… chickens, who lay itsy bitsy, teeny weenie eggs! I *heart* them!
My bantam hen, whom I assumed was a pity rescue from Animal Control and probably dumped after being past her egg laying prime, seems to be coming into her own. Perhaps her and Kenny Rogers Roaster Rooster were actually just young ‘uns, because for the past two days I have an ever-so-small white egg in amongst the big brown ones.
One of my few girlie concessions is a fondness for miniaturized things, so teeny little eggs makes me clap my hands rapidly up under my chin and do a little happy dance :)
I was so pleased that I decided we needed to celebrate with some new-to-us Fifa.
My coworker Angela brought Mr. Woo a new Fifa after she heard about how much he loves to play with them. Except this one is called a Mon Dial.
Is that french for GET IN MY MOUTH STUPID OVERLY LARGE BALL!!?
It’s true, “Get The Mon Dial” is a mouthful alright, so we still call it “Fifa.”
I don’t care what name you give it, it still means “I’m not getting off the porch until you stop kicking it.”
You’ll notice an absence of Tweed in these shots too, since he also refuses to play with Fifa. You’d think after 11 years, he’d have realized that a kicked soccer ball is not in anyway harmful.
Then again … maybe he’s on to something.
But I don’t want to leave you Tweed-less, so instead I’ll use a reasonable facsimile. This is Kiva, who is an older, redder Tweed, and he dem0nstrates how Tweed *would* look were Tweed present, and hiding from the soccer ball.
Kiva was getting some glamour shots done, for no reason other than he’s dreamy!
Phhhlllbbbtt on Kiva. I believe we were playing Fifa?
Right, sorry about that Woo. As you were.
The sun finally – FINALLY – came out to play this week. At last! I even got my painful, annual Regionals sunburn, albeit two weeks behind schedule. I was so happy to see the sun yesterday that I don’t think I spent more than 5 minutes in the house all day long. But that was probably because I was tackling the creeping buttercups, where are once again taking over. It’s only been a week, for pete’s sake! But they-‘re ba-ack!
It’s hard work to manoeuvre Fifa through the buttercups. Please fix this problem!
This summer I took the radical precaution of shaving dog bellies. I started with Tweed, since he has the undercoat of a sheep this year – that was a cold winter, and he grew the proper clothes to accommodate it. Unfortunately for us both, he doesn’t enjoy having his matted belly brushed, so I just enlisted the help of a coworker and we shaved off all his belly hair. The first time he laid down on a cool tile floor, he was mighty surprised, that’s for sure. But now he seems to quite like it.
So then we shaved Piper, who kicked my coworker in the face a bunch of times … apparently vibrating machinery near her underbelly is not her idea of a good time. But since Piper collapses sometimes in the heat, and my dogs are so not acclimated to hot weather this year, I am hoping that having a cooler belly will help with her endurance.
Judging from her long game of Fifa in the heat without collapsing, it might just be helping!
You didn’t shave my belly because I have no hair on it anyway!
Poor TWooie … his seasonal contact allergies paid him a visit at the same time the sun did. His stomach is once again red and inflamed. It must really suck to be allergic to the stuff you walk on and hunt in :( I wish I could find something that helped him be less itchy. Not only because I feel bad for him, but because I hate the sound of him munching and licking away at his stomach when he climbs onto my bed at night. Yuck. Any suggestions?
Happy summer ya’ll! We’re heading back outside to enjoy some more of this fine weather before I head back to work for the rest of the week. But next week, fence building begins. Oh yes it does – the evil plans to create a WooTWoo containment system are finally coming together!
I fear no fences. You can’t fence me in! I dismiss your efforts.
Way to stomp all over a gal’s ego, Woo. Thanks a lot. Harumph.
Sandy says
I had a dog that was like that and I gave her Benedryl during the seasons that bothered her. The vet recommended it. Could you ask at work how much to give?
Pam says
Afraid I have just got used to the licking noises
although I now have a command of ‘close your legs’ when we are in polite company and it is just not propper for my boy to be licking his allergies :D
kristy says
Loved the summer post!! Those buttercups are awfully pretty to be pesty!!
