Raw Food Diet, Day 536- Where It Comes From

Hey Dudemeisters. My spoiled baby big brother FINALLY let me have my blog back. I'll tell ya that Big Pupi is doing almost shockingly well. He's healing so quickly now that he should be able to wear a harness for a good long walk this weekend. I bet he's excited to get out of the apartment to check his pee-mail!

I had to be Have today on a Good Boy Walk and, well, I was mostly Good Boy... I struggle when there are puddles all over with lots of reflections. We took a break at the bark park and I had a BLAST getting 2 dogs to chase and wrastle with me at the same time. I was SO AWESOME! The sprinkler was on as well and I spent a lot of time exposing the ol' groin to the icy coolness. Once I'm soaked from head to toe I make sure to help cool the humans off and rub against their shins. I'm such thoughtful little man!

Then on my Good Boy Walk home I met Mr. Great Dane who was 7 months old and looked like Big Pupi - but about a bagillion times his size. This dude was AWESOME! I jumped a few times trying to sniff his bum and attempted to start a game of chase, but our humans wouldn't drop our leashes. NO FUN! I wasn't the slightest bit put off by his size. I like the big party animals! I aspire to be a huge party animal myself some day.

Anyway, mom was telling me about the crazy critters that lived here before me, and the times she first learned about the benefits of special, homemade diets. She told me that it not only applies to beasts such as myself, but to all critters big and not-so-beastly. To start, I would like to introduce you to a tasty little niblet named Nutmeg:Mom got Nutmeg (and Pie, but we're missing photos of that lady bird) when mom was 11 years old, and that wacky bird stuck around through grammar school, middle school, high school, college and through mom's first job. Nutmeg was fed seeds for her first few years, but then the vet insisted she be put on a pellet diet. Well, it wasn't long after that switch and Nutmeg and Pie got LEAD POISONING! Can you believe it? They almost died! So it was back to seeds and veggies for them.

At about 5 years old, little Pie passed away from what they thought was a heart attack. It happened right in front of young mommy and she was a tad bit scarred from that whole event. Pie was an obese little bird because seeds are kind of like eating chocolate chip cookies every day and boy did Pie like her feasts! This left little Nutmeg all alone, but she was so bonded to mom that she didn't really mind it. She just followed mom from room to room running about on the ground like a puppy. (That sounds totally bizarre to me. I think mom is making that up.)

When Nutmeg was about 8 years old mom got her a buddy named Bean. He was a strapping young lad:
Bean LOVED Nutmeg and he would sing her Low Rider and other tunes and flash his wings and strut about for her. It was love... but she only loved mommy. Bean was a feisty sort and he never gave up on the quest for Nutmeg's affection.

It was around this time that their vet said that mom should try pellets again. He said that they've improved a whole lot and he gave her a very fancy brand to take home. The birdles ate a mix of this with a little seed, some veggies and fortified treats. Nutmeg actually liked her pellets and would chow down every day. However, at about 10 years old she was diagnosed with renal failure, brought on from Hypovitaminosis A - a severe lack of vitamin A in the diet. WHAT? Where was this "balanced" and "nutritious" fancy food now?? This was the BEST of the cockatiel pellets and here was Nutmeg with a terminal illness. WHAT THE BIRD?!?

They fought the kidney disease for 2 1/2 years until the kindest thing was to send little Nutmeg over the bridge. Bean called for his love for days on end, until he too became too ill to sing. Mom rushed him to the vet who diagnosed him with a rare fungal infection of the crop, and said that birds can become so attached to another being that they can actually die from a broken heart. Bean's love was gone, and so his body was calling it quits.

Until this little bugger came to town:
Meet Little Reggie the Cockatiel (AKA "Reggie"). Mom rushed out and adopted Reggie from a parrot rescue, and there was an instant connection between him and Bean. Within days Bean had made a full recovery and began to sing songs of love for his new brother. Reggie, (whose rescue was a little... em... questionable), almost doubled his weight from a emaciated 80 grams to a healthy 120. (The Regg-meister would like everyone to know that he was a large cockatiel, not a fat one!) That big boy would climb to the highest perch and puff his chest, singing the most horrible renditions of Low Rider you've ever heard. Bean would watch him adoringly from below.

