Charlie’s 13th Birthday

9/12/09

Charlie turned 13 years old just a few days ago on 9/9/09!

A few days ago I bought him some special cookie treats and a Pig’s Ear for his birthday. I realize a pig’s ear may seem disgusting but Charlie loves them. Charlie’s top front teeth are not in very good shape so I think his days of chewing on really hard things, like pizzle chews, might be over. I still have to attend to his eyes a few times daily per dry eye syndrome. This will be a lifelong issue. There is an expensive surgery for this condition which can almost or totally cure it but I don’t have the money. The surgery reroutes a salivary gland to the eyes so the eyes can again have naturally produced lubricant. The procedure is called Parotid Duct Transposition.

Charlie has a few other minor health isues but overall, he is in remarkably good health. He is still able to jump up on the couch to be with me. Ideally, I don’t like him to jump but I can handle a jump or two a day up on the couch. I still take him for short walks. He is slow mostly because of his curiosity, his desire to want to smell everything, etc. His age slows him down too though and he does tend to tire quickly.

He is potty trained for indoors and this goes as well as possible. He has a Wizdog which is the best thing I know of in this regard. He still however has occasional near or complete misses. As the years have gone by, I have grown so tired of cleaning up messes but I do have the best setup possible I think. He hits the mark most of the time.

He is asleep behind me as I write this. He is laying on his blanket. He is still adorable and such a joy! I love him so much!

I will do my best to see that Charlie has as many other Birthdays as possible. My dream is for him to someday be twenty or more years old!








Other blog entries:


March 2010

March 2009

September 2008

May 2008

Charlie’s 12th Birthday!

9/12/08

Charlie’s 12th Birthday was just a few days ago on 9/9/08!! I made sure we spent extra time together and of course I obtained some special treats for him. We went to the neighborhood pet store. I walked and carried him most of the way. His days of taking long walks are over due to his age. He did walk a little bit of the trip. It was such a nice walk as the weather was perfect.

On the way there we walked around a large pond and then I went to the bank. I hand carried him while in the bank. We then went to the pet store. I let him off leash while in the store and he had fun exploring and smelling things. I got him a Pizzle Chew and some Chicken Poppers. These are little, round crunchy, treats made out of chicken. I also got him a few other little treats. I then walked back home with him in my arms.

My goal is to take care of Charlie as well as I possibly can as I want to have him around as long as possible. As we speak, he is behind me chewing on his pizzle chew (bully stick).

9/08

Charlie’s health continues to be very good overall.

His biggest problem remains the Dry Eye Syndrome (also known as Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca) which he will have the rest of his life. As of result of his Dry Eye Syndrome, gunky eye stuff builds up throughout the day. Q tips work well for cleaning this from his eyes. His condition is not being cured but is being maintained. If left alone without treatment the result would be horrendous (like blindness). There is surgery for this but it is very expensive and I do not have the extra money at this time.

His medications for this are Artificial Tears ointment, Optimmune ointment and, Neomycin/Polymyxin ointment. For the artificial tears, I prefer ointment over drops.

The other big development is our purchase of a Wizdog Indoor Potty Training System. This is a wonderful product that is discussed more at length in the article on the homepage titled “Indoor Potty Training for your Dachshund Puppy”…authored by yours truly. Wizdog can also be purchased through this site—convenient huh?

When I’m on the computer, Charlie often naps on a blanket on the floor behind me. He is there as I’m writing this article; I can hear his light snore. He follows me everywhere. When I was single he slept with me but not now that I’m married…per my Wife’s objection. While I lay on the couch he jumps up on top of me and often falls asleep.

My little three year old son is interacting better and better with Charlie and Thank God my boy has never injured Charlie. From atop the couch, Charlie often watches my Son playing with his toys. Charlie gets curious and interested and also wants to play at times. Sometimes my Son will chase Charlie and Charlie will run behind the couch only to come out on the other side. My Son cannot catch him and they both enjoy this game! I enjoy watching them! I do have to remain vigilant however as my Son, in other circumstances, still does not fully understand how to treat or handle Charlie.

Other blog entries:


March 2010

September 2009

March 2009

May 2008

Charlie’s Back Injury

We had a real scare since last time a blog entry was posted. In 2/09, Charlie suffered a back injury. I had kept him from back problems for more than nine years. I can only speculate as to why he had the flare up; I think it had something to do with my four year old Son. The vet I took him to says it can “just happen.” So, maybe there was a reason for it or maybe it just happened. I don’t know for sure.

One evening Charlie surprised me cause he started to whimper a bit when I handled him. He adopted a stiff posture where the rear part of his back stuck up like a hump. This was about sixty percent of the way back his spine. I immediately knew I had a problem on my hands.

