cody bear’s friends

a glimpse…..

….of what cody bear is like after just waking up from a nap.

this morning cody bear and i went to a local high school to talk to there animal rescue group about our pet therapy program.  at first i was worried it wouldn’t go well because it was early and cody bear was mopey because he didn’t get to sleep as late as usual.  but everything went so well.

i was impressed with how gentle the kids were and impressed at how good cody bear was.  i know i shouldn’t be surprised because he was tested and is SUPPOSED to be that good, but, every time i see him interact with kids i love him even more.

there was about 30 kids coming and going and 20 stayed for the talk.  not one single jerky student in the bunch.  not one kid tried to scare my dog or say stupid things to him.  not one student was too rough with him.  they were all so gentle and seemed so respectful of the dog.  i was totally impressed. (not enough to ever want to procreate, but impressed)

there was a group of special ed students there with their teacher. they were so gentle and totally focused on the dog.  it just felt like they were really glad we were there!

every time the class room door would open cody would perk up and then we would have to wander over to the door so he could welcome them in and get some pets on his bum.  he walked from desk to desk, sniffing backpacks and getting love.  all the girls said he was so soft and cute. (they are right, of course)

he fell asleep while i was talking, but that’s ok, he’s heard the speech before. he’s just in it for the lovin’.

and the teacher.  i don’t know what she normally teaches, but this group is extra curricular and she is so excited about all animal programs.  she really wanted the kids to learn about why dogs are such good pet therapy visitors.  she is helping them organize a bake sale to raise money for the vet bills for pets in a shelter.

it was such a great way to start my week.  but…i’m at work now, so i better get serious.

have a good day everyone. i hope something cheery happens on your monday, as well.

how lucky for cody bear that i, his personal assistant, got out of work early today so that i could chauffeur him on his various dates tonight.

4:30 pm:  greet emma, cute schnauzer, with feigned indifference.  share treats with her and bask in mutual complacency.

4:45 pm:  forsake emma for emma’s mother, the beautiful and treat bearing r.  “emma, you’re a sweet girl, but your mama can scratch butts and rub bellies”

5:00 pm:  forces self to ignore emma, female wolfhound, female boxer AND r. while mommy brushes and coddles him.  after all, she IS the keeper of the kibble.

5:20 pm: departs shop confident and ignoring mommy’s humming of helen ready tune.

from 5:45 to 7 pm:  eat kibble, romp around back yard, implore mama to drive him to next date

7:10 pm: departs for next date. hannah…and her mother (i’m serious)  much of his time is spent running around the room, squeaking toys and snuggling any warm blooded being in the room.

7:35 pm: drags mama from the house for grocery shopping, followed by more treats and a walk.  naturally….he’s spent…

can you blame him?  he had to work the charm, right?

now look at him, he’s exhausted….and it is only friday.

remember the end of last night’s post, where i said: ” tomorrow we will sleep late, take a few nice walks, visit with friends.what could go wrong?

right?”

well….here is a picture of cody bear behind the fence. the fence that can’t hold him back from his precious friends anymore:

down the alley lives a dog.  he lives with his guitar playing personal assistant.  the dog is allowed out without a leash and will often come as far as my house.  he never goes farther than my fenced backyard because if cody bear is there, that is where he wants to hang out.  if cody bear is indoors, there is no use hanging around, so he returns home.   the first time i saw him i worried he was lost and started to walk him home, but his person shouted “reggie” and the old jack russell wagged his stump and wandered home.  this now happens almost every afternoon, and since its the alley, the guy must think its safe.

conversely…my dog is NOT a free range dog.  i worry about him taking after a cat and getting hit by a car…or killing the cat…or getting in a dog fight.  because, as i have mentioned, cody is not loved by all dogs, and therefore, he doesn’t trust any dog outside his circle of friends.

reggie?  NOT in the circle of friends.  every time he comes up to the fence, cody bear goes nuts, running around, barking angrily.  the dog will get really close to sticking his nose through the fence and cody will snarl and nip.

not friends.

i was doing dishes this morning.  cody was in the back yard chasing squirrels and such.  i thought, “he’s been out there a while.  probably running himself down.  better finish these two glasses then call him in.” that’s when i hear “hellooo?”