Tags mom says
Ask your vet about chloraphenarimine. It’s pretty cheap, small so its easy to give and works well for seasonal allergies.
EvenSong says
I have a [human] friend who swears by Aveeno Anti-Itch concentrated Lotion for her own allergy-induced hives. Don’t know if it would work for dogs, but it might be worth checking out with your vet.
StupidSmartDogs says
For Lucy’s (My dog) allergies we use Benedryl its worth a shot Food Lady :)
hornblower says
For Darwin’s itchies it’s helped to jack up his dose of salmon oil. He’s 50lb and I’m giving him 4 caps/day (in 2 doses) of 1000mg human grade pure wild salmon oil.
Leslie Ems-Walker says
We had a serious allergy dog and we used Atopica to great effect for her. It’s expensive but it was the least harmful and the most effective. We did allergy shots but they didn’t work. When we adopted her, she had a very sparse coat, no hair on the belly, no hair at all on her feet and none around her butt. After being on Atopica for a few months, the licking, butt scooting and chewing all but disappeared. She would still lick her feet and butt some but not enough to keep fur from growing anymore.
carol says
you can buy calomine lotion with a built in antihistamine over the counter at most of the drug stores if he won’t mind a pink itchless belly?..it is not out on the shelves but if you ask the pharmacist they usually have it in the back…at least the mission shoppers drug mart does.
Piper says
One of my dogs has allergies too…and a few vets have recommended Benedryl (with no other additives, just pure Benedryl). I don’t give it often and I’m not sure how effective it really is, but it might take the edge off a bit…maybe worth a try?
nickelsmum says
That second picture of Kiva is just amazing. It can go into his “Kiva looks like a bear” collection. I am glad I will get to see it again. :)
Atopica seems to be the drug of choice if you can afford it. Benedryl and the like will only go so far, but may be worth a try. Allergy shots can work very well, but the tests and the shots are both very spendy. Nano Borderjack is trudging along with benedryl, occasional Temaril-P (antihistamine plus prednisone), and lots and lots of baths. Baths are really a great answer for this and with a good quality shampoo you can bathe as often as needed. Yes, it is a PITA.
Georgia says
I have 7 chickens but their eggs are huge! They barely fit in a Jumbo egg box.
The Ameraucana’s green eggs are my favorite. They just taste lighter to me. When my dog had an allergic reaction to a bee sting, the vet used Episoothe by Virbac. It really helped her. Her seasonal grass allergies are back, and I was thinking of trying one their other products also. Allermyl or Cortisoothe. The Allermyl is specifically for allergies.
Miriam says
My older brother had awful allergies and rode the rodeo so he would honey from the regions he would be riding and take it. My suggestion based on nothing except stuff I have tried and it worked but I may have been lucky. Along with fish oil tabs (or the real oil) I would give TWooie 1/4 cup of yogurt with extra probiotics if they sell that where you live; 1 tablespoon of regional honey (mix it with yogurt and some brewers yeast. You could give it to all your dogs but give him the most. It will help build his resistance to allergens; fight the allergies (you could add half a tab of benydryl for a week while he acclimates) and his skin and fur will be astonishing.
HK says
My dog has sensitive skin and allergies too.
I switched his food to one that doesn’t contain any corn and now he seems less prone to skin irritation. However, as you feed raw, I doubt you have that problem. Benadryl also really helps. I was told it was safe to use every day, but I usually only give it to him when he won’t stop licking his paws. His allergies have been bad enough that our vet gave him a steroid shot, which really helped.
I also use a shampoo that contains oatmeal and tea tree oil. Depending on how irritated Twooie’s skin is, the tea tree oil might sting him a bit. (I use tea tree sometime for my own blemishes.)
Do you think a modified belly band would help him? If you can’t control the allergic reaction, maybe you can prevent the plants from affecting him. Or is that a safety hazard? Poor Twooie has enough problems without getting caught in the underbrush. ;)
Stephanie says
My shepard mix had the red belly also, my vet put her on a low dose of Medrol it’s not expensive and acts like cortisone.
