Something’s wrong with Rosie, and something’s wrong with Duncan, too.
We took Rosie to the vet yesterday because she started making this awful honking coughing noise while we were out walking, and it continued intermittently. Dr. Google said it was kennel cough (bordetella), and the vet agreed. She’s on antibiotics for it now, and the vet thinks it’ll clear up in a couple of days. No big deal. She was innoculated against it (the day we adopted her) but the vet said something about possible pre-existing low levels of colonization, and all the stress she’s been through lately (the shelter, surgery, new home, etc.) may have triggered a full-blown case.
The vet thinks she’s a golden retriever/nova scotia duck toller retriever mix. Very petite, though. Only 18 kg (40 pounds).
She’s a total sweetheart. She’s the most polite little dog I’ve ever met. So far the only problem we’ve had with her is a bit of separation anxiety. We want her to sleep in her crate in the living room, but she wants to sleep all curled up beside the bed, on my clothes. (Guess who won?)
Also, she doesn’t pee. Yesterday she peed at 4:00 in the morning and then not again for 27 hours! She drinks normally, and GC takes her for a walk every few hours, but she almost never pees. I thought maybe she was dehydrated, but the vet said she wasn’t. So it’s a mystery.
As for Duncan, he’s going to the vet today. Remember, Duncan has gone from 25 pounds to 15 since I adopted him four years ago, and was recently diagnosed with kidney disease. Just a few months ago, the vet was prescribing appetite enhancers to make sure he was eating enough. Well, we stopped giving them to him because they turned him into a crazy man. Not only was he eating enough, he became freakishly hungry. We were feeding him on demand, and he was eating non-stop. (We joked about what a great scam the vet was running. Switch him over to some expensive food that we can only buy from the vet, prescribe appetite enhancers, and tell us to feed him on demand! Ha!)
Anyway. He’s no longer on appetite enhancers, but he’s freakishly ravenous again. All he wants to do is eat. Even though we feed him five meals a day, he scavenges constantly. He’s counter-surfing, dumpster-diving, table-jumping (while we’re eating!) getting up on top of the fridge, and sniffing around the bird cages for fallen seeds and pellets. GC hid Rosie’s dog food in a bag in a box on top of a cabinet up by the ceiling, and Duncan got up there, chewed a big hole in it, and ate a bunch. (We’re storing it off-site now.) He harasses us incessantly while we’re eating. If I run to get the pepper, I have to take my plate with me. I’m telling you, it’s not normal. We’re starting to sleep with one eye open.
Crazy! Both things. The not peeing thing would freak me out. I’d probably be walking her every hour until she went, worried that she’d pee in the house. Good luck with both of them!
Julia, GC has taken to praising her heartily on those rare occasions when she does pee, just in case she thinks she’s not supposed to.
Hi Susan:
Just thought of something… Duncan might have hyperthyroidism. The ‘classic’ signs of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, usually despite an increased appetite, increased thirst, increased heart rate, increased irritability, and restlessness and an unkempt coat. I think you said he was tested for this before and the results were negative but it sure sounds like it to me.
Rosie not peeing really is a mystery but if she isn’t showing any other symptoms, it must not be a problem for her?!?!
Thanks Karen. The symptoms do line up. Duncan’s thyroid tested normal in the fall, but I’ll get him tested again today. After all, Logan’s blood sugar levels were normal last fall, and three months later they were off the charts and he was diagnosed with diabetes.
Depending on Rosie’s past, she might be not peeing because she’s nervous. Oreo is always very nervous when he poos or pees and he does it all as infrequently as possible. It seems that his previous owners punished him for peeing inside but never rewarded him for peeing outside, so he just thinks he’s not supposed to do it anywhere.
I agree with Jennifer’s assessment of what might be going on.
Heya zoom! I’ve been following this whole story from the sidelines, and I am SOO happy that you have found such a wonderful dog!! I’m so pleased that the other rescue agency didn’t manage to stop your search for the perfect dog. There’s no reason to re-say everything that has been said in the other post. I just wanted to say she’s a BEAUTIFUL dog and I am so very jealous!
And as awful as it can be to have a ravenous cat, I actually can’t help but laugh — it must occasionally crack you up as well. It’s like one of the strangest things you could have your pet do — it’s kind of like Spy vs. Spy, he’s trying to break into the food supply, and you’re trying to defend it.
Anyway, best of luck, and stay in touch through the New Year (and have an amazing New Year’s as well!)
-JM
I just came back from a trip to a pet store with a friend who was looking for solutions to get her little dog to do his *doggie duty*. While we were speaking with the sales associate, two more customers joined the conversation. They were having the same problem.
Seems to be a cold weather thing with some dogs.