The End of the Frisbee

Lola got a Frisbee from Addy in the gift exchange.   Here is what it looked like when she got it.

And here is what it looked like after about 4 days.

What!?!  That is what you do with a frisbee.

Sadly, the frisbee is now in the trash can.  But she enjoyed it while it lasted.

Wordless Wednesday - Raw Hide

I think she liked it.

New Coat

We had some unseasonable cold weather a couple weeks ago.  I did not get a chance to post because I was busy with school.  (School really does get in the way of keeping up with the blog).  Since Lola is short haired I knew she needed to get some sort of coat to help keep her warm.  And I found the perfect one for her.

If I do say so myself, she does look good.

An Award

Winnie at Winnie's Dog Blog has kindly sent Lola and me an award, the Liebster Blog Award.

Liebster means “dearest” in German, and the award is intended to help up-and-coming blogs get the attention they deserve. As with any award, there is a bit of ceremony involved. In order to accept the award, we must do the following:

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award
3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs

Big thanks to Winnie for giving us this award.

And now to pick the 5 blogs we would like to pass the award to.

1.Hate the Deed not the Breed.  This blog is about Kim and her pit bull Tripp.  She is providing a perfect example of how great pit bulls are as family pets, and not the cruel creatures the media portrays them as.

2.  Adventures of a Cattle Dog.  This is a blog about Riley a certified therapy dog.  Riley had surgery and was on crate rest for 8 weeks.  She is no longer on crate rest, so I except Riley is ready for some fun.

3. Roo's Doins.  Roo has some great adventures including kayaking and hiking just to name two.  Roo will make you smile.

4.Pauly James.  Pauly James was a foster dog, and his foster family started a blog about him.  But of course they could not resist him, and adopted him

5.Doggy Love.  This blog is about Stacy and her dog Ellie and their adventures together.  Ellie even gets to go to work with Stacy since she works in a dog friendly office.

Chip in for the Houston Pittie Pack

I am sure many of you have seen Mayzie's post about the fire that destroyed Sandra's home.  As Mayzie said, "She tried desperately to get all they dogs out of the house but they were hiding under beds and in closets.  She was only able to save Brinks an Bella.  The rest - Guero, Coco Chanel, Tiger, Lucky, and Shelby - are all now at the bridge."   Please stop by her blog and send your kind words.

A Chip In Account has been set up to help Sandra and her family.  Please consider donating any amount no matter the size.  This small amount will mean she will have one less thing to worry about during this devastating time.

Thanks to everybody who has sent their kind works and donated.

Lola Playing with Her New Gifts

Lola got some great gifts from Addy, in the gift exchange.  She loved them all.

Squeaky ball.   The best of both worlds.

Ropes are the best for tug of war.

And Frisbees are so great to chew on 

These treats are delicious.  I could eat this for breakfast.  

She keeps switching which toy she is playing with.  She just can't quite decide which she likes best. 

Thanks again Addy!!

Gifts for Lola

Lola signed up for the gift exchange Jazzi's mom helped organize.  And fellow american bull dog, Addy, (Jazzi's sister) had Lola.  Lola knew the package was sitting outside the door waiting for her to open it.  And she was excited with I brought it in and started opening it.

What's in the box?!  I can smell something good.

When I opened it we found a very nice card from both Addy and Jazzi.

And then it was on to the presents.

Look at all these, what could they be?

Look, it is an ornament with a picture of me for mom.  You know that is going on the tree.

I think I know what this is.  We don't even have to unwrap it.

Look its a rope!!.  I love ropes.

I'm not sure what to open next.  I smell treats, but I know there is a ball.  So hard to decide.

I got some great gifts from Addy!!  A squeaky ball.  A ball with a squeaker, how could you not love that!  A bag of some yummy treats, a raw hide, a Frisbee and a rope.  And even an ornament of me for mom.  Addy, you give some wonderful presents.  

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE PRESENTS ADDY!!!  We american bulldogs have some great taste in toys!

THANKS TO JAZZI, WE KNOW YOU HELPED. THANKS TO JAZZI AND ADDY'S MOM FOR ORGANIZING THE GIFT EXCHANGE!!

Toys

Lola loves her toys, and has a basket to hold all of them when they are put away.  Well, this weekend Lola decided she wanted to play with some of her toys, or something like that.

First she started pulling her basket out.  I just figured she was trying to get one of the toys at the bottom of the basket.  That did not appear to be what Lola wanted.  First she started by dumping out all the toys.

Then she started to carrying her empty basket around.

What!?! I wanted to play with the basket!!

Hey, at least she had fun with it for about 20 minutes and I could get some homework done.   Whatever works right?

Another Squirrel Encounter

If you remember, we had a squirrel encounter this summer.  Well, we had another one this past weekend.

We were on a late morning walk, and Lola saw a squirrel about 4 or 5 house ahead.  Once she saw that squirrel, Lola was off and ready to chase it down.  As we got closer, I did not see it and thought it must have gone up in some tree.  Regardless, Lola stopped to smell, everywhere it had been.  Then I started walking and I noticed it at the base of the tree.  Lola was on the other side of the tree, so I was amazed that the squirrel was not scampering up the tree.  That is when I started to notice, that something must have been wrong with the squirrel.

