Gave Reagen a bath yesterday.  He hates getting a bath, so I hate giving him one.  He hates water (rain, snow) when it hits his face.  He hates feeling damp and I feel bad for doing it but it's necessary.  I hate that I get soaked to the bone, not by the shower, but by him trying to shake all the water off.  The payoff is that he not only smells ( Read more... )

Yesterday, Reagen turned 4 and I forgot.  Mom reminded me late yesterday.  I'm ashamed.  I've never forgotten any of my dogs' birthdays before.    Happy Birthday, Good Boy!

Got my cookie baking finished yesterday and learned that Reagen and 'people' cookies don't mix.  I don't allow him to have much in the way of 'human' food (a little lean mean and a few veggies) but my mother couldn't resist his begging face.  Poor thing has a terrible case of the 'runs' so he's going back on canned pumpkin (not pie filling but ( Read more... )

Like millions of animals, my dog had been microchipped so that if he ever got lost and found, he could be scanned and returned to me.  It's not expensive to do or to renew annually.  However, during Reagen's yearly wellness exam it was discovered that his chip was no longer functioning.  He was re-chipped at no cost by the vet as per the monitoring ( Read more... )

Because of the recent heatwaves and thunderstorms of the past few weeks, poor Reagen hasn't been able to spend too much time outside running around like a goofball and unfortunately, has gained a few pounds.  He's once again on his diet, which he's not happy about.  This dog lives to eat and likes his dog food (Purina One for Sensitive Systems)  ( Read more... )

For the first time since I've had him (17 months), my Boxer, Reagen was left home alone.  Sure, it was only for about 15 minutes; just long enough for us to go and vote on a local bond issue; but I was so proud.  He has serious abandonment issues stemming from his previous captivity prior to my getting him and he did so well.  He hadn't touched ( Read more... )

On Nov. 22, 2009, my beloved 93 lb. Boxer, Reagen, was put on a diet by his vet.  Yesterday, I took him in to weigh him and am proud to say that he's doing great.  He's lost 8 lbs. so far and is 85 lbs. right now.  We're trying to get him down to between 70 and 75 lbs.

It's been two weeks since he's gone to the vet, two weeks since his diet started. He's losing weight but I've noticed that most of the noticeable weight loss has been in his hindquarters, his nubbin (tail). Although I'm a Sanctuary fan, I named his tail a nubbin, long before the episode Nubbins aired. (Weird coinincidence) He hates the minimal ( Read more... )

Well, Reagen's vet called yesterday morning as promised and it's good and bad. His thyroid is perfectly normal and healthy, which is good. He has Seasonal Bi-Lateral Flank Alopecia so we'll have to live with the seasonal bald spots. Melatonin treatment can help but I've discovered through research that it becomes less effective the more it's ( Read more... )

Took Reagen to the vet yesterday. He's gained two more pounds in a month. The vet drew blood and we won't know the results for a few days. It's either hypothyroidism (I hope so), or he has Seasonal Bi-Lateral Alapecia that is causing the hair loss and is just fat despite the fact that he doesn't eat a lot and gets no 'people' food whatsoever. I ( Read more... )