Bug Bites

This summer has brought with it a host of bugs (blackflies, ticks, mosquitos, etc.), and therefore neverending frustration for Savage and me. Each year he gets insect bites all over his groin area and the insides of his back legs, but this year it seems worse. Each bug bite gets red and raised and extremely itchy, so he licks the area a lot, which eventually causes more irritation. I've not found a safe, effective insect repellant to use on him, though I have experimented with making my own at home with essential oils and aloe. I started applying Benadryl Itch Stopping Cream (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) to his bitten-up belly and in two days it improved immensely. I only apply it once a day and only when I can supervise him for a while so he doesn't lick the cream (though so far he hasn't tried). Savvy is allergic to hornet stings, and one of his vets prescribed oral Benadryl for such situations as what happened back in May of 2007. I've been cautioned not to use both topical and oral Benadryl at the same time, but the topical cream alone is working wonderfully right now.
On the other hand, while researching causes of skin irritations in dogs, I'm considering the possibility that Savage may have some kind of seasonal allergy. In addition to scratching, he nibbles on his feet and footpads often, and is chewing his butt area lately, which can be a sign of atopy or inhalant allergies. I've also read that dogs with seasonal allergies will often develop an ear infection. I'm planning on taking him to the vet very soon for his annual heartworm test, so I'll be asking for their opinions on the allergy theory. Further updates soon!

Quote IIII

"You ask of my companions.
Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself."
~Emily Dickinson

Ear Infection

It started a couple weeks ago with Savage shaking his head a lot and scratching excessively at his left ear. And then in a couple days he actually couldn't (or wouldn't) hold that ear up at all. His right ear stood up smartly, while the left hung out to the side, reminiscent of when he was little and I would take his ear tape off for a day before taping them upright again.
It's been quite awhile since he's been to a vet, and I realized immediately when we arrived at our local vet's office that Savage has become a lot more anxious about vet visits now. After coaxing, begging, and pleading with him (none yielded results) I finally had to physically push him in the door, with his collar tight on his neck and much frustration on my part. This refusal to see the vet will, I suppose, have to be addressed soon, but at the moment I was just relieved to have him in the door!
The vet allowed my puppy to stay in the waiting room for his examination, thankfully, and diagnosed him with an overgrowth of yeast in his left ear, and possibly in the right. After the diagnosis the decision was made to completely clean out his ears, which involved some kind of soapy cleaner and lots of warm water. Knowing my dog's never-ending capacity to drool when stressed, and his obsessive head-shaking when his ears are uncomfortable, I suggested we take the whole operation outside and the vet agreed. Savage was a little difficult to control while his poor ears were flushed with water, and he proceeded to show his exasperation with the vet tech and me by doing his best to drench us with water also. After that the vet gave him some MalOtic brand ear drops; anti-yeast, antibiotic, anti-imflammatory and advised me drip this into his ear canal twice a day for two weeks. He also prescibed an ear cleaner solution, OtiCalm, which may be more effective than the alcohol I use to swab out his ears bi-weekly, and I'm intending to use it after swimming to prevent swimmer's ear and further infections. I'm using the anti-yeast ointment up before I start cleaning Savvy's ears again, so I'll see if that works after this infection is cleared up.
The good news is that almost immediately after the MalOtic was administered (and after all the slobbering and head-shaking in the vet's office) Savage stopped scratching at his ear and started to relax a little. It's been a week or so now, and he is holding his ears up normally and the terrible ear itching has pretty much stopped. As we left the clinic, the vet was scrubbing his hands and arms in the sink and the vet tech was mopping up the linoleum with a Swiffer sweeper. At the very least, my dane left a big impression!

Savvy Summer

Internet Access

Savage and I are having some problems with our satellite internet equipment, and have not been able to update the website for the last few weeks. I'm working with my internet provider to correct the problems, but it may be a while before I can devote any quality time to The Story Of Savage. In the meantime, my boy is doing well and enjoying the warmer weather (ticks and all!). Please check back next month when I will hopefully start posting again. As always, thanks for visiting.