At this point mom and dad had moved to Texas and Bean and Reggie were chillin' in the sunshine. Mom brought them to new vet who was a super duper parrot specialist, and he suggested once again she change their diet. Mom told him the story of Nutmeg, the lead poisoning, the vomiting... To this the vet said that he doesn't believe in these pre-made pellet diet thingies and he gave her a recipe especially for cockatiels that included a mix of grains and veggies and fruits. Mom could make it super duper cheap from the bulk organic grains at Whole Foods! It was crazy easy to make, and it cost 1/2 the cheese money of those silly seed mixes!

And well, the story ends with Reggie and Bean feasting on this new food and thriving. They went into a molt a few months after the diet change, and their new feathers could practically glow they were so brilliant. Their activity level went up, their molts became super easy and they stayed bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

"Hmmm..." she thought, "there might be something to this." And that idea stayed in the back of her mind until my bro and I came around with our health issues. And well, the rest is happy and meaty history.

I think I like those birdles! I would have liked to eat.... er... MEET them!
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 535- Finally Climbing Uphill

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Big Pupi comin' at ya with an update (a rather graphic update...):Oh. My. Feasting. I have had a rough few days. Do you see what I'm wearing??!! WHAT?? A t-shirt and a SNOOD. WHAT GIVES??

Over the past few days things went from bad to worse. The wound on my shoulder swelled and oozed, then the wounds on my neck and ear (which were behaving perfectly) suddenly went all crazy-like and decided to revolt. They got hot and swollen and they oozed and slimed all over. My ear STUNK and it became infected and brown stuff was pouring out. My folks were freaked!

My mom has been sewing non-stick absorbent pads into my shirt to keep my shoulder clean~ ~and the grossness soaked through! Mom called the vet in a panic, and together they found who to blame for my major ouchies -

a dude named Neosporin!! Evil Neo!

Turns out that this antibiotic ointment that doctor lady advised we use twice per day is causing a TERRIBLE reaction. (Very unusual but not unheard of.) Sure, my hind leg might have had something to do with my shoulder incision tearing, but my neck and ear were totally fine until mom swiped on the Evil Neo. Then it all 'sploded!

The tumor removal spots that never met Evil Neo look like this:
They're almost totally gone. It was a chain reaction - the worse those other incisions became and the more infected they looked, the more the Neosporin was applied. Ouch!

(Some yuck-o footage is up ahead, you may want to avert your eyes if you're squeamish.)

But mom put that nasty tube away and in only 24 hours all of the swelling has gone away, and everything has a nice, dry, solid scab on top. WOOHOO! The infection in my ear and the oozing from all locations has totally gone away. SWEETNESS!

Now my shoulder injury has been reduced to this:
Which I admit... it looks terrible, but that's actually a great big scab on top and the surrounding skin is no longer bright red and swollen. It was filled with yellow slime just yesterday! That one is about the size of a nickel and it used to be a deep, deep hole - almost 1/4" deep. The new skin has almost filled it and the pouch I tore into it is 90% closed!

And now, my neck wound looks like this:
This one is a little smaller than a dime and it too is totally scabbed up and swelling-free.

This terrible, ear smooshing snood has been removed~
~and now I'm in Stanislaw's clean Polish Eagle t-shirt with a fresh wound pad sewn in... and there's been zero drainage since. I have to wear socks on my hind itching tools to prevent my nails from catching a wound again, but that is so much better than the evil snoodish monster. I HATE him!

On top of all this, my eye infection is pretty much gone. Phew! This has been a rough few days, and to think... this could have probably all been avoided if the 'sporin monster wasn't living in my house. Mom says I'll never see that stuff again. Thank goodness.

I hope that when Evil Neo leaves he'll take my snoods with him. I'd rather not find myself in one of those again. ICK. Why do my folks keep so many torture devices in my home?

Overall, I really am an excellent healer. Now my body can continue to do as planned without any allergic reactions or inturruptions. If you saw what it looked like this time last night compared to now, you'd be amazed!

In fact, I plan to be out for a nice long walk by this weekend. Enough of this lock down!

Thinking healing thoughts,
Big Pupi

Raw Food Diet, Day 532- Ouch x 10

Big Pupi has a few boo-boos:

- about 10 boo-boos to be exact. I was being all Good Boy and stuff at the vet on Thursday, and despite my manners and mellow attitude my doctor shoved a needle into my bum and I got totally woozely and wobbly and I DID NOT like it! Everything was kind of a blur from then on, but I can vaguely remember small needles going into me all over my body, some crazy machine thing that burned away my tumors and cauterized the area, and a set of those buzzy things that stole my fur in random patches all over my body. I couldn't even protest!