i turn to the front door and i see a flash of red.  cody bear is in the front yard, happily wagging, with a big guy and this tiny dog.  apparently, the guy was in the house, jamming, looks up and sees his dog and my dog…playing.  that’s his story and he’s sticking to it: playing.

after he fills me in, i question him. “playing?  you sure?” he insists they were playing.

i am SO lucky he was not hurt and that someone brought him back.  i am incredulous he was playing with a little white dog.  ever since he got bit on the nose by a westie years ago he HATES little white dogs.

now, of course he wants to go back and play with little reggie.  i will take him over some time to let him play.  but in the meantime…i think i’m going to have to be medicated….

while i realize that, yes, cody bear did get into the garbage today and that is very bad, i can’t just NOT blog about him. that’s just wrong!

i have posted pictures of all these pretty places, and have neglected uploading pictures of my pretty dog. so here they are….pictures of a tired and remorseful cody bear taken in a dark room close to midnight. in one picture he looks like he is hoping for forgiviness, and in one, he looks like he doesn’t care. “go ahead, crazy lady, have a grudge.”

“does the camera mean you have forgiven me and think i’m cute again?”

“seriously, it was just a piece of garbage. you were done with it, anyway. how long are you going to continue this foolish silent treatment?”

“i’m done. wake me when you’re over this emotional upheaval and let me know when we can resume snuggling.”

what you see here? this is the look of a dog who is exhausted from his agility class….but wants me to open the door, put him in the car…and take him back for more!

ok, so….lets talk about agility class: (oh dear) as i have mentioned before,…cody is terrified of dogs. and, since there really are no PRIVATE agility classes…tonight was tough. lets break it down:

1. MISSY doesn’t listen to her owner and he doesn’t think she needs a leash. so, yes, missy is constantly running away from her guy, coming up to cody bear, eating the treats on his equipment and gettin’ in his space.

2. trixie, a GORGEOUS aussie, doesn’t like certain dogs. that being said: cody bear and trixie have never met, but we love that the trainer is predicting this WON’T be a love match and is requesting they stay apart.

3. a tiny corgi mix named ernie, cute as he may be, stares at dogs, and if they look back, she goes ape sh__ on their ___* yo!

4. we missed the first class due to our car problems, so everyone else knew how to do the high dog walk, the teeter totter and the crawl. (mind you…cody bear rocks new equipment. he’s all “i haven’t seen that. BRING IT ON!”

5. number five: the weirdest  tidbit of the night: we were on course near the end of class…things got a little out of hand…cody missed a jump…afterwards the teachers says “do you know what went wrong? you were too fast.”

what? meee? i’m NEVER too fast for ANYTHING….
ok, i get it know….i did try to move fast, and as a good dog, he was looking to me….

happy to report….the last run of the night….SO CLEAN. people…i suck at agility, but cody bear…well, he’s pretty good. he’d be awesome if other dogs weren’t around, but….he’s pretty good anyway.

to summarize: agility good, mom…not so good. dogs under control …good. dogs in cb’s space…not good. trainer…good!

it being a new class, and the camera being new, i didn’t get new pictures. next week, i promise!

here is another foster brother from cody bear’s past. his name is reggie and he was a great dog! he was a cinnamon chow mix, like cody bear, only with a bit more chow. the two of them would run next to the eachother from the front door to the back door, over and over again. they looked like some furry, red tidal wave!

he found an awesome home all the way in new mexico! he is totally cherished by his family of two people and two cats. and…he gets to go to work with his new mama!

lucky dog!

…in response to the aged cat and rusty.

cody bear thinks….

• people who don’t rub his belly are dense.   (what’s their problem???)
• agility class is the best part of the week
• 8:15 am is the worst time of every day cuz that’s when the mama goes to “work”.
• the cat must have a malfunction cuz a funny purring sound comes from within when ever she walks on the mama.

he also thinks…

• everyone loves him and wants to rub his head or belly (unless they’re clinically insane)
• his friend bravo is the coolest guy in the worrrrrld!
• running fast and with glee is the whole point.
•  his tummy medicine is wonderful, albeit,…flavorless.
• sleeping late is good, but when you’re up….you’re up.
• there should be an unlimited supply of chicken and cheese bites.
• squirrels and lizards need to take notice!

