The real DOG Day of Summer (July 4th safety tips)

AP here:
Did you know that today is not a good day to be a dog with any sort of fear response to loud noises. Humans all over the country today will shoot off very loud fireworks. It is a known statistic that more dogs run away on July 4th than any other day. It is easy to see how this can happen with even the most laid back and well behaved dogs. People are preparing and gathering for cookouts and to either host or to watch a fireworks show, so the attention is focused elsewhere and the dog can easily get overlooked.
Dogs do not understand fireworks specially puppies who have never experienced anything loud and flashy. The squealing whistle of the initial launch ending with a loud bang and very bright lights repeated over and over is enough to make any dog wonder what is happening. A dog that already has noise issues will be set over the edge and even dogs that are normally OK with loud things can get stressed. Gates and doors might not get closed as securely as usual and  an animal that is reacting out of sheer terror can climb/leap fences that they normally would not attempt. Animals in fight or flight mode are not predictable so once out of the yard a pet that would usually just return home can get disoriented.
If fireworks are going to be set off around your pet today here are some simple precautions.

Things that you can do today-

Collar with name tag and contact phone number - even if your dog is micro-chipped a collar and phone number will get them home faster if found by your neighbor

Take a photo of your pet so you have a current on in case you need to post Lost or Missing flyer's

Keep the daily routine as normal as possible and make sure to get in the dogs daily exercise/walk before the party/fireworks start.

Thundershirt your pet this evening if that usually helps with storms (or any anxiety wrap you use)

Confine your pet to one area or the house or crate before the fireworks start. Turn on fans, music or TV's as background noise to block out the outside commotion. If possible shut the windows and pull the curtains or blinds.

If you normally use a sedative or any other calming agent for storms talk to your vet about using it tonight (FYI -July 3rd is a very busy day for your vet as people are refilling their prescriptions for sedatives and asking for tips on how to handle July 4th)

If you are having people over that will be going in and out of gates and doors post signs reminding them to shut them completely due to the dog/cat

There are other dangers lurking for your pet today as well and the ASPCA Tips is a good read.

I make it a point on the morning of July 5th to patrol for any remnants of fireworks that might have fallen  in my yard first before letting Tonka out. This was more important when he was a puppy and everything was a chew toy or something to try and eat but I still do it now to keep him safe.

Just as the 3rd is a busy day for veterinarians the 5th of July is one of the busiest day for your local shelter. If the worst has happened and your dog is missing you will want to contact them first thing before it becomes a complete zoo.

Tonka wants everyone to have a safe and happy 4th.

Payback or - Did you really just walk me into a car?

AP here:
The T-Man and I are still walking twice a day although we only travel about 4 or 5 houses up the block and then turn around. He cannot touch concrete or anything rough with the middle two toenails on that bad foot as they are completely worn down and become a bloody mess. Once out of the backyard he has to have either socks or a boot on to protect the toes.

He is managing to lift the foot with his Ruff Wear Skyliner boot (see this post) for a good portion of the walk so that is promising. This is exactly where we were in November of last year with the other leg. I sometimes feel like I am just repeating the days over and over again like the Groundhog day movie..
The boot thing is a huge deal in my little corner of the world since it means I don't have to deal with socks and duct tape. Socks and duct tape require stopping every few feet to reposition since they roll around and sag no matter how much duct tape you use or how tight you make them. I had created some sock boots but they suffer from the same rolling problem.

He is doing well (since this weekend) with the boot. He takes slow methodical steps and his back end does not seem to be drifting as bad to the right like it had been. He still thinks he can go further than I will let him which is also a good sign.

 June 22nd

On the way back when he gets sloppy we do some thera-band work to keep him going and to train his foot and leg to lift.

This morning I was walking him home with the thera-band and I was looking down at his foot so that I could get the proper placement and he subtly drifted a bit and walked me right into a parked car.
I had to chuckle a bit because there have been times over the years that I have walked him into some items such as a tree, a car, and the occasional fence.
I had to wonder if he was silently thinking "YES-Payback"

                                                                 June 23rd

I am encouraged by these little baby steps of progress and so we will keep "walking" forward and try to avoid the obstacles in our path..

Tonka's Trailer (Cycletote)

AP here:
People always ask me about Tonka's Cycletote trailer. We have posted about it before we did not get into specifics about how he gets in and out. Obviously at 134lbs I cannot lift him and I was worried when I ordered it that we would have trouble getting him to use it. The good thing is he  listens so well that teaching him did not take long. We have created a short video to show you  (please pardon the appearance of my posterior in several of the scenes).
We shot this after a walk with me pushing him home for a mile and a half on a hot afternoon. In hindsight we should have done it another time when we were not so tired.

The back of the trailer frame is a little lower right under the handlebars so that is the entry point.