By the time mom came to get me I was still all wackadoo on sedatives and I kept BEGGING her to carry me. I've NEVER done that before! She said I sat all crooked in the car on the way home and despite the fact that I was crazy sleepy and couldn't really keep my balance, I INSISTED on sitting up so that I could see out the windows. I hate missing out on anything good. And I super-duper love car rides!

When we got home, mom plopped me in my crate then left to run some errands with Stanislaw in tow. I snoozeled hard, and by the time they returned I was a little more with it and totally queasy feeling and full of ouches from my head to my tail. I refused food and water until late that night. So unlike me!

Instead of taking only the 3 trouble-causing tumors, my doctor took them ALL from all over my body... even the one growing INSIDE my ear!! Each of those mean tumor guys was burnt off easily, except for the one on my shoulder. I hate that one the most! He's the whole reason this happened to me. That meany tumor-butt got infected and healed improperly, creating a spot that bled all the time and oozed all day long. Because he was attached to a blood supply, the vet had to go in super deep to make him go away. She applied liquid skin to the area to seal it up, and it was all neat and tidy and looking wonderful.

But then something happened, and I found myself in this:
Turns out that using your hind legs to go at an incision isn't the best idea. Late that night, I went to TOWN with the scratchies and tore the liquid skin right out of there leaving what looks like a bullet hole. Mom spent forever that night stopping the bleeding, and cleaning up the clear oozing mess that kept leaking from it. It was angry and irritated, but seemed to be cooperating and my wound sealed itself up. Mom put some sterile dressings on it and wrapped it all up in a thick cotton bandage to keep my teeth and claws away.

Once it was all clean and under control, we went to bed... with me in the human crate!!! IT WAS AWESOME!! I wedged myself in between mom and dad so tightly and buried myself under the covers. I kicked them the whole night through and shoved my back against mom's belly so hard she could barely breath. Despite their constant checks on me during the night, I had the BEST sleepies of my life! Now I know what I'm missing when I'm exiled to my stinky crate. No fair!

Anyway, a day has gone by since my shoulder fiasco, and I heard something about me going back to the Place of Tile and Steel this afternoon. I guess the incision that I destroyed was healing up quickly and beautifully, but it started looking a tad oozy this morning so my people want the vet to make sure all is as it should be. ICK! I totally don't want to go! What if they make me all drunk and woozely again? I hated that! It was so embarrassing.

Otherwise, the rest of my removal sites are healing at lightening speed. Here's the one from my bum:
That's what all of the removals but my shoulder one look like. The fur growing around it is a tad itchy, but otherwise I'm acting like nothing happened. In fact, I've even been taken off the painkillers as of this morning because I don't seem to be in any discomfort whatsoever. Now my folks are having a tough time stopping be from wrastling with Stanislaw and thrashing on my toys. HA! I'm a wild beast!

So... wish me luck again at the Place of Tile and Steel. Hopefully my shoulder incision (we'll avoid posting any photos of that one!) is doing well and I can continue on my merry way. My folks say that I'm a super good healer, and if I hadn't damaged that big one I would probably be as good as new in just a few days. Poo! Now I'm regretting that shoulder itch-fest. What was I thinking??! Now I'm stuck being a bandaged-up boy.

I miss thrashing.
Big Pupi

***
Update

Just got back from the Place of Tile and Steel. Turns out that I did a number on my shoulder, and not only tore the liquid skin sealant out of there but also made a pocket under about a 1/4 inch of skin as well. I'm now on a course of antibiotics for it and what's worse... I'm stuck wearing my Big Pupi t-shirt to keep the area clean. Also, to add insult to injury, it turns out that I have an eye infection. The sedative made me snoozel with my eyes open and the dryness allowed some germy monsters to take hold. Not fair! I had no control over that one! Grrrr....

The doc says that I'll be totally fine. The rest of my incisions are looking fabulous, and the naughty one on my shoulder will take a while but it should heal up as well. As for the eye infection... within 24 hours my body pretty much had it beat, but just to be on the safe side I'll be on ointment for that too. It's all so stinky!

Did I mention that my vet put some neon green stuff in my eye to check for a scratch on my cornea (there wasn't one) and the bright green liquid DRIPPED OUT MY NOSE??!!! She said that was NORMAL!

WHAT??!

I need a nap.

Raw Food Diet, Day 528- A Month Missed!

Heya Razzly Snazzly dudes! It's been long, but I haven't been gone!

