, and we all fell asleep really early (except for Moo who then demanded attention).