I have the chocks in place so that the wheels don't move forward. The wheel chocks are a yoga block I sliced in half and then cut out a space for the wheel to sit in.

These help stabilize the trailer when he is getting in and out. I also hold up on the handlebars so when he steps in the back does not rock back and flip the front up. Once he steps in I lift his back end up and into the trailer. I shift him as far forward as he can go and then have him sit.
I use a treat to get him to lie down and then I put the chocks in with him and away we go.

When we get to our destination I put the chocks back on the wheels and give him the command to get up. I put my foot in to weight the front and to keep it steady while I help lift him to a standing position. Once he is standing I take my foot out and put my arm under him to help him when he steps out. He takes a minute to get his bearings and his balance and then he steps up and out to the left. When his front feet are out I then lift his back legs and swing them up and out.
The last thing I do is sure his back feet are where they should be on the ground before I let him start walking.


To carry things I started out with one big bike bag attached to the lower bar but then found it cumbersome and in the way when going up and down curbs. I found some little bike bags (Goodie Too) made by a company called Detours.
The bags use a special mount called the minibug that adapts to almost any handlebar size. I have two down low on the frame that carry spare tubes, tools and air in case we get a flat and two up on the handlebars for poop bags, treats, keys, cell phone and any other misc. stuff.
The trailer is very well made and is really easy to push and maneuver. The customer service is excellent and every trailer is handmade. Is you are looking for a trailer for your pets or kids I would definitely give them a call. I talked to several different companies but once I spoke to Sue at cycletote and told her my dilemma she was the only one to respond back with  a positive, "I think we can help". She even pulled up this blog to get an idea of how big Tonka is - that is customer service. A few phone calls later and we were ordering the Tonka trailer. I sincerely hope that in the near future we have no need of the trailer for our daily walks. If that day never comes, I at least know I have a product that will last. The frame has a lifetime warranty, all the fabric is CORDURA® which is very tough stuff and the back wheels are full size with narrow bike tires making for a smooth ride with less rolling resistance. It can be converted to either stroller or bike mode and if/when he recovers and we don't need it for walks I will use it to pull him on the bike trails.

Make sure to get my good side!

Hey AP wrote a story about me for the Dogster Community and used some of my best pictures.

You can check it out here at the Dogster  homepage which has a big pic of me Styling and Profiling in my shades of you can go right to the story here

My friend Arty asked for my autograph but AP told him that even though I rock at math and science my penmanship needs work. I happen to think I make an awesome pawprint!

Busy Boy

I have been a very busy dog lately. I have been to Therapy, and started Acupuncture again with Dr. Phillips - which makes me very relaxed...

I have been on walks to the park and hung out with all my friends....

I have spent time with all my kids ......

 

Had my humans push me in my cool cart.....

  

My Buddy AJ and I spent some time together......

 

.... and tonight at the park I met some new friends Henry and Quinn. Henry was very curious about my shaved spot on my leg and the fact that I am blind. He was trying very hard to come up with all the ways I can know where I am even though I can't see. Quinn was checking the score on the cell phone for the Pacers game and took the time to pet me and stroke my fur before we left. I hope we run into them again sometime.

A Tigers Tale

AP here:
We make decisions everyday, some are small and require no thought and others are large and life changing. This is the tale of Tiger where a bunch of small decisions worked together to return him safely home.

Tonka has therapy every Tuesday but on some weeks he also goes on Fridays.and today was one of those Fridays. On Therapy days we walk earlier than normal in the morning and this Friday Tonka was insistent that we also walk a different route. So we were out earlier and at a different spot than usual when we met a man looking for his dog Tiger. Tiger had gone missing the night before and they were very worried since at 18 years old his vision and hearing were not so good. We told him we would keep and eye out and I would spread the word. As we walked on I sent a text to some other morning dog walkers and posted to my friends in the neighborhood on FB.
Tonka and I were running late as we headed out of the neighborhood when I saw a friend and made the decision (even though we were late) to pull over and ask her to spread the word about Tiger. I asked her to  please tell my friend Bob since he is home most of the day and usually is out with his dogs. She said she would and off to therapy we went.
When we returned from therapy I drove into the neighborhood and noticed someone had put up signs about Tiger. Bob saw my truck as we passed and made the decision to drive up to my house and ask about the missing dog. He pulled in as I was getting out and we chatted about what I knew about Tiger. Then running even later now I secured Tonka in the house and headed out to work..
I was at the stop sign getting ready to turn on to the main road leading out when I saw my friend Shirleeta who lives one neighborhood over. She was coming across the street with Tonka's little friend Bailey. Now normally I would have just waved and drove on but I made the decision to stop (I was already late). She saw me and came across the street holding a picture of a small dog. She was going to post it at the stop sign. She wanted to know if I recognized the dog and knew the owner. I told her I didn't but that a small dog was missing on my side of the main street. She then told me"well he doesn't see or hear so well" so I figured it had to be Tiger. We put Bailey dog in the back and I turned the truck around and we drove back to one of the signs to get a phone number.
She then told me her neighbor had Tiger at his house and that Tiger had walked out in front of his car the night before. Apparently it took some coaxing and the help of a county police officer to capture Tiger and the decision was made to keep him in a crate at his house for the night. The next morning his wife made the decision to go knocking on all the neighbors doors to see if anyone knew where he belonged and that's how Shirleeta got involved.
We called the number on the missing sign and talked to a much relived owner and then we all met at the "Hero of the day" neighbors house. Tiger was very happy to be back with mom and dad and we all agreed that it was just right decisions, right time, right place that had worked together to keep Tiger safe for the night. As I drove away I said to myself that I thought perhaps a bit of "Tonka Magic" was also involved to start the chain of events off by having me run into Tigers dad that morning..
I have no doubt that Tiger would have made it home without our intervention. I know Shirleeta would have put up the pictures and his owners would have seen it but I am glad it worked out to get him home sooner than later.