For a few days, I tried containing him to a smaller space. He continued to be stiff and in pain. He also was not eating well. He did however improve minimally after awhile. After about a day and half, I let him have more room but his original symptoms quickly returned. He could stand up on his own but could not walk well due to pain. He could pee and poop.

Regrettably, money played a role here. I’m unemployed and money is tight. Had things been better in this regard I would have taken him to a vet sooner. I had hoped my conservative approach would work but it did not.

Of course, I did end up taking him to the vet. She said it was a bulging disc which is what I figured. Ironically, while in the vet office, he seemed to liven up quite a bit and was walking around much better than he had here at home. Weird huh?

Well, I knew what was coming. She gave me the typical pain and steroid medication. I kept him contained for two weeks and gave him his medicine exactly as prescribed. He slowly came out of it and I’m very happy to say he is normal now. Charlie has recovered Thank God!

This episode took place the first half of February and otherwise he has been fine. He does continue to have keratocunjunctivitis sicca (dry eye syndrome) but I’m treating this twice daily and he is maintaining well.

He always wants to be on my lap when I’m on the computer and always sits with me on the couch. What a joy! If I lay on the couch he lays on top of me and soon goes to sleep. He has a blanket here by the computer and often naps upon it while I’m on the computer. Sometimes he will start to snore and it is surprisingly loud. It is very endearing though! I’m sure my fellow “doxie people” know what I mean!

Well that is it for now. Please visit this site frequently. I hope you like the site and have fun here. Please feel free to contact me anytime you wish.







Other blog entries:


March 2010

September 2009

September 2008

May 2008

Pet Insurance for Dachshunds

I’m sure many Dachshund owners have wondered if they should get pet insurance. I’ve recently completed a lot of homework and research on this issue. It is impossible to say, in my opinion, that pet insurance is a good idea for everyone. Circumstances can vary greatly from one pet owner to the next.

You could go many years without there being anything significantly wrong with your Doxie. The pet insurance payments over those years could add up to be quite a lot of money out of your pocket. By the same token, if and when you do have to have an expensive procedure, the pet insurance sure would come in handy. Who wants to put $3000.00 (or more) on a credit card for doxie back surgery when your pet insurance could pay most all of the expense?

Some who may not have much money or insurance might consider putting their doxie “to sleep” rather than paying for back surgery or some other serious illness/injury.  This is a terrible thing for me to think of but I’m sure it happens. Of course pet insurance doesn’t just help for the expensive stuff; it also comes in very handy for all the more routine things.

I use to have pet insurance for my Dachshund, Charlie, but currently do not. I wish I did! I do not exactly recall why I ever cancelled my pet insurance as it was years ago. I believe however that it had to do with me going through a very difficult money situation.  When I had it, it did make me feel more secure and helped quite a bit.

Charlie is 12.5 years old now so if any insurance company agreed to cover him, I’m sure the premiums would be very expensive and his coverage options quite limited.  Many pet insurance companies would not accept him based on his age.  Fortuneately,  Charlie’s health has always been quite good Thank God! 

No one can argue, in my opinion, that having pet insurance is a bad thing. Over the course of a month, the expense for it would likely be pennies per day out of your pocket. You would probably spend as much if not more in one month buying your family lunch or dinner at a modestly priced restaurant. Attending one professional sports game would cost far more than one month of pet insurance for your Dachshund.

If you want pet insurance, it is better to sign up while your Hotdog is young; premiums are cheaper for young weiners. You then can get locked in at a good price for the life of your Dachshund. Furthermore, if you sign up while your friend is healthy, there is a reduced chance you can be denied coverage for a “preexisting condition.” Once you doxie gets older the premiums go up and if your friend has a pre-existing condition, you likely will be denied coverage for any complications related to that condition. Most any new condition would be covered.

The most impressive pet insurance company I found, with my focus being overwhelmingly on Dachshunds, is called Embrace Pet Insurance. They are based in the North of Ohio.  They were quickly responsive to my inquiries and very pleasant to interact with.  I had a good “vibe” or feeling from my contacts with them.

Their policies are customizable meaning you choose what maximums, deductibles, options, etc. that you want. You then get quotes and can adjust or choose accordingly. This is all easily done through their website. You need to sign  up purebred dogs between the ages of 8 weeks at a minimum and 6 years at a maximum; this would apply for most of us Dachshund folks.  If not a purebred dog the age window is 8 weeks to 8 years. If you sign up prior to the 6th year of age of your purebred Dachshund, you are covered and can never, as your doxie ages, be ejected from Embrace’s program.