The Sprollies 'n' Border Collies says
Poor Twoo. I hope someone knows something about how to make his condition better. Piper is in love with that Fifa!
dusty says
My dog had really bad itching problems.. so much so she would cry from scratching and chewing on herself.. I hate feeding my dogs drugs.. benadry.. ect.
I found a great supplement that i just add to their food with some salmon oil and it has worked wonders on her.. better coat, no itching. Check out dinovite.com stuff really works and it isn’t too expensive and no drugs!
nickelsmum says
Also, I want to know why YOUR messy shelf of books makes a colorful and atmospheric background for your eggful closeup, whereas MY messy shelf of books would just look messy?
clairesmum says
i have heard the daily dose of local honey every day until a frost remedy for people, including one teen who had allergic asthma that had her in the ER on more than one occasion. Probiotics to help his immune system at the same time won’t hurt, either.
Diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl) is dirt cheap in the states, gives people a dry mouth and makes them drowsy – not sure how it is in dogs, but it might help him not be so ‘mouthy’ at night.
Good luck! Glad the sun is out!!!
Andrea/Schnitzie says
A lot of people swear by stinging nettles for doggies with seasonal allergies, like grass and pollen. You can hide a capsule in cheese and give every day. It’s holistic, non-steroidal, non-narcotic, and comes straight from Nature! (Well, before they put it in a capsule…)
You can order stinging nettles from iHerb.
Wishing dearest Twooie relief from his itchies! And you from your sunburn, Food Lady!
Rebecca C. says
Please mention if you find something that helps his poor allergies!
My parents’ Golden is allergic to grass, pollen, beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fleas, and more I’m sure I forgot. The poor guy is having an AWFUL time right now with pollen as high as it is around here right now. He’s eaten/pulled all the fur from his belly and most of his back legs, which are both red and inflamed. He gets benadryl every day, cortisone shots, is on a hypoallergenic food (crappy RX food, because my Dad doesn’t want to bother tracking down dog food with different protein sources when the vet swears his rx stuff is better… gah), has some kind of itch cream rubbed on 1-2 times a day, and possibly other stuff I forgot. On the days just before he is due for a cortisone shot he literally itches so much he can barely walk.
By the way, I LOVE that second picture of Kiva!
Sylv says
I “just” figured out that if I hover the mouse over a picture I can read the captions you put on. Do’h! Just think of all the fun I’ve missed – (I may have to backtrack through the blog…)
(goes away to hide face in shame…)
andrea says
Hey, I met Tess and Sonic (apparently TDBCR alumni) while on walk/run #2 (I am holy) in the bog this morning. Awesome girls. Coco was too interested in rustling up rabbits to care that Sonic was fixing me with her iron-clad laser focus after placing teeny-tiny sticks at my feet.
Abby says
Ah, we HATE this time of year in Texas because of the itchies. The Benedryl used to work, but if you give it all the time, it starts to lose effectiveness. I’ve done the steroid shot two years. Worked the first time, but not the 2nd. I’ve tried putting baby socks on our Jack’s paws to prevent licking, but he won’t leave them on very long. I put antibacterial gel on the open sores. I’ve tried baths, changing his diet, so many things. The only thing I’ve had moderate luck with is an anti-itching spray from PetCo or PetSmart. You just spray it on the underside or paws and it helps them not to itch…but only lasts 30 minutes maybe. I mainly try to limit their outside trips and rub them down when they come in. In mid-August I will try the steroid shot again, get them Cones of Shame, and give them Calm Down so they sleep for the worst two weeks.
Alice says
Question, FL: when you shave your hounds, how close do you clip? I only ask out of curiosity, since I have luscious-coated BCs myself and living in the Interior gives us healthy, prolonged doses of 35C and up weather during the summer months. I wonder if Emily and Jake’d cool off with shaved bellies….
Anne says
I use local bee pollen for the seasonal allergies of dogs and a bit of an extra dose of ester C. I have had good luck. I tried to read all the comments to see if anyone said bee pollen but I only saw honey. Make sure it is local. Good luck