It finally managed to get up to the trunk to the base of the branches, which is only about 5 feet off the ground.  Once it got up there it was still struggling to even stay on the tree.  That was when I figured that must be something wrong with the squirrel.

No matter how annoying the squirrels are I did not want Lola to be standing under it and tormenting it if something was wrong with it.  So I made her continue on our walk.  She did not agree with me, but she relectanly came along.

Elk Antler

I think we have all seen how well Lola destroys things.  And I am always on the look out for new things that Lola cannot destroy.  I finally found one, an elf antler.

Let me tell you this antler is amazing.  She has had it for 4 months and it is still going strong.  And Lola loves it.

I have a feeling this antler will be around for a while.

Happy Lola

First, I would like to thank everybody for their well wishes and their suggestions for ideas to help with Lola's arthritis.  I am sure I will be posting more about it.  So, if anybody has an more suggestions I would love to hear them.

I have been giving Lola the pain pills I got from the vet.  And she has been moving around better and has had more energy.  I am happy to see that, but I also feel like a horrible dog mom.  I had no idea she has been in so much pain.  I figured she was finally losing her puppy energy at 4 and a half, but now I realize she was slowing down because she was in pain.  It makes me feel horrible and feels like I should have realized what was going on.

I should get the Glucosamine tablets today or Tuesday.  I am also giving Lola fish oil ever night.  The omega-3 are supposed to help with the joints as well and she loves the salmon oil. I am also starting to look into diet changes.  I have read a little online about it.  What I have seen is adding fruits and veggies to her diet can help.  I will continue looking into that and see if I can find a good diet that will help.

As long as Lola is happy, I am willing to do what I can for her.

Lola, the Vet and Arthritis

Lola had a vet appointment yesterday.  I am able to drop her off in the morning and then pick her up in the evening.  It is great because nothing is rushed, and she loves all the attention she gets.  They did all their wellness exams and she got a rabies vaccine and a heartworm shot. The heart worm shot lasts for 6 months.  And she got a clean bill of health with all that.  


I also mentioned to the vet that she limps on her left back leg at times.  It is usually after she has had a hard round of playing.  So I asked that they look at it.  They did a full exam with range of motion on both of her back legs and she looked good.  They said the only way to know what is really going on is x-rays.  So, I told them to go ahead.   


I met with the vet when I picked Lola up to go over the x-rays.  The vet says that she has arthritis in both knees.  Right now the back left leg is worse.  But she will be using the right leg more because of that, so then the right leg will probably get worse, and it will continue down alternating between which is worse.  They gave me pain pills to give Lola.  But she said the only real option is surgery and gave me a referral to a surgeon. And she will probably need it on both knees.


I am apprehensive about Lola have surgery.  I am just not convinced it is the only solution and don't know if that is the right solution.  I just wonder how much it will really fix, and will it end up being harder on her to have 2 surgeries with in one or two years.  I think I will probably look for another vet to get at least one more opinion.  The vet we currently go to is a national vet chain in a pet store.  (I am not naming them because I don't want to call them out for any reason.)  They have been absolutely great with Lola and adore her but I think they are more geared towards general care.  And not towards the specialty that Lola may need at this point.  


So here is my call out to the blogging world.  I obviously want Lola to be comfortable, and do not want her in pain.  And I would like to avoid surgery if possible.   Like I said the vet has prescribed some pain pills, and said I could give her 500 mg of gluclosomine twice a day.  I have already ordered some and it should be here in a few days.  I have found some stuff online that talks about changing her diet and I willing to do that once I think I have found a good plan.  The vet said that she is at a good weight and she does not want her losing any significant amount of weight.  


Has anybody out there had any experience with their dogs having arthritis in the back knees or anywhere?  And have you found anything that has worked great for them?  I am willing to try different things to find what would be best for Lola.  

How is she?

The other day Lola and I were on our evening walk and our neighbor was out with his puppy Bailey.  Lola was beyond excited.  She loves the Bailey's dad, (he pets and plays with her so she can't resist him) and she is starting to like  Bailey more as she continues to grow.  (Bailey is only 4 or 5 months old and is about the size of a cat).  Another neighbor was sitting on some cement steps playing with Bailey when Lola came running up.  This neighbor got this look of horror and just stared at us.  I did not really think much of it because Lola was playing with Bailey and her dad.

All of a sudden the other neighbor (not Bailey's dad) asked with a bit of an attitude, "What kind of dog is she?  Is she a pitt bull?"  I replied back "No, she is an American Bulldog".  The woman seemed a little relieved but then asked with more of an attitude "How is she?"  I think she was asking about her temperament, but I am not really sure. I was about ready to respond, when Bailey's dad stepped in and said "Lola is great!"  and then continued on about how much he loves her and how great she is with Bailey.

It just bothers me the way people judge a dog by their looks.  Bad tempered dogs can be any size and look anyway, not just like pit bulls, american bull dogs, rottweilers, etc.  And good dogs can be any size and look any way, they are not just goldens, labs, pugs, etc.  I wish people would just step back and meet the dog before they judge them.

