Lets Get Caught Up-The Canine Edition: Manners, Boo-Boo’s, Worms & UTI’s, OH MY!

So many things have been a’happening. This week: the dogs.

Going To School

Dog training went great. Both Peanut and Biscuit graduated at the top of their class. I mean, they were the only ones IN the class, but, details!

We’ve had some great successes:

  • Virtually NO aggression from The ‘Nut. (Cujo has left the building!)
  • No ‘bum rushing the door’. (Does anyone else use that phrase?) When we open the door to go outside, they both wait patiently until we say: Let’s Go!
  • No more having the food bowl knocked out of our hands as we go to lay it down for our ‘starved’ dogs. They patiently wait until we say: Let’s Eat!
  • I’m still working on the “Place” command and that will take some time, but we will get there. (One of my pet (😜) peeves is having them under my feet while I’m cooking/preparing meals in the kitchen. When they finally get the ‘place’ command, they will stay in place (wherever I say that is) until I let them ‘break’ place.
  • They don’t ‘jump’ up on us or visitors any longer. It was becoming painful as we cherish the skin on our shins.
  • Still working on Biscuit NOT pooping in the house. This is taking longer than I’d hoped, and I’m so thankful for tile floors.

I’m Best Friends With My Veterinarian

A few months ago I noticed a weird lump on Peanuts front elbow. I didn’t stress too much thinking this might be ‘something weird that Frenchies’ deal with…ya know, like a big pimple. I took her to the vet and she wasn’t super concerned, and said the chances of it being a Mast Cell tumor were slim because of her age. But, I’ve got Dog Skin Tumor PTSD from Lillie, so I opted to have it removed sooner than later. She did that on a Thursday, and on Sunday, somehow Biscuit and Peanut ripped open the very secure stitches. *sigh* Blood everywhere as you can not secure that spot on the elbow. Monday, we went in and the Doc stapled it closed with a warning: Keep them separated for 10 days, and find a way to cover up her arm so she doesn’t open it again.

Two puppies kept calm and separated? Oh, OK!

A montage of Peanuts outfits over the last 10 days.

  • I started with a pair of Coach’s old socks that I made into a leg warmer cover. She looks like she just came home from the Civil war. Then I ordered a few onsies for her…it’s so hot that I figured I’d cut off the bottom and just have her wear the top part. Honestly, the cammo one worked the best, so I’ve got myself a Redneck Frenchie.
  • Great news: The lump was benign!

Peanut’s elbow surgery was Thursday, with a revisit on Monday for staples. On Tuesday as I was trotting through the family room (I’m fast I tell ya!) on my way to the restroom, I noticed out of the corner of my eye Biscuit Poop. I didn’t even slow down, knowing I’d just grab some TP, circle back, pick it up and flush it.

Suddenly, in my brain I had a convo: wait, what was next to the poop? Was that a piece of white string? Please let that be a piece of string, please be string, please be string!

REMEMBER THIS IS A JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE!

And as I got closer to the poop, ready to pick it up, my stomach dropped…my fear came true:

IT WAS NOT A PIECE OF STRING NEXT TO HER POOP

When we first got Biscuit, she had parasites (so did Peanut, as most puppies have them) and we treated her with antibiotics; I brought in a poop sample in July and the results were CLEAN.

She ain’t clean no more.

It was a LIVE roundworm. LIVE as in LIVING.

What did I do? In my get-this-disgusting-thing-out-of-my-sight haste, I flushed it with the poop and later on I wondered what the life span was of a roundworm in my septic and would it come back to haunt me.

I called my vet and told her what I found. She was all: ARE YOU SURE? SHE HAD A CLEAN FECAL A FEW WEEKS AGO.

It ain’t clean no more and I can not unsee that worm. Ever.

The next morning I brought in a fresh sample, they sent it to the lab and had the results back the next day.

Biscuit had Roundworms, Tapeworms AND a parasite!

What in the actual worm hell.

It turns out that Biscuit pooping in the house IS a good thing, or I might not have found out. (don’t fret, I always clean any accidents with bleach)

YOU GET AN ANTIBIOTIC! AND YOU GET AN ANTIBIOTIC!

  • Since then, (last week) Peanut has has come down with a UTI. I suspected it and instead of running to the vet immediately I got some test strips to confirm it before calling. I think they call that Veterinary DIY.

My at home test confirmed, the Dr. trusts me and the ‘nut is on anitbiotics too.

I swear to Buddha, these dogs are gonna be the death of me.

Tell me the truth, have you ever found a worm in your pets poop?

Will you call me for DIY home Veterinary services?

Should we sell our house now before the worm multiplies?

Ya’ll, I’m tired!

XOXO

31 thoughts on “Lets Get Caught Up-The Canine Edition: Manners, Boo-Boo’s, Worms & UTI’s, OH MY!”

  1. Wow, you really have had your hands full. Poor puppies, so cute… but so much work.
    Sadly, there’s only one solution to the problem … you’ll have to move. It’s that or fear every trip to the toilet will end in worm retribution.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. And this is why Lucy is our last dog 🙂 I’ve never seen a worm in poop, but I would definitely be thinking that worm is going to grow and multiply and try to sneak back up someone’s behind when they use the toilet. Squat only! Even when you tell the most disgusting stories, you always make me laugh. Cheers to antibiotics!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Holy crap (no pun intended). And a hurricane, too. Here I am now, thankful for having two senior cats who use an indoor shitbox.

