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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Hi. I'm babysitting my friend's 1 1/2 year old
sweetie, Cricket. Cricket is usually Hurricane Cricket -- all play and
motion and play and wags and play and happiness. And play, did I mention
play? Non-stop.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>She's about 10 days into her second heat. Her
previous heat, there was no change in her personality. But now she is a
different dog. Lethargic, disinterested, tail down -- not in fear, just
nothing to wag about. She sleeps, or just lies there looking at me.
I take her to do all her favorite things -- playgroup with young labradoodle and
best friend Sally (wrestles a tiny little bit, then wants to go home,
whereas usually she is the rough and wild leader and never wants to stop);
visiting human friends (walks in slowly, plops down at my feet and sleeps rather
than says hello, whereas usually she's the social butterfly); walks (she turns
around and goes home, no interest in her previous obsession of tennis balls, no
interest in meeting new people).</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Maybe I emphasize too much -- she doesn't seem sick or
unhappy, just very tired and uninterested. It's not from missing her Mom
-- she travels at least once a month and Cricket stays here, so this is her
second home and she loves it here. And her Mom did say she was acting slow
and tired when she dropped her off.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>I'm just not used to dogs in heat. Is this
normal? If I thought there were really something wrong, I'd have her to
the vet in a flash, the vet always referred to me as "Neurotic Mama" because my
girls would sigh and I'd be rushing them in. As I said, Cricket doesn't
seem sick, still enjoys (!) her food, but for a dog who two weeks ago had her
switch stuck on "fast" and who hated taking a nap, she now prefers to sleep next
to me all day rather than play with any of her toys, or even eat a butcher
bone.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Can doggies have an equivalent of
PMS?</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Thanks!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Neurotic Nanny Beth (Duchess ATB and Blueberry ATB, both
of whom were spayed before their first heat, and both of whom always preferred
to sleep rather than play, so actually Cricket's current behavior is very
familiar to me)</FONT></DIV>
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