So you probably want to know if Embrace will help if your Doxie comes down with a dreaded back problem? The answer is YES! If your Dachshund has had no back problems or symptoms prior to you getting pet insurance with Embrace you are safe. For example, if you have had your pet insurance for awhile and then your Dachshund develops back problems for the first time, Embrace will take care of you. You are also then covered should the condition become chronic. Many other insurance companies will not cover back problems in Dachshunds since the breed is predisposed to this kind of problem. Embrace does not preclude hereditary and genetically predisposed conditions like many other pet insurance companies do.

Embrace, like all pet insurance companies,  has what is called a waiting period.  A waiting period is a window of time from when you sign up for insurance to when it actually kicks in. This deters people taking out insurance just to make a claim;  this makes it more fair for everybody that has the insurance. At Embrace, the waiting period is 14 days for both accidents and illnesses and 6 months for cruciate ligament injuries. So let’s say you sign up today and your doxie has a problem in a week–you are not covered because this falls into the 14 day waiting period. Let’s say your doxie has a problem 3 weeks after you sign up—-you then are covered and forever after. There is no waiting period when your policy renews; it only applies when you are a new enrollee.

The ideas and plans for Embrace began to take root in 2003 or thereabouts and the company officially launched in 10/06. The youth of the company worried me a bit. I thought to myself…if they are new maybe they are not yet strong or solid or maybe they won’t last very long.  My research however eliminated any fears I had.  Here are some things I found out by talking to one of the higher ups at Embrace.  They are insured by Lloyd’s of London. Embrace is growing and doing very well. While many other companies in the vicinity of Embrace are laying off per the bad economy, they in fact have been hiring. I also came across favorable comments from customers. Good customer satisfaction, to me, is an indicator an organization will continue to thrive.

So in conclusion, it is a personal decision if you chose to obtain pet insurance; no one knows your situation better than you do. If you decide you do wish to have pet insurance, I suggest you sign up sooner rather than later. If Charlie were younger and my money situation better, Embrace would be my first choice for pet insurance.  As it is, he is way over their age limitation so would not be accepted anyway.

My goal is to do my utmost to have Charlie around until he is at least 20 years old.  I was worried sick the few times he tweaked his back. His only problem at the moment is dry eye syndrome.   

I hope this article has been helpful and I wish all of you the best with your Dachshund/s or with whatever other pet you may have!

Sincerely, Link

Indoor Potty Training for Dachshunds

Indoor potty training is the way to go if you have a Dachshund puppy.  This is true for Miniature Dachshund puppies as well as for those of the standard variety.  I love Dachshunds in general but am partial to the Miniature Dachshund. This article also applies to adult Dachshunds and all other small breeds but the focus is on Dachshund puppies. 

Indoor training will spare you some of the unpleasantries of having a Dachshund that must go outside.  Who wants to get up at 5 AM in the morning, when it is rainy or cold or, when you are watching a great movie?  It is also better on the Dachshund’s bowels and bladder if they can go potty anytime they want.  By the way, indoor potty training can be initiated for a Dachshund at any age.  It is better, however, to start their training sooner rather than later.

Start the potty training as soon as possible once you get your new, best friend home.  Dachshund puppies are quite small so even if they do make a mess it is no big deal.  However, having them make a mess on a hard floor is preferable as it is much easier to clean than if they go on carpet.  For the first few days you have the little weiner at your home, I suggest you have them mostly contained to a room with a hard floor…like in a 2nd bathroom or laundry room.  The space should not be too small but also not too big. 

I suggest not shutting them in their space by closing the door.  Instead, gate them in the room.  Leave the door to the room open but invest in some kind of child or Pet Gate that stretches across the door so they cannot get out.  You control the gate so they get out when you want them out and they are gated in when you want them in.  This is better as the doxie will not feel shut off from the world (as with a closed door) and you can easily look in upon them anytime you wish.  This gate will come in handy for the lifetime of your pet; you will be very glad you purchased one.   

Don’t worry, you can get your puppy out to play and can go into their area to spend as much time with them as you wish.  I suggest having some Nature’s Miracle around when a mess on the carpet (it will happen) does occur.  You will be amazed at the power and efficiency of this product.

Place everything your Dachshund puppy needs in the contained area i.e. their kennel/bed, food and, potty.  If you are lucky, the breeder had already initiated their paper training which will make it easier for you and your new puppy.  Start their training off on some newspaper.  When they make a mess on the floor put a little of the pee or poop  between a few pieces of newspaper.  They will smell this and will begin to associate this as the place for them to do their business.  Keep the top of the paper dry and clean.  Remove the used paper as soon as possible or simply place more paper on top of it and then after awhile, throw it all away and start anew. 

Some people utilize wee wee pads but I never did. I have seen them used a few times and they appear to work pretty well. So, wee wee pads could serve as an alternative to newspaper–you can try them both and see which one you like better.