New Spiked Collar

Here's Savvy's new "Rodeo" brand dog collar I ordered online from Hot Dog Collars. It's a full 2" wide with two stitched layers of black leather and rows of metal spikes and studs. I got it to replace the old spiked collar, which was only 1" wide, and this one seems to be better quality. At the wearable length of 21" to 25" it's a bit large on my dane, but looks fantastic and cost me under $30.00! This collar is also available in brown, and for an extra charge; pink and baby blue!

Paws

A candid "family portrait" of sorts: Paula, Savage, and Randy.
I put the pillow on the console of the truck so Sava can rest his big head on it while we're driving. The back seat in the Dodge is getting even more uncomfortable, even though I've covered it with blankets and pillows since my puppy destroyed it back when he was a little guy. The upholstery keeps ripping even more, and the stuffing is almost nonexistent now. I'd like to take the seat out entirely, but Randy's already talking about a new truck or SUV. Savvy must have convinced him...

A New Look

Changes are coming to The Story Of Savage website! Starting soon I will be working to convert the blog to an entirely new layout, and it may take some time before I get everything in order. This post is just a note to let Savvy's loyal site visitors know that during the transition there may be some broken links, missing content, and no doubt other problems I haven't even anticipated yet! The graphics and templates will probably also be changing frequently. Hopefully things will go smoothly. Stay tuned.

New Boots

Yesterday I bought Savage another (!) pair of booties, foolishly hoping that they would fit. In the package they looked pretty big, and they were the largest size the company made (XXL) so I figured we'd give them a try. The weather is significantly warmer up here now, but I'd like to find warm, durable booties with good traction for next winter's below zero weather. These ones seemed like the answer.
Sadly, though I can get them on his paws, they don't actually fit correctly. First of all, they are just too tight. Second, they are not tall enough - the two velcro fasteners wrap around the top of his foot instead of the pastern. This causes them to slip off within minutes. My boy was patient with me having to put them back on, tighten them, etc., but after a while I decided that these ones just won't work either. The failure of these booties is especially disappointing, because they look well-made and the sole and toe are covered with a material the company calls "elephant hide", which, in the half-hour or so he wore them, gave Savage great traction on hard-packed snow, deep snow, and slush. For $14.95 in the store, these dog boots were relatively inexpensive (and my baby dane looked very handsome in them!). If you want more information you can visit Kondos Outdoors. They also manufacture sled dog gear and accessories, and human stuff, too!

Nail Trimming

Dane toenails are extremely thick and tough to cut, and I've been using a scissor style Miller's Forge "Large Dog Nail Clip" on Savage for years. He's always been a little uncomfortable with getting his manicures, but lately he's gotten a lot more sensitive about it. I have to assume it's because after a couple years, the blades have just gotten dull. When I first started seeing television ads for something called the Peticure, a rotary nail-clipping tool, I was interested, and did some research online to figure out if it would possibly work for Savvy's big toenails. What I heard from some dog owners is that the actual Peticure tool tends to have a somewhat wimpy motor that won't stand up to clipping all the nails at one sitting, but I also found that the company sells a product called the Peticure Safe Guard, which simply threads on to a Dremel rotary tool and gives you the control of the Peticure and the speed and power of the Dremel.
I ordered the Safe Guard, then went out and bought my own Dremel kit, excited about an easier nail-trimming alternative but apprehensive about my dog's willingness to let this thing near his feet. Well, as predicted, Savvy hated the tool from the very beginning. It took both Randy and I to hold him down so he wouldn't bolt, and that was before it even got near his nails. After the near impossible task of filing two toenails, I gave up, concerned that I was causing my puppy too much anxiety for no good reason.
Around the same time I also ordered Savage new booties from DogBooties.com, a local manufacturer that features booties and harnesses designed for sled dogs. I decided on the fleece booties because I thought they would provide traction; I wanted to avoid the disappointment I experienced with the Muttluks I bought him last winter. However, as soon as I ripped open the package I was disappointed again. The largest size made by DogBooties.com, XL, is made to fit a dog paw 3 1/2" across the widest part, but doesn't even begin to fit onto Savage's giant feet.
Therefore, the Peticure Safe Guard and his new fleece booties now join the list of products I've bought for my dog (with the intention of making our lives together easier) that he either refuses to use, or that don't work for him specifically. Ironically, now that I have my own Dremel, I can easily sharpen the blades on my Miller's Forge trimmer, and it's making nail cutting quite a bit more efficient. I guess that's the best I can ask for.