For every negative comment I get about Lola I seem to get twice as many about how great she is.  Last weekend we were on a morning walk.  And we were walking to a corner and somebody else with their dog was walking towards the same corner.  So I stepped aside and made Lola sit so the people could keep walking. (I usually feel more comfortable stopping and making Lola sit.  It helps calm her down when she sees other dogs.)  Lola started wagging her tail, and the woman asked if she was friendly and if she could say hi.  I said sure and she and her dog came up and said hi.  Immediately Lola laid down and was loving the woman who was petting her. She asked what kind of dog Lola was.  I told her and she started telling me about her friend who has an American bulldog and how he is one of the nicest dogs she has ever met.  This woman was one of those people that was just interested in Lola because she was a sweet and happy dog.  Those are the people that are great.

I wish there could be more people out their that see the dogs for their souls and hearts and not for their looks.  

Lola, Otis, Bear and the Squirrel

 Here is a little video that I thought was perfect for a Monday.  Lola was visiting Otis and Bear, and the three of them trapped a squirrel in the tree. Sorry I am not sure how to rotate the video, but I think you still get the idea.

Wordless Wednesday - Can I eat it now?

Lola's New Favorite Spot

Lola has found a new favorite spot to lay outside.

For some reason she likes laying down under the table in the sun

We're Back. . . .. Again!

I know, I know, I fell off on the posting again.  In that time, I have started graduate classes, and finished my first one.  They are only 8 weeks so they go pretty quickly.  Here is Lola helping me study.

It was an online class, so I was at home doing most of the work and Lola was there to keep me company.

Some how summer is close to over.  Although, it is still above 90 here and it is hot!!!  We have hit a record the 4 out of 6 days.  Lola enjoys spending time outside even when it is hot.

Hope everybody got through the hurricane ok.

Lola and The Squirrel Encounter

We all know how horrible those tree rats are.  Lola and I got so close to a squirrel that we both so studded that we did not know what to do.  Here is what happened.

A few weeks ago we were on our normal evening walk.  We were close to home, and then all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw something.  I looked down and realized there was a squirrel about 3 feet away from me. ( It freaked me out so much I almost thought it was going to attack me.)  Lola was beyond excited about it.  She was trying to get as close as possible to it.

At this point we were about a foot away from it.  Lola was trying to get as close as possible to it.  At first I thought it was dead because it did not even move.  But then as I was letting Lola look at it, it moved its head. But it did not run.  I am not sure if it was injured or scared.

I did not want Lola to get so close to it that it would attack or bite or scratch her (who knows what type of diseases those tree rats carry.)  But sure enough, the next day, the squirrel was gone.  Lola was not happy that she did not get to get as close as she could to it.

Wordless Wednesday

Bear, Lola, Otis

We're Back

Lola and I have disappeared for a while.  Nothing happened, except for summer distracting me.  (And Lola is not happy about it.)  But now we are back!  Since it has been so long, I think the best place to start is the status of some toys.  Destroyed or survived, we all know it is a valid question with Lola.

First is the the ring with the tuff scale of 10, see here.

Surprisingly, this toy has had help well.   I took some advice from Maisie's Mom's comment about trimming up the frayed edges.  This has helped a lot.  I know this toy will one day be destroyed. It is par for the course, but it is holding up well with only a few tears.

Then there was the ball rope.

This has been thrown away.  Lola destroyed the rope and started pulling off lose strings.  At that point she was chewing on them and I was worried she was going to swallow them.  So it went into the trash.

And lastly, the Planet Dog Cosmos Ball.

Lola goes through phases with this ball.  At times she is always playing with it and other times she does not really care.  But it is going to last for a long time.  For whatever reason Lola has no desire to destroy this ball, which is amazing.

Wordless Wednesday - My Pillow

Buffalo Shin Bone

A friend of mine recommend that I give Lola a buffalo shin bone, after hearing all the different things Lola has destroyed.  So I got one for her.  And did she enjoy it.

What did you get for me?

Oh, I smell something good.

Look at this!!

This tastes amazing.

It goes without saying that Lola loves it.  And it does not smell, like the cow hoofs.  She has made some major progress on this.  Now I am going to have to find a place to find more for a good price.

Tug of War

Misha and Lola were having so much fun playing together that I thought they might of had fun playing tug-of-war with a rope.

And now check out the video. Lola had more fun playing keep away than really playing tug of war

Playing With Friends

Lola got to go and visit with Otis and Bear this weekend.  And there was somebody else visiting with them also. It was Misha.  Misha is my dad's neighbor's dog.  The neighbors were going out of town for the weekend, so Misha got to spend the weekend with my dad and Otis and Bear.   Misha is a one year old black lab mix, and she is a ball of energy.  So, I knew Lola and here would get along great.  Here are some pictures from there playtime together.

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  Misha and Lola playing. Notice Bear in the background ignoring them
  
  

  

Come back tomorrow to check out the tug of war game Misha and Lola had.