Big Paws Only Dog Forums

I bought some plastic eggs, put treats inside, and placed them around the living room this morning. I've hid treats this way before, which Riley enjoyed, but he didn't particularly care for the eggs. He sniffed out a couple, but he doesn't usually pick things up and even walked away from the second egg. I opened those two and gave him the treat. Then he gave up and went and sat on the couch - right on an egg that was hidden in between the cushions! So I gave that one to him, too. Sadie found the other 9 and carried them around (typical Lab) for me to open. Then she learned to open them herself. She had a great time!

Here are some pics of the hunt, their rawhide afterwards, and of Presciosa, my neighbors' dog, who has been undergoing heartworm treatment at my house for the past 5 weeks or so (almost finished!):

It's been a while since I've posted here. I've lurked at times, though, trying to keep up.

I have a mostly non-dog-related question to ask. I am looking at going to graduate school in a different subject than what I studied as an undergrad. If I do this, I will be returning full-time. My intent is to get a Master's, then a PhD, and teach at a university.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I am concerned about a number of things, the top two being: getting into a program without the background in the subject and funding (can I get enough aid in various forms - grants, loans, work as a TA - to cover everything, especially the dogs and cat?). I would being selling my house (will most likely move to attend school), but I shouldn't make all that much off of it and what I do make will go towards bills.

Any thoughts on this?

Ugh. 

http://austin.craigslist.org/pet/684197594.html

My dogs' collars stink-completely awful funky smells. I'll admit it.

So what do I do about it? How often do you wash your dogs' nylon collars? Even with washing, theirs stunk. Do leather collars solve this problem? I had those thin leather collars on them for a while, but Sadie chewed up the end of Riley's (yes, he just laid there and let her do it). Would a choke chain as a collar work? It seems dangerous.

They've been collar-less for two weeks now (they walk in prong collars). I'd feel more comfortable if they wore collars, even though they have microchips and are house dogs. Their microchips are a bit messed up-one is down the middle of one dog's back and the other has it up too high in their neck (can't remember which is which, though). If someone breaks into the house or they get loose somehow, I want them to be easily identified, especially around here. They are very nice looking dogs, and I get odd comments all the time... like compliments but sort of off in some way, so I'd be afraid someone would keep them! It's kind of a rough area of town, and considering the state of the other "pets" in my neighborhood, they probably wouldn't end up in good hands! Their id's say "reward for return" with their names and my phone number.

Tips? Or do I just have stinky-necked dogs? I swear the rest of them doesn't smell like this!

My cat, Thomas, who had been fighting cancer since December, had to be euthanized today. He originally had three tumors-one on each kidney and one in his intestines. The tumors were very large, and he was given 2 days to 2 weeks to live and placed on steriods to help with pain management and to stimulate his appetite.

Thomas proved everyone wrong, though, and by early March, the tumors on his kidneys had shrunk and the one in his interestines had disappeared completely. I took him to the vet about a month ago, and he checked out fine. We agreed to do another ultrasound just to see how the tumors were doing (b/c they weren't noticeable during his physical exam).

On Wednesday, Thomas seemed lethargic-this was nothing new for him, though, b/c he was kind of a bum, but I kind of worried about it. Then on Thursday, I dropped by the vet and scheduled his ultrasound for the end of the month when his normal vet is due back in town. I told them that he was lethargic, but I was keeping an eye on him. That night, he didn't eat. I went out and bought him his favorite treats, offered him dog treats, etc. This is the same cat that broke into a new bag of dog food over the weekend and was meowing for dog treats when I was training the dogs on Saturday. So I took him in on Friday morning. His kidney numbers were all elevated, including his phosphorus, which I was told indicates end stage kidney failure. They gave him a catheter for fluids and said I could take him to an emergency vet to continue fluids for the night or I could take him home and bring him back today (Saturday). I chose to take him home. I didn't want him at the vet 24 hours a day for his last couple of days. The first vet thought he'd make it until Monday, and they'd recheck his blood then. She didn't sound optimistic, but she did make it seem like he had a little while left. The vet who was there when I picked him up on Friday told me she didn't think he would recover and that his kidneys were failing.

Last night, he hardly moved around at all. He slept curled up in my arms for about half the night, only moving under the bed when I got up in the middle of the night. He looked like he was finished, though-his eyes said it. My ex-boyfriend was coming down today to see him, though, so I took him in this morning for the fluids for the day. I got a call around 2:30 from the second vet saying that he was worse and that they could let me do subcutaneous fluids and take him to an emergency vet tomorrow if needed. The implied "or" was that we could put him down. My ex and I drove over to the vet, and I chose to let him go. We got to sit with him for a while and the vet techs, who absolutely adored Thomas, set up a buffet of tuna, treats, clams, and even a plastic bag (his favorite thing to eat...). He didn't touch any of it, but they tried. They let me choose clay for his pawprints, and he sat on my lap while the vet cleaned his catheter then injected the anesthsia and the medication to stop his heart.

Thank you to all of you who wished him well before. It definitely worked out for him, and we were lucky to have another 8 months of good, quality time. He felt fine, acted like a normal cat... He was a lucky little guy. The vet told me during his last visit (his normal vet) that now when he gets a cat with a mass, they think maybe they'll try steriods and the cat will "do a Thomas". This is the vet that cried about him doing so well, too. I wish he had been there today, but the rest of the staff at the hospital was great.

Riley turned 2 today. 

He's still kind of skinny and weighed only 127 pounds the last time I weighed him, down from a high of 132. I think he's only gained 15 pounds or so this year, which is weird, b/c he should have done a lot more filling out, especially from 18-24 months. His parents are 135 and 185. He's pretty tall-almost 31 inches at the withers-just kind of skinny. He eats and doesn't look emaciated, just thin for a Saint, I guess. The vet says he's healthy, and I'm okay with him being thinner as long as that's the case. Sadie, on the other hand, has gained weight this year and didn't need to!

Anyway, here are some pics of the, uh, not-so-big guy-from pup until pretty recently:

Sadie is three today! (As far as I know, this is her actual birthday...)

Happy Birthday, Sloggy!

One of my best friends sent me this. He was melting over it. The ending is the cutest part!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybs0eJ3i3FU