My scribe managed to sniff herself a new job. That, combined with something awful called "wedding planning," has prevented me from giving my blog the attention it so dearly needs. I have SO MUCH to catch you up on, and unfortunately there's so little time to do it.

First, I wanted to let you know that I've been reading all of my buddies' blogs, but haven't had a moment to comment. My apologies... I'll be back in action soon enough.

While I've been taking this hiatus from cyberspace, I've been working on perfecting my Naughties by ignoring the rules and snoozeling on the human crate. Dad even left me some stinky socks to snuggle with! How could I resist???Dad lets me get away with everything, but mom is the Enforcer. ICK! I have to keep my eyes out for that killjoy.
To give you all an ultra-brief update and run down -
I'm still on melatonin therapy and while it no longer has a dramatic effect (like it did my first 2 weeks), my demons are ever so slightly quieted and my folks have been able to work on my obedience a little bit. The humans at the bark park continue to mention how they see a difference in me, and my Good Boy Walks are getting better and staying good for longer. Every little bit counts! So, my humans and my doctor have again decided to hold off on medication.

In fast hunting news -
Tonight, during my SuperAwesomeBeastlySquirrelChasing run with my folks, I got to meet this awesome scrazzly black dog that was a super cool border collie/lab dude. He was 20 YEARS OLD and he looked SO GOOD!!! Big Pupi has more grey on his face that this guy! He was out for his daily long walk with his lady human. Mom was saying that he was a touch rickety, but if it weren't for that he could have been a 9 month old puppy. After a few decent bum sniffs we all decided that we were best friends forever and I gave him my deepest Stanislaw-ish howl as we ran past. My humans told Big Pupi and me to take notes and ask that pup his secrets to eternal youth. They said that BP and I better plan on hanging around for that long too! Woah. Now that's pressure!

One last update for tonight-
Big Pupi is having some minor surgery on Thursday to remove some sebaceous adenomas that are causing problems. These are wart-like benign tumors that grow from the oil glands in the skin, and while most are usually harmless, others can fill with fluid, get infected, bleed and get in the way of grooming and harnesses/collars. Big Pupi has one on his shoulder that got badly infected and heeled improperly so now it bleeds all the time, another on his ear that's constantly full and draining, one that's in the way of his harness chest strap and one that's teeny tiny and just sprouting up right on the top of his head. Mom wants that one gone before it gets any larger. He has a bunch more, but they aren't an issue and so they will be left alone.

Fortunately, BP will avoid general anesthesia and just be sedated for a couple quick removals and stitches. But my folks are soooo nervous! And my stinky brother REALLY doesn't like going to the vet. He becomes a terrified mush the moment he walks through that door. To help comfort him, mom will pack his special SingingChristmasTreeMouseToy (his FAVORITE!) and give him a huge smooch on the schnozzle. Afterwards, he'll get to be the spoiled brat for the next day or so. Stinky butt boy!!

In the mean time, I'll be getting my Naughty on, stretching and snoozeling with Pa on the human crate.
That's one of my very best stretchy squench faces. Sweetness!

Send some good vibes for my bro!
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 498- A Good Egg

Hi fellow feasting friends! My stinkbutt bro and I have been chillin' like villains on this Sunday morning. It's just a super laid-back drizzly day.Yesterday, on the other paw, was a rather exciting day for me. I got to go on a long walk with my family to the PukeMobile, and we took a nauseating ride to the Place of Tile and Steel. And you know how a trip there can get your adrenaline pumping!! Normally, visits to the vet go a little something like this:

I make my dramatic whining, lunging, and sliding-about entrance and my folks attempt to have me Sit Like Good Boy on the scale. After many only slightly successful attempts and a guess at the final poundage, I'm dragged to the back of the waiting area where my whines turn into screams and wails and I leap at the window and thrash to get at any fun-looking dog that might be hanging out there with me. I become totally manic and move in double-time. Once the humans that work at the front desk can no longer answer phone calls or hear themselves think, they usher me into an exam room to wait "where I'll be less excited" until the doctor is ready. In that little room, I continue with my futile attempts to grip the floor and my shrieking elevates in that voice-enhancing little space. My people hold me, pace around, offer treats - but NOTHING soothes the beast. When the doctor comes in I'm PUMPED and every piece of me heads off on its own trajectory and I thrash about with way too much excitement. If I'm not being held or touched I'm busy screaming and staring into the reflective garbage bin that sits under the exam table and the humans can't hear each other talk. After all this, the vet gives up on conversation and writes everything out on paper for my people to read, then they make my folks check out in the little room and we run out the door to go home.

