Boston Marathon Post

To my fellow pet owners, does it always seems like it's something when it comes to your four-legged family members?    Our Boston, Rocky has been a bit under the weather since Saturday... and it is very frustrating.

But first, Bostons do seem to be popular in ads... and not for good things!  It was a bit creepy that the first/top ad showed up when I visited Yahoo earlier this week?  How did they know that I had a Boston and furthermore that he would be suffering from some of the very things listed in the ad.  It had to be coincidence, but in this increasingly Big Brother world, I'm not too sure.

I just through in the other ad for good measure.  The flea and tick medication has really cute TV commercials featuring a Boston and Pug (recreated when Rocky's cousin/aunt comes to visit), but this image from their website is pretty adorable as well.  I guess cute dogs help sell product!

Anyhow, back to Rocky.  On Saturday, he decided not to eat at his breakfast.  Quite strange, since he has never been a shy eater.  But there was a pre-breakfast scuffle with Toby (and repeated a couple of hours later)... so I figured he had just been a little spooked... but then he didn't eat dinner either... or breakfast on Sunday.

I figured to keep with the plan and go to the dog park on Sunday.  All went well... as usual, very active and tons of dogs to play with.  Rocky even met up with another Boston upon entering the park... but didn't make any special notice of a member of his own breed.  I figured all the activity would make him hungry, so I tried again and got him to eat a bit ... but again, no dinner on Sunday... or Monday breakfast.

I am really not sure what was going on... beyond the not eating, he wasn't acting any different... still tons of energy, playing, etc.  He did eat some when I dumped some food on the floor... so he ate a bit, but just not out of his bowl.   But despite these few experiments,  I wasn't going to cower... if he wasn't going to eat at meal time and out of his bowl... that was it.   

So yesterday, he does start acting strange.  He'll be resting than all of a sudden he jump up and run around in a circle or off and back... kind of like he got hit with a pellet gun in the backside... just a very sharp, quick movement.  I spent most of the day deciding whether to go to the vet.  But he acted in a similar fashion when he was younger and he got over it in a day, so I just tried to be patient... that said, it was hard to watch. 

Mid-/late afternoon, he left me a little "present" (yep, that still happens every now and then)... so I ran it over to the vet to get it checked out.  I should hear back today or tomorrow, but they didn't seem overly concerned that I had to get him in for an exam.  Of course, when I got back he ate his dinner without an iota of hesitation.  But he was still doing that jump and run move throughout the evening ... and was quite gassy... whew!   

I am chalking it up to an upset stomach... he tends to eat anything and everything... he just ate a bit of breakfast this morning and while I thought he was doing better, he did that jump/run move just as I was writing this entry... so we'll see.  I don't suspect/expect the vet/lab will find anything.  I'm just ready for things to get back to normal.

Though as I opened this entry, things never seem to be normal.  It's always something!  Some sort of meal-time issue or someone not liking the other one (Toby I'm looking at you)... likewise, I have been pretty frustrated getting back into Cesar/Dog Whisperer mode. I do not have much control over these dogs... heck, I am pretty sure Rocky doesn't even know his name!   Then again, I don't think Toby did for the first couple of years later... but whereas Toby was stubborn, Rocky just has the attention span of a gnat... so I am sure we'll get there... someday!

Before Rocky's tummy problems, I had planned on a post primarily about not having control of the dogs... and particularly Rocky, who I vowed I would do a better job on thanks to him being my second dog experience... but have failed miserably... though with him being such a happy/peppy dog, it does balance out feeling too bad about it just a bit.

Anyhow, if you managed to get through this entire entry... congratulations!