Sunday, October 14, 2007

Puppy dog eyes

I've been feeling like the only person in the world who has a dog who is not tolerating his e-collar. So I browsed online. I found this picture of what family did to try to help stop their dog from tearing out his stitches. And this was a guide dog puppy -- well-trained!



These pictures helped me feel better. The facts of the case for our puppy.
  • Scrubs is currently wearing two e-collars: the old one and the new one.
  • Two provides two barriers.
  • We are hoping this will buy us at least another 24 hours.
  • 12 hours would even be okay.
  • Or even 6.
  • Can't fit in his kennel with e-collar on.
  • Can't fit in his kennel = no breaks for JB or Wendi.
  • Can't be in kennel = can't sleep in kennel.
  • Sleeping on a pad in our room confuses him.
  • Wakes up in the middle of the night and begins wandering around the room.
  • Doesn't understand that the e-collar requires more space.
  • Runs into everything.
  • Especially runs into everything in the middle of the night in our room.
  • This wakes me up.
  • JB is wearing earplugs.
  • We compromised.
  • Whoever is up with him all night gets to sleep in in the morning.
  • I guide him back to the pad.
  • He usually goes down immediately, glad to finally have figured out where he is supposed to be.
  • If he doesn't go down, he has to pee.
  • During the day, goes so crazy trying to get this e-collar off that he works himself into a mad frenzy.
  • The only way to get him out of the frenzy is to get him to fall asleep.
  • This usually requires him lying on your lap ...
  • On his back ...
  • With his feet up in the air ...
  • And you supporting his head ...
  • If we finally get him to sleep, it only lasts as long as one of us in the room with him.
  • If he is asleep and we leave the room, he knows it and wakes up and then goes crazy again trying to get the e-collar off.
  • He can't really play with anything with the e-collar on.
  • He isn't supposed to be playing.
  • He is supposed to be resting.
  • We had to use duct tape to keep him out of the stitches.
  • Yes, he is still finding a way past the e-collar to his stitches.
  • That duct tape is going to HURT coming off.
  • The e-collar has to be on until Friday.
  • FRIDAY!
  • I have a grant due on Wednesday.
  • JB has an easy schedule this week!
  • Thank goodness!
  • Here is a picture of our dog in his newly rigged conraption which seems to evolve by the hour as he figures new ways around the e-collar and to his stitches on paws (or where he was neutered).

1 comment:

AW said...

Wen, I am sooo behind on your blog, so apologies for just now commenting on this. But this is a GREAT post - too funny!