Not too terrible, right? SO NOT!! At least I don't think so.

But yesterday's trip was a little unusual. Prepared for the worst, my folks came armed with treats and the knowledge 0f how these visits generally unfold. We zoomed up to the check-in counter and I was gingerly place on the scale to get my weight. Mom half-heartedly held a treat and told me to "Sit Like Good Boy and Stay, Please, Just for a second longer, Wait, Don't Move, Hold On"... And I did. I didn't take my eyes off that treat and my bum didn't move an inch. Hmmph. And then we scooted to the back of the waiting room, my people preparing themselves and their ear drums for the screaming to commence, as dogs and doctors and techs swirled around us. Boy was I into it! I was so excited! There was one totally awesome looking Golden Retriever near us and a Golden Doodle puppy that looked like a party animal!! Big Pupi was busy doing Good Boy stuff for treats but I was taking it all in. Tail wagging, bum bouncing, body buzzing. And just when it all seemed like too much, my people were certain that this was the moment... Stanislaw's about to EXPLODE!!!!

I lied down.

I placed my belly on the cool floor, pressed my legs back frog-style and exposed the ol' groin to the fabulous iciness. I stayed there relaxed, observing, interested, and quiet. YES... QUIET. I performed some tricks for mom. Shook with my right leg. Shook with my left. Earned myself some little treats. And we were never banished into the little lonely room to wait out our waiting time.
Eventually we were brought back and my doctor met us. Boy was I happy to see her! I wiggled and woozled and presented my bum for her bum-scritching delight. When she lifted me onto the table I'm pretty positive I gave her more kisses and wet willies than she has EVER had before. It was so awesome!! She gave my ears and my teeth an A+ and said that I am the beastliest of all beastlies. She stole some of my blood (I didn't care much), shoved a thingy up my schnozzle, and then talked shop with my folks.

I've been feasting on 1.5mg of melatonin with breakfast each day for about a week now, and at first I didn't really notice anything. But as the week went on I kept forgetting that I was supposed to scream, and I figured that sizzling sounds aren't that scary after all. (I heard some major sizzle on Thursday and came to the kitchen to see what it was.) I'm a long long LONG ways from better, but because I've made such improvements on such a low dose, Doctor said that she didn't want to prescribe me any other kind of medication. Not yet, anyways. Maybe we could add a little tryptophan to my food, but that was about it.

I'm on 3mg of melatonin now, and today was my first dose. Mom said I looked a little woozely from it~
And she thinks I'm crazy laid-back right now and is wondering if that's okay or if the dose is too high. But, so far my people have only seen one twitch today and otherwise I've been a normal beastly boy. I've been relaxed, sprawled out, doing the Flat Stanley and chewing merrily on a chewy.

I'm still begging dad for his scrabbled eggs and showing off my funky pokey rib:
And I'm still a Stuffy Thrasher of the First Order:
They're going to play with my dose a little - trying to find a good balance that doesn't make me too sleepy. Mom thinks 3mg makes me a little glassy eyed but that may go away in another day or two. Doctor lady wants me to stick with this treatment for 3 weeks before changing anything up, but if the improvements continue as they've been I'll be able to avoid any real medication completely.

My people are impressed. I'm not surprised... I'm one impressive manly beast of massive proportions. Heck... I'm so incredible I even amaze myself sometimes - like when I projectile puked in the back of the PukeMobile on the way home from the Place of Tile and Steel. It was beefy explosions of the awesomest kind! I am SO TALENTED!!

Your feasting, beasting man is on the mend,
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 497- Short but Sweet and Salty

Whazzup my crazy canines?? We just got back from the vet and I am POOPED! I was a super good boy and practically drowned my doctor in kisses. I have lots to catch you up on regarding my appointment and planned course of treatment for my CD (compulsive disorder), but I am in SERIOUS need of snoozels at this very moment. So in the mean time, I will leave you with this delicious image~

Photo of Bo Goat, courtesy of Shepherds' Ledge Life

~and a link to the tastiest blog post I think I've ever seen: Click Here.

Dreaming some meaty dreams,
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 495- Chasing the Melatonin Mystery

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Big Pupi types again:

Hello my feaster friends. I'm making good on my promise to tell you a bit about Stanislaw's melatonin therapy. "What's that?!" you ask? Ah.... you've come to the right blog.