    AND THEY ARE THE LAST ONES, EVER.

    Good luck with all of that over there, sincerely. I honestly don’t know what else to say.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m giggling because WHAT could you say? There’s nothing.
      Heading out in a minute to our favorite place: The VEt, to have Peanut’s staples removed. Hoping that we only visit them twice this week….but there’s still another day left. 😳

      Like

  4. I’ve never been a dog mom and I can see how it’s a lot of work. The duo are cute as can be, but the health problems would stress me out too. You’re doing great, but maybe haven’t quite hit your stride with these guys.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. One would think that having young, healthy puppies would be the easiest time in a dog’s life. Duh. Not happening with these two. But, I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or is that a train heading my way?

      Liked by 1 person

  5. ok, right … the worm in the toilet would give me nightmares. i’d never be able to sit down on that toilet again. that being said, i suffer from anxiety, and likely watch too many horror flicks. but let me just contact a realtor on your behalf … 😉

    hoping your pups are on the mend! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Do you remember Carrie? I watched that when I was a kid, and for years I worried about Carrie’s hand coming up from the ground (the last scene)…and that it would come up from the toilet!
      I finally got over that, and now I’m gonna worry about worms…
      😜

      Liked by 1 person

  6. So many things… I’m glad the classes were a success. I had to laugh at the arm bandage. Yes, when mine was a puppy there was once a worm in her poop..I still remembver it 19 years later.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Suz! Noooo! I believe you when you say you can’t unsee that worm. Good grief.

    I read the 1st half of this before my small charges interrupted me. I was all prepared to comment on how I’d like a trainer to come teach my offspring not to knock the plate of food out of my hand when I whip up a meal . . . but that funny ha ha has left the building.

    I found a tick once or twice on Finnegan and I was instrumental in removing a stick he had lodged in his mouth, but this worm world of which you speak is fortunately foreign to me. Good luck.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The funny ha ha, has left the building? Never. 😜

      Lord, a tick would do me in. I remember as a kid our dogs would get them and I’d find one randomly in the house. That doesn’t happen now with tick prevention being easy: Tell that to Lad!

      Like

  8. I had to read this post three times. I think I might need therapy.

    I thought you were going to say he ate a tampon. Then I remembered you’re in menopause, so there’s something to celebrate.

    How do dogs get worms in the first place?
    I, too, would flush that worm down the toilet.
    So, between this and the hurricanes, Florida seems to be telling you to sell and relocate to Georgia. These are known as SIGNS.

    I’m off to check on my dog’s poop….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Will I be receiving a therapy bill? HA at the tampon! How gross and I’m sure it’s happened in someone’s life.

      They usually get worms from dirt, I think. In areas where there are a lot of dogs it just gets passed back and forth. My Vet and the nurses were shocked that she had three types since we don’t even visit dog parks or areas with other pets. Must have been incubating inside her since she traveled from Europe.

      We’re going to look at houses this weekend….but not in GA. 😳

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Wow, this started out as good news, but ended in quite the clusterfuck of doggy doo-doo! I think I would have died if I’d seen a live roundworm, tapeworm, or whatever. SO GROSS!

    I hope the drugs clear everything up, pronto! Have a great holiday weekend! XO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Don’t you like how I can morph fun into a clusterfuck? it’s my special talent!
      We should be all clear soon. I hope. Please, Lord.

      Like

  11. Did you hear about the woman in Australia who was experiencing headaches, dizziness, pain, and memory lapses for a year, but none of her doctors could figure out what was causing these issues? They did some scans and found a lesion on her brain, and when they went to remove it, they pulled out a 3″ parasitic worm. True story! https://www.npr.org/2023/08/30/1196712546/australian-woman-is-recovering-after-having-a-worm-pulled-out-of-her-brain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!
      Like, did she have dogs? Specifically, little French bulldogs from Romania? Can this be the cause of my brain fog?

      I’m for sure having dreams about worms in my brain tonight….thanks, Mark. What a friend you are! 😳

      Liked by 1 person

  12. A LIVE WORM OH MY GOD SUZZZZZZZ
    I haven’t had to deal with that but you’ll remember maybe that Rex had lice when we got him, and I had spent so much time hugging and nuzzling him…lice. AIIEEEE
    But wow, have you ever made progress with those two! I bet they’d graduate top of the class even if there were three or more dogs! They’ve come so far. I mean, unfortunate about the poop in the house BUT EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON AND YOUR REASON IS WORMS.
    I can always count on you for making me laugh and Peanut returning from the Civil War was the spit-out-my-coffee moment.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lice. *sigh* That isn’t good. I honestly had no idea that dogs go lice…I thought it was only little girls in second grade. (my girls specifically)

      Peanut got her staples out yesterday, but we still look like we just returned from the Civil War because Biscuit wants to clean her boo-boo. YUCK!

      Like

  13. Congratulations on such successful puppy training! BUT OMG OMG OMG….the worm. Ewwww. That would have totally grossed me out. You are such a good pet mom!!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Rescue dogs, man. Hannah had a clear fecal when she was transported from Texas to Wisconsin. Within a week, though, tapeworms and hookworms. Hookworms are HARD to get rid of and we had to go through several iterations of treatment to get rid of them. *sigh*

    Best of luck with this pestilence. It will pass, I promise!

    Liked by 1 person

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