If you are playing with your puppy some distance away from the primary potty you can always place some newspaper where you are…just in case.  I did this when Charlie was a puppy and it worked well.  As they get older they need to rely solely on the primary potty area. 

Chastise your Dachshund puppy immediately when they don’t perform well; they will feel the disappointment in your voice.  Making an unpleasant noise in general works well in this regard.  For example, the moment you see the naughty weiner going somewhere they are not supposed to raise your voice a bit towards them, clap your hands, gently shake a can with coins in it, etc.  Squirting a doxie with water works wonders also.  A spray bottle like the ones people spray plants with is perfect for this purpose.  Make sure the bottle is clean and that there is no chemical residue on the inside.  Dachshunds hate getting squirted with water so this is a great way to deter them from unwanted behaviors.  Squirt them don’t spray them.  Do not give the weiner dog praise or a treat when they perform poorly.

Please never yell or scream at your Doxie as they are incredibly sensitive and will be very hurt.  If you do yell  you will see how crestfallen they are and you will feel guilty.  Your Dachshund very much wants to please you!  

Just keep working with them and your Dachshund puppy (or puppies) will soon get it right.  When they do get it right praise them and give them a treat.  Your puppy will be so happy!  It won’t be long until they start getting it right most of the time!  You will develop your own little system as times goes by.

One purpose of this article is to spare you some of the mistakes I’ve made over the years.  My Mini Dachshund (Charlie) is almost 12 years old and I experimented with several indoor potty techniques over the years.  I started off with newspaper (paper training) but as your Dachshund grows, you will tire of them stepping in their own urine, transferring urine or, having the urine drain off the newspaper onto the floor.

Dachshunds have a quirk where if their front paws are on the paper they think their entire body is on the paper.  This results in alot of near misses.  Improvement was made when I placed a plastic hallway runner under the newspaper.  At some point, I then purchased a large litter box and then placed newspaper in that and a hallway runner under the litter box.

You will so love your Dachshund that messes won’t matter much.  However, as years go by, the messes have a way of growing on you.  Once Charlie got into his 10th year or so, I started to get quite tired of dealing with the messes.  It is a labor of love however and unavoidable.

Just recently, I discovered and purchased a Wizdog indoor potty system.  How I wish I had discovered this years ago!  Wizdog consists of a large plastic pan with a separate plastic grate on top.  You place newspaper in the bottom of the device. The dog does it’s business on top of the grate and the urine falls into the tray below.  No more wet footprints or urine on the floor.  The poop is easy to clean off the top of the grate.  This is so much better than the intermediate steps I went through over the years.  Charlie has taken to this upgrade well—messes on or transferred to the floor have decreased dramatically.  I’m happier now too as the messes are more contained and much easier to clean up.

Underneath Wizdog is a ”round circle thing” in every corner which helps it stay in place on the floor.  So, I have had no problem with the device sliding around when Charlie is on top of it.  In addition to having newspaper in the bottom to soak up urine I also put some newspaper on top.  I fold a newspaper page in half and place it on the far end of the Wizdog.  When Charlie approaches, he puts his front feet on the newspaper and then is far enough forward that his pee falls thru the grate and onto the newspaper below.   Having some newspaper on top is a kind of a “hybrid approach” I use.  Charlie was use to being on newspaper so this method has worked well for us.  The grate on the top of Wizdog did feel a bit funny to Charlie at first but he quickly got use to it.

Click here to see a picture of my Wizdog

In summary, for indoor potty training of your Dachshund puppy, start off with paper training.  Then, soon integrate your setup and system with a Wizdog.  You’ll be glad you did–trust me!  This will allow you to skip all the intermediate steps I experimented, utilized (and suffered with) over the years.

Please feel free to contact me if any questions arise. 

Sincerely, Link
site administrator and
friend of Dachshunds
everywhere

Charlie’s Health

Charlie is in great health overall for his age. He will be 12 years old in September. However, he has just recently begun to develop some health problems. The main problem right now is dry eye syndrome or keratoconjunctivitis sicca. He is on artificial tears, Optiimmune and, Neomycin/Polymyxin for this condition. He also has developed a few skin anomalies but these are no big deal.

Overall, he is the same old dog I’ve always loved. He gets on top of me as I lay on the couch and it does not take long for him to fall asleep. He follows me everywhere. He licks water off my feet when I get out of the shower—do all doxies do this?

He likes to take walks though isn’t quite as strong or as fast as he use to be. I’ve recently shortened his walks. His muzzle is getting more white.

While on the computer, he is often behind me laying and/or napping on his blanket on the floor.








Other blog entries:


March 2010

September 2009

March 2009

September 2008