Melatonin is a hormone that is derived from serotonin. The body creates melatonin naturally, and this chemical is most well-known as a sleep hormone. Beyond aiding in sleep cycles, melatonin also functions as a powerful antioxidant, anti-aging agent, immunoregulator, and anti-depressant (this is proven in humans).

Want to learn something interesting? My folks knew that eating turkey can make you sleepy. But what they didn't know is that the tryptophan in turkey is related to melatonin, because serotonin is created from tryptophan and likewise, melatonin is made from serotonin. Sound relaxing? We learn something new every day here...

Anyways, back to my stinky brother:My mom had a theory about Stanislaw's exercise and his behavior. It seemed that as long as Stan got out for a good long run or solid wrastlin' match at the bark park, his compulsive symptoms were greatly reduced. In fact, on the days of the longest runs his compulsions were reduced so much that he could do his Good Boy outside almost immediately. That's a pretty big deal around here, as often times Stan is too distraught to lift a leg. While the benefits of exercise are great, they are far from a cure and my brother still suffers from many of his anxieties. But... it does take the edge off and every little bit counts. And we all know - weebles and poobles outside are GOOD things.

Our folks have heard about other humans using melatonin as a natural way to put their dogs at ease during long car rides, vet visits, dog shows and thunder storms. It is even a common treatment for epileptic pups - especially if they suffer from seizures during the night. If done right, melatonin therapy has no discernible side effects and for some can bring great results. Plus, it's a natural treatment to boot.

So then came the challenge of linking exercise to melatonin. Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult thanks to our research assistant, Google. Apparently, there have been studies (1, 2 and 3) done on female humans that tried to figure out why exercise reduced the risk of breast cancer. What they discovered was that exercise during daylight hours increased the daytime production of melatonin (usually associated with sundown and sleep). Melatonin acts as an antioxidant, and also increases the sense of relaxation after exercise. It continues its influence hours later as it increases the effects of melatonin come nightfall, and brings with it more solid and deep sleep. According to one study, aerobic exercise immediately upon waking brings the greatest positive results. Conversely, exercise after sundown causes the body to delay the production of melatonin and it disrupts the sleep cycle.

So there IS a link between exercise and melatonin - in humans. That being said, dogs and people have extremely similar brain and body chemistry, and so it can't be too off the mark. Now, admittedly assuming such similarites is NOT the way to go about medicating your dog. Ever. But the positive, relaxing effects of melatonin has been shown in dogs with various phobias, especially thunder. A quick call to the vet was made and we got the all clear to start Stanislaw on 1.5 mg of melatonin, given once daily. This is a low dose and in some instances melatonin can be given up to 3 times per day, but any increase in dosage and/or frequency will be discussed at our vet appointment on Saturday.

So he's been getting 1/2 of a 3 mg tab in his breakfast. Has it made a difference? Perhaps. Slightly. The weebling has been easier and the whining has stepped down 1/2 a notch. His post-feasting whine- and scratch-a-thon has changed from an all-morning event to just 30 minutes or so after breakfast - the time which we expect the melatonin begins to have an effect.

Today we took it on a test: the bark park. We wanted to see if it would decrease the frequency of his running patterns. The result? Good. Very very good. Normal visits include a few ear-flapping games of Chase The Stanislaw, which would often be disrupted mid-race as Stan would skid to a stop at one of his "stations" and he would freeze, stare and scream at some imaginary squirrel. Every time he would hear a train rumble by that would trigger him to run a set pattern around the perimeter of the park with screaming fits at his set stations (it's the same places every single time). However, on this particular visit, mom was able to disrupt and redirect Stan at the very first sign of him going in to this pattern and he NEVER ONCE ran it through. He did freeze at one point (mom could wiggle his body without a response) but that broke quickly. He also screamed at 2 of his stations, but the majority of the time was spent finagling scritches from the humans, and engaging every single dog in the park one-by-one for a nice wrastlin' match, chase, or solid bum sniffing. Games would last consistently longer and not a single one was cut short by a screaming and staring session. He truly felt mentally present for about 80% of the visit, which is great, considering a visit on a good day previously would be about 70%, and a bad day brought closer to 20%. We always left super early those days.

