A Freezing Sunny Friday

It was really quite boring and I didn't do a damn thing today. I spent a lot of time online reading, took a mid day nap for three hours, more internet, a dog walk that was too cold and some photos taken in the afternoon ... nice light.








Heidi's skin looks the best it has been in a long time ... she still needs a bath.

Last day for Winston's antibiotics. He doesn't seem to be in any pain after losing two more teeth. He is also not leaving any signs of blood in his drinking water.

You can tell it's winter though. Very dark early in the morning. I sure don't miss driving to work that early but at the time it seemed normal. After the hounds come back inside Stella and Sadie have decided that blanket on the bed I use for a sheet is warm. Since Stella has decided this is her home ... she and Sadie go to the bed after they eat for a nap the rest of the morning on the cold days.

I take off the down comforter every morning in case the hounds decide the bed is the place to sleep. i don't need to come in and find a destroyed down comforter and feathers all over the place.

Heidi takes over the living room chair and Winston heads for the couch.

I am getting more and more emails asking either for "invite" to read the blog or that they miss seeing the hounds and reading about them. Even one reader mentioned she missed reading about "the tropics".

It will be a great thing to look back and read ten years from now or even longer. Much like looking through an old photo album that I have never kept.

Here are some hound photos from this after noon, 38° and felt much colder.

I am seriously considering making the blog public again even if some of the photos are a little gross.

Winston Loses Two More Teeth Today

It was my fault and maybe not just from today when I left the house. I came home after a short trip for groceries and gas. He had blood on top of his nose when he came back inside and I thought at first he had possibly ran into a stick or something sharp in the field to cut his nose. WRONG.

As I walked into the bedroom there is one of his molars laying on the floor and sure enough under the same hard Nylabone I had left for the hounds to chew, laid his other molar. I was simply sick about what I had done. I had forgotten about his teeth and the hard Nylabone!!

Talking to my friend last night that is the retired dentist, I mentioned that Winston lost two teeth the other day and one of them had been pulled out by the root. He explained that was not what happened. The good gum material is or was running away from the bacteria (plaque), thus his teeth would be loose. So they practically fell out.

Now today with those vacant spots on his gum it wouldn't have taken much to "roll" those molars to the point of falling out of his mouth. I keep thinking it's my fault because I never took care of his plaque problem when I first noticed it years ago. I always thought feeding kibble  and having him chew hard bones controlled the plaque problem.

He still ate all of his dry kibble with on issue.

It does look like the new 4Health food for Heidi is going to work. Her skin has improved and she definitely itches a LOT less. In fact he hardly itches at all anymore.

Stella did not have any separation anxiety again today. I was gone for almost an 1-1/2 hour. When I opened the bedroom door she was barking/howling at Winston trying to get him to play. I wonder if they fought over that Nylabone?

Sadie's coat, as well as Winston's and Stella's, remain very soft even after switching food from Fromm to Diamond Naturals.

Here are some photo's from this morning's 30° weather ...

Damn cold today.

Heidi Itching Less On Day 2

I don't have any photos of Heidi's skin because she only goes outside twice per day and when she does I don't have my camera ready. After 4 feedings (2x day) of the 4Health Grain Free, Duck/Sweet Potato ... she is itching a LOT less, skin is NOT red but does need a bath. I'm too lazy to give her one.

Sadie must had just a one day bug because yesterday fed her the Diamond Naturals mixed with Diamond Grain Free ... she had no digestive issues.

Winston is getting antibiotics 2x a day. He has no issues with his missing teeth and eating dry kibble.

I do feel