I took Xena to the vet near our house because I couldn't get an appointment in at the other vet. I hadn't found this out until we drove there. All the way she was licking my face, looking out at the motorcycles, pedestrians and cars. She was looking so adorable and being such a good girl. I held it together well. I knew I had to do what had to be done. But I enjoyed the car ride with her. I almost drove off and went to the beach with her but stopped myself. Can't keep putting it off.I was day dreaming and wishing that Xena and I could have gone for our walks and just hung out together like mates. I arrived at the vet clinic. It's just a little place, tucked away at the end of an old row of shops. It has a couple of large trees shading the car park and some shrubbery planted in the entry... which of course Xena romped through.
We went inside and wow, what a lovely cosy little waiting room. It felt so homely. I could have been sitting in Grandmas sun room! There was a big old Golden Retriever inside, whom Xena wanted so much to cuddle. But, out of respect for the older dog I kept her away. There's a time and place for everything.
I had expected Xena to be a bundle of super dog enthusiasm but she was being rather well behaved. She still needed to do her hound dog thang and sniff every surface before flopping down at my feet.
You remember how I told you Xena seems to prefer males to female humans. Well usually she does the whole big uncontrollable puppy thing to the female vets she has seen and they go grab all their nurses and try to hold her down.
Not this vet. He came out. An older gentleman with snowy white hair and crystal blue eyes. I noticed he didn't have even a line on his face, which means he is either a very calm person or he's had botox. He kind of made me think of a fit, shaved Santa Claus. LOL.
She followed him into his room. He scooped her up and popped her nicely on the table and gave her a pat and told her to sit (once). She sat there as her checked her ears and looked in her eyes. Only getting up to have a thermometer stuck up her bum... which she didn't seem to mind at all hehe.
Xena has lost 5kg (about 11lbs) since the bee sting 4 1/2 days ago. He said the medicine wears off after about 12 hours so he didn't think her sudden 'turns' were due to the bee sting.
He did think that the reasons for her 'turns' was due to her being irritated by the hives and unable to focus on commands from us. He also felt that she may be beginning her teenage 'Need to find her place in the pack and that she is going through a dominance thing.'
Which, is so nice to hear because you just don't hear people talk about training dominant breeds of dogs anymore. He told me he didn't believe that Xena had a bad bone in her body nor did he believe that food reward based training would be effective for her, no matter how much she loves food because... well "she's just not a beagle"! (his words lol)
So this is the plan of action.
1. Low does antihistamine medication 1 tablet ever day. But she can have up to 4 tablets in a day if the hives show up. He thinks the hives are environmental like pollens and this should help her as she builds her immunity up. She should also start eating again as she wont be feeling so sick. This won't be long term as they aren't good for her long term. But probably till she's 6 months old.
2. A new dog trainer, who understands the training of Dominant breeds of dogs. Although I will continue with the classes she is already in as well. The vet said Xena's rewards should be attention and affection. If she isn't behaving- she gets none of that from us.
3. At home- she needs to know her place in the pack. The only thing that has changed around the same time as the bee sting was me letting her in the house. Since then she has been rivaling with my youngest daughter. So no more coming in the house.
4. No more puppy milk or milk products. 90% of the time this is what causes diarrhea. She doesn't need them (regardless of what the manufactures say) and can get her calcium from other sources.
Of course all this means is that my partner, who has had a lot of big dogs in his life and has been saying this all along, was right and I was wrong.
So I called him and told him so. But you know what, he didn't even care... he was just so happy she was alright and didn't have to be put to sleep.
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