Melatonin probably won't be the miracle we're looking for, but it may be a good addition to his therapy - especially once he is weened off the medication. The most essential function of the medication is to lessen the severity of Stan's reactions, which will create a window through which my folks can interrupt and redirect his behaviors, and little by little recondition his responses and attitude towards the triggering sights and sounds. The goal is to keep Stan on the meds temporarily. As he improves his dosage will decrease and in a few months or a year we hope he's off them completely. If he's this responsive to melatonin then we're hoping that a very low dose of an SSRI or similar med will be all that's required. But.. we'll know more about that after a trip to the Place of Tile and Steel this weekend

Ahh, yes. We do love these optimistic days.
Big Pupi

***PLEASE NOTE***

Do NOT start your dog on melatonin without talking to your vet. While it is normally a very safe supplement to give, it can cause severe side effects if a dog is already on another type of medication. If your dog is suffering from anxiety or other behavior problems, please do your research and schedule a trip to see your vet to plan an appropriate course of treatment.

Raw Food Diet, Day 492- The Truth About the Stan-Man

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Big Pupi spills it:
Hey guys. It's the cool canine (sans 'hawk) reporting. It's about time I tell you a bit about my brother, the beastly man himself, Stanislaw.
We've posted previously about Stanislaw's unknown abusive history that has left scars on his body. We've posted about Stan's quirks and general wackiness that were believed to be emotional scars left from his past experiences. However, the more we all research, the more we realize the depths of Stanislaw's disorder, and it's far more serious than we had ever realized.

Stanislaw had been improving - slowly but surely - through the (almost) 2 years since his adoption. It took a full year before he was physically well, and mentally many of his most severe symptoms had lessened or disappeared. For example, it wasn't too long ago that Stan would collapse during walks and writhe on the ground, screaming at pawing at his face. He also used to suffer from separation anxiety so severe that my folks would return home to find vomit, diarrhea and urine all over the apartment. Less than a year ago the collapsing went away and never came back, and his separation issues have been reduced to a touch of howling and whining when first left at home. HUGE improvements and in a very short amount of time.

Recently, however, Stanislaw has stopped making such great strides forward. My folks had always felt that as long as Stanley was progressing, they would hold off on medicating him as most anti-psychotic medications bring with them a laundry list of side effects. Stan is a thin and physically sensitive boy, and the thought of medication being the cause of a new set of issues is a very scary thing.

But Stanley has stopped progressing. In some ways, Stanley has been getting worse.

My brother has what is called "Canine Compulsive Disorder." It is very similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in humans, in that the animal is compelled to go through a series of repetitive behaviors and stress-induced habits. Stanislaw, unfortunately, is quite a severe example of the condition and his triggers are numerous and live everywhere.

Stan's compulsions are both visually and aurally stimulated. The sound of the train, reflections in a puddle, headlights from a car, a siren... It seems that just about everything sends Stan into a serious of ticks and twitches. His symptoms (a very brief list) include:

- whining/screaming
- staring and freezing
- twitching - biting at his side as if he was just bitten by a fly
- sitting suddenly and harshly, followed by fly biting and lip licking
- lapping at his nose
- licking the floor, the sofa, the food bowls, people's pant legs, etc. etc.
- placing his head underneath objects and freezing, eyes glazing over
- chewing his paws immediately after eating (not allergy-related)
- whining and freezing in front of any reflective surface (puddles, picture frames, mirrors, the oven door...)
- running a set pattern at the dog park and whining at various "stations"
- lunging and biting at marks or nails in walls and on the floor
...i could go on...

Sure, I lick and nibble at my toys and do this repetitive behavior every single night. But, I don't have a compulsive disorder. Why? Because this behavior does not prevent me from functioning normally. If I'm in the middle of a good nibble session and my folks say the magic word - "Weebles!" - I will drop what I'm doing and skip merrily to the front door. The behavior, while it is a habit, is not a problem.

Stan's behaviors, on the other hand, greatly and negatively effect his life. He simply cannot function when in the throws of the disorder. He cannot urinate. He cannot sniff. He can't even walk or move and once in the depths of his disorder my people have to scoop him up and carry him home. He won't play and at the worst of it, he is completely unresponsive to his surroundings. It's kind of scary stuff.

When Stanislaw first came home with us he would go into a behavior in which he would sit, lick his lips, and gently move his left hind foot so that it scratched the back of his left front foot. When he was like this, my parents could wave their hands in front of his face and he would not respond. He wouldn't even blink. Although this habit has not gone completely, he is at the point where he no longer "disappears" into it and he can be distracted.

But it seems that every time a habit is overcome it is replaced by new one. As we move from one to another the new behaviors can become bizarre (remember the poobles on the sofa?), they can improve, and even get worse. It's completely unpredictable and it makes it so difficult to judge whether we are making headway, standing still or just moving backwards.

