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Patches Exercise Program

May 2010 Update
Was reading through the diary entries and saw that in 2006 I thought Patches was done for! Well he is still here and in about the same shape as in 2006. He has been eating a product called "happy hips" which has glucosamine and chondroitin in it and he has much less pain when he walks and gets around pretty well. He goes on an on leash walk for about half a mile every morning with blind Brandy while Sasha and Alli run loose along with us. I took Patches recently for his three year rabies shot and had to lift him into the car (thank goodness he only weighs 65 pounds now) - it was a struggle but we made it and he was very good while waiting in line for the shot. Didn't have to have his muzzle on until the vet actually took him. Looks like he may be with us for awhile yet! Patches has three places that are his - he has a pillow on top of my back door deck where he can look out over quite a large area and it is his favorite place unless the sun gets too hot. Then he has a pillow underneath a table on the patio which is in full shade. He also has a shaded spot with pillows right by the back gate so he can look out and watchdog the whole place which he considers his very own job!

Patches is Such a Good Boy

Patches licking granuloma is very nearly totally healed - hair has grown back and there is just a tiny line to fill in. The technique we finally used was to put the Benadryl anti-itch cream on the granuloma and then immediately take patches on a 20 minute on leash walk. We walked quickly and he couldn't take time to reach and lick on the granuloma. By the time we had returned home the anti-itch had taken effect and he had forgotten about licking off the Benadryl - we did this faithfully since my last entry and it worked very well.

Patches caught kennel cough from Sasha and/or Brandy. I knew what it was and started him on anti-biotics right away. Of course it was Saturday so couldn't get to the vet until Tuesday after the Memorial Day Holiday. But there was no doubt what it was so just swiped some of Sasha's antibiotics and got him started. So he has had a far easier case than the others. Went to the vet without him Tuesday and of course the vet agreed that is what he had and gave him his own course of antibiotics and we paid back Sasha's pills. His coughing is very minimal by now.

Some Success with Licky Spot

I bought some Benadryl Itch cream and put it on Patches before taking him for an on leash walk each morning for about 20 minutes. By the time we get back the anti-itch has taken effect and he doesn't try to lick the sore. It has reduced in size to about 1/3 of what it was and none of it is open. Have my fingers crossed that nothing happens to interfere with the success!