Tonka's Trailer

AP here:
After a few conversations with Sue at Cycletote I ordered the large trailer with the stroller conversion. It has been modified slightly and the covered wagon part can come off easily so he can get in without worrying about height clearance. It came in a very large box and surprisingly took no time at all to put together.

With Cover

Inside

I put a few beef liver treats inside (with the canopy top off) and had Tonka reach in to get them. He is such a sucker for anything liver. We had his friends Nala and Duke come over and they took turns getting in and out of it.

Duke

I stuck two foam yoga blocks in front of each wheel to keep them from rolling away as I prepared to get him in it. I walked him under the handlebars and up as close as possible to the trailer. I asked him to "Step Big" but he refused so I lifted up his front feet and put them in.  He was unsteady and unsure at first but finally moved forward and I lifted his back legs and put them in. Carol helped to keep the carts front end down by holding it down with her foot. Once he was in I gave him a treat and told him he did a "great job". Then I had him sit for a treat and finished by having him lie down. I kept telling him to stay as we made a small trip up a hill in the backyard and around to the front gate.


To the Gate




Nala offering her support


 Once at the gate I had him stand up and lifted the front paws out and then the back legs. It is tricky and it wobbles under his weight upon standing but he is getting used to it. We then all went for a walk and pushed the trailer with us just so it became a familiar item to everyone in our little pack.

Stopping at the gate

The next day we went for a walk to the park with Nala and Duke. We walked part of the way there and then loaded him up in the cart for the rest of the journey.
He seemed to like it:

Once at the park I helped him out and he got to walk around with his friends for a while. The hardest thing is getting him to sit and lie down which I think is because of the wobble. I have found that it is easier to load and unload if I push him into tall grass. Once he is down he is content to just put his head up and sniff the breezes.

Brief Medical Update

AP here:
For the past two weeks Tonka has been on a bit of a slide downward. he is still mobile but he is stiff in the back right leg which is his good (bad) leg and he has been falling quite a bit. It is almost as if the problem has shifted sides, not to the extent that we had in the beginning with the left but still presenting those same lame/weak symptoms. He does not pick that foot up high enough when clearing an object, it seems weak and has no traction and he collapses on that side when he does fall. He is hesitant to use the ramp and has been doing a little back and forth weight shuffle with the back feet while standing. He is not sleeping through the night and consistently and seems to have trouble getting comfortable especially lying on his side.
His amazing therapists of course are diligent about listening to my observations and checking him out thoroughly and are always brainstorming about what they can do to help him. I am always a little more positive when leaving therapy knowing that he is in such good hands. The people at CVSS are all so professional and caring as well as the other staffs from other practices within the building. I know that he is truly looked after anytime he is there.
A consult with an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Roa and Neurology , Dr. McDonnell let us know that his therapists Chris and Diana are right on track with what they are doing for him and took their suggestion of adding a medicine called Gabepentin.
The Gabepentin should help if he is having what they call neuropathic or neurogenic pain which involves the reaction of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) to injury. With neuropathic pain, the reaction in the nervous system to the pain actually makes the pain feeling worse and is commonly described as "burning", "electric", "tingling", and "shooting" in nature. This pain is usually worse at night and might explain why he gets me up so many times at night. I know it is not because he needs to go to the bathroom since he has no interest in going out if I open the door. He wants me to snuggle up with him and then he goes right back to sleep. He really is just a big baby.

Diggy Diggy!

AP here:
I spent the morning trimming trees and putting down top soil and the afternoon digging out dirt and adding on to the sand garden I created last year. Tonka perked up enough to come out and give me a hand for a few minutes.

He does love to dig!