[Dailydrool] Bel's vet visit & Holly the foster

[Pamela McQuade]

I know the Drool will be glad to hear that Bel's problem was not quite what I expected: He has a UTI. Never thought I'd be glad to announce that. But it seems that could be what has caused his extraordinary thirst and lack of energy. He was also somewhat dehydrated, so the vet rehydrated him a bit.

He is now on an antibiotic, and the vet gave me some shampoo to use on the area under his bellyband.

Today Bel seems to be feeling a bit more energetic, though he's not tearing around by any means. At least he isn't simply lying in his bed all day. He's sometimes been giving Holly the foster princess a hard time about her being in his way--and winning. Yesterday he simply backed off all the time and expected me to make his way for him.

He wasn't too happy with getting bathed in his private parts this morning but dealt with it with his usual gentleness. The bathroom floor got more damage than anything. Since it's hard on both of us to have me lift him into the bathtub, I bought one of those huge aluminum pans that you'll find in the grocery store. Though it's designed for lasagna on a grand scale, it also works well for washing up the back end of a hound. Next time, however, I will put a towel beneath the pan, so it sops up any water overflow. We will be doing this frequently.

After taking X-rays, the vet found that Bel has some lesions on his spine, which she says are related to disk disease. She can't up his medication, since he's at his limit of the tramadol right now. But oddly enough, Bel seems to be walking better, if not enthusiastically. Perhaps the walking trouble has more to do with the infection than his back.

I am hoping he will continue to improve, because I really need more time with my second Dashing Basset. No matter what his health challenges, he's still his mama's baby.

Meanwhile, Holly the foster is making herself at home. She has quite clearly attached herself to me and isn't too happy that Bel has a prior claim. Though I spoiled her through the first difficult days of losing her family, as time has gone on I have not allowed her to assume she will oust Bel from his place. I think she's finally getting the drift. She growls at him, just as Abner did, but she's beginning to move aside for him too.

As often happens in surrender situations, I have found that the dog the owners described and the dog I got are two different animals. They told me that Holly had a peeing problem--she supposedly peed in her bed--and that she didn't ask to go out. With us she had one accident (Drew says she had two, but I'm not sure that one wasn't Bel, with his UTI). Since then she has always told us when she needs to go out. I think the problem is that she doesn't bark when she wants to do her business, so her humans thought she didn't need to go. But she does tell you: She looks at you in a certain way or heads towards the door. Those dog-human communication problems are so tough to deal with, if you don't understand dogs! 

We take Holly out frequently, and the peeing problems do not present themselves.

Holly is a perfect little princess. I have taken to calling her Thesweetprincess, since Jane is our crown princess and Alexis was Thefairyprincess. Holly reminds me so much of Alexis, it is almost painful at times. The first couple of days she did as Lex did and went to the door, asking to go home. Broke my heart. If a less than hardhearted family saw that, I swear they'd never give a dog up. But Holly will be spoiled here until she finds a forever home. She's already very keen on the Dashing Basset treats I make and is trying to decide if she likes peanut butter or carob better.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets
Lady Jane & Belvedere & Alexis Thefairyprincess (ATB) & Abner Ahrooo (ATB)
with Holly Thesweetprincess foster
& Duncan Thefairlyuselessc at t