Thursday, June 15, 2006

Shep update - nothing to worry about

Well, we took Shep in to the vet today, and we don't have any reason to be really concerned. It may be that he has kennel cough, but a perhaps even more likely scenerio is that his trachea is very sore from surgery (he would have had a tube down his throat) and combined with that he's been pulling at his leash and so the trachea might be extra irritated, and that could be the reason for the little cough. Also, he's on a new diet, in a new place, so he may have a bit of an upset tummy, leading to the lack of eating.

The cure? I'm currently cooking my dog's dinner! He will be dining on rice and chicken today, and it's simmering in the rice cooker as we speak. Hopefully this mild diet will help his tummy as he transitions to a healthy diet at our house, and he will return to his prior energy levels.

We think that Shep is starting to understand that he lives here, and he's getting more and more comfortable. He's not a big fan of the car yet (though he mellows as soon as he's loaded up), and we think that this is because every time he got in a car he got a new home...first one shelter, then another, then our house. We like to believe that he loves being with us, and the idea that we'd take him somewhere else makes him sad, so he doesn't want to get in the car. In any case, that's improving.

We have booked a trip to Cannon Beach (and we're staying at a hotel that allows dogs), leaving on Father's Day, returning Wednesday. This will be a GREAT time to take a break before Ryan begins his new job. Hooray!

Kristina

2 comments:

Krystal said...

I'm so glad that there is nothing to worry about. As I looked at your pictures, Caleb entered the room and said "that Shep. Me go, grammy papa dahl see shep." So your wonderful pet has made an impact on our little boy. He looks forward to seeing Shep again soon.

Rhonda said...

What a relief!! Glad to hear that Shep is going to be ok. Our little Gracie didn't become a begger until I had to cook her dinner during a bowel upset. Now she'll sit and watch us cook waiting for something to fall!! LOL!!

Shep is a beautiful puppy!! You can just see the energy in the pictures.