It's been a rough road. Scary at times and incredibly hopeful at others. Perhaps the most difficult thing for my humans was the process of coming to grips with the fact that Stanislaw needs something more than love if he is to get off this plateau and continue on the road to recovery. They are facing the reality that Stanislaw's problems go beyond an abusive history and bad habits - they are the result of a chemical imbalance and he is suffering from an illness that no number of kisses, scritches or snuggles will fix.

My sweet little brother needs medicine.

It will bring side effects. Hopefully it will bring recovery too. What Stanislaw has is not curable, but with medication, obedience, reconditioning and lots of love we pray that he can quiet his demons enough to truly enjoy every day. During his good moments, my brother is an extraordinarily happy, wiggly, playful and bursting-with-joy kind of dog, and our goal is to keep him in that mindset and give him more good days than bad. As of now, the bad outweighs the good and Stan suffers. It's not easy to watch.

He will see the doctor on Saturday and we will discuss treatment options. I also owe you posts about his melatonin therapy and other behavior studies, but for now I think I have left enough letters and words for you to sniff through. In the mean time, I want to thank everyone that has offered their help and well-wishes because Stan thrives on the good vibes. So do I. So do my people. It's been two tough years but we're prepared to make the rest of the uphill journey. I mean, seriously...
...look at that beast. It's impossible to give up on him.

We'll keep posting and we'll keep you posted.
Big Pupi

Raw Food Diet, Day 488- A Boys' Weekend

Whazzup dudes! Get your meat-feasting holes in gear because it's gonna be a boys' weekend at my place!!

Mom's away at something totally nerdy called a "shower," and that means that my bro and I have to stay home with dad. Seeing as I HATE the rain I'm super glad I don't have to tag along. There will be sports-watching and cheesy snack-snacking happening at home and I can't miss that!

But just to make certain you don't forget what a beast looks like over the weekend, I've included a few photos for your Stanislaw-viewing pleasure:

Now there's a fine snoozely beast.
Happy weekending everyone.

Pass the cheese please,
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 485- A Daddy's Beast

Heya feaster Dudes! I hope you enjoyed the BBQ meat-feasting weekend. We don't own one of those outdoor meat cookers, but I've heard from other canines in my 'hood that the feasts were deeeeelicious!

I've been livin' large in Stanislaw style since dad's school ended. He's home by dinner every night now and we get to go on fast hunts on the weekends. It's awesome! Speaking of fast hunts, dad ran a 10 mile race on Saturday and did super well. I'm so proud of him! But he totally would have done better if he had a little fuzzy man pacing him along the way. My pace is called Fast As You Can and I run in zig-zags. He would have won the race if I had been there!

Big Pupi and I were trying our best to be Have before dad got home, and to reward me for my good boyness mom gave me some quality bum scritches. My most favorite spot to get scritched in the whole wide world is right between my knobbly hip bones on the top of my rump. I go crazy! I make faces like this:And get what my folks call "electric bum" where my tush leaps and hops about while my front half stays glued to the floor. Here I am in mid electric-bum leap making my grunty bummy scritches face:
What's your favorite scritch location? Does it make you do strange things?

In dull and hopelessly boring news... while dad was out racing Big Pupi was at home being all angel-like and nibbling quietly on some stuffy bunny bum. What a nerdle!
While I, the King of My Territory and Master of all Within It, was hopped up on bum scritches and out looking for something wonderfully naughty to do or chew:
But before I could locate a nice shoe to feast on, dad came home! He smelled like a beast and it was SO AWESOME! I sniffed his armpits and tried to eat his shirt. This is WAY better than BBQ! I was all like "WOW" because my dad is the coolest. Then he showered and feasted on some eggs and he snuck me a mondo-sized piece of cheesy egg deliciousness. See? I told you he was cool. I forgot all about mom and electric butt and became totally possessed by dad's manly beastly feasting awesomeness.

Dad plopped on the sofa and I hopped on pop:
I spend most of my time snoozeling in this spot when dad is home. I like to press my ear on his chest and ear his heartbeat, and his tummy is so warm! Plus, this way I can be certain that he can't go anywhere without me knowing. I'm a genius!
Then I relax and get ready for a solid snoozel. We were both tired after that race. Phew! Time for nappies!
My folks call me a "velcro dog." I wonder if wild velcros eat raw meat too?

Dad is my mostest favoritest.
Stanislaw