and, lastly, cody bear thinks ( and he is passionate about this) that pets have great potential. that they are family members that have a role and can deliver when they are needed emotionally.  he also believes that the way a person treats a pet is indicative of how they will ultimately treat people, and that anyone who hurts a dog or cat needs to be stopped, because they don’t understand that others (people or pets) have thoughts and emotions equal to their own.

cody doesn’t mean to be on a soap box, he just wants people to understand the capacity of a pet’s love and a potential of their heeling.

he also thinks he’s kind of tired right now, so…good night.

it has been a while since we talked about cody bear’s canine gastroparesis. (again, if you’re new to this blog and found your way here looking for gastroparesis info, …click the word gastroparesis in the “tag cloud” to the left) and please remember, i’m not a doctor, i just have a three year old dog with gastroparesis. i don’t mean to tell you what to do, i just want you to know what works for us.

today I thought I would mention his diet to you, in case you’re struggling to get something your dog can easily digest, with help from reglan, of course.

it is VERY hard to keep weight on cody bear. between his condition, and the fact that he is always on the go go GO, he is super skinny. i have gotten used to the comments and surprise. he is so fluffy, so he looks like he weighs at least 55 pounds, but really, he is just a 47 pounder. people are surprised at first because he looks chubby from the fluff, then they pet him and are aghast that he is so thin. I have gotten a few judgemental looks from dog people and a few dog professionals.

in addition to his high energy, the stomach condition is often aggravated by stress, so he needs tons of exercise to keep him at a healthy stress level, so he gets nice long walks a couple times a day, attends class so he doesn’t get stressed from boredom…you get the picture?

anyway, i have tried many things and found several that work. i do change his diet every so often so he doesn’t get bored, but i only use tried and true foods that are super high quality. no “bargain hound” dog foods for dogs with gastroparesis! (oops, didn’t mean to sound so bossy! i recommmenddddd no cheapy food for your dog) they need lots of nutrition to make up for what they lose when they’re sick to their tummies. i keep his portions small so his stomach doesn’t have to work too hard.

so, this month cody bear is eating:

breakfast – ¾ cup “wellness” brand dog kibble “chicken super5” flavor (i serve all his kibble meals in a molecuball. it is exercise for him and exercise keeps his stress level low)

lunch – ½ cup the same

dinner – ½ cup the same and a couple table spoons of “wellness core” salmon or chicken canned

night snack, one medium kong with a bit of kibble and ¼ cup canned wellness again.

he has also done great on a few flavors of “the honest kitchen” dehydrated dog food in place of the canned. but he does NOT do well with the flavor with oats. (sorry, can’t remember the name of that one)

many vets & people recommend rice for dogs with a temporary stomach problem. I find that the rice hangs out in his stomach a long time and if he is already having a flare up….he rarely digests that well.

now treats are important. i find the fewer ingredients the better, and he is less likely to barf treats that are “natural”. meaning plastic-y ones like snausages or pupperoni…while all dogs love them….tend to just hang out in his stomach and it takes forever to break them down.

so, he likes crunchy peanut butter biscuits. also, for training, he gets some yummy stuff because its so much fun for him! and training is so important that we want him to be really be into it. so sauteed chicken, dehydrated beef livers, cut into tiny tiny bits. also, he responds great to tiny bits of chesse! he loves it! and it sits well with him. HOWEVER, a compounding pharmacist i spoke with said you should not eat cheese if you’re taking reglan. but my human friend, who is an m.d. and has gastroparesis, loves cheese and has not had an adverse reaction. so like all things….****i super strongly recommend talking to your vet AND your pharmacist. ****

well that’s alot. hope this helps. and if YOU have tips for people who have a dog with reglan, please leave them in the comments below.

thanks for stopping by!

…for more tid bits on gastroparesis in dogs…click on the “gastroparesis” word in the “tag cloud” at the left of this blog.

disclaimer: the third picture is meant for a mature audience, so no beavis and butthead laughs. (i’ll explain when we get to that photo.)

first of all, here is my very pretty dog. he has some aussie and some chow in there. (we get his canine dna retest results in 6 weeks…i’ll keep you posted)

yes, he IS quite lovely. and in case you haven’t noticed, i love him tons and tons.

here he is again, being his happy self:

and….here’s his butt:

he has little furry gaucho pants! how cute is that!? anyway, this picture was meant for my sister, as she ADORES dogs with gaucho pants. if you think its in poor taste…i’m sorry….

….but he’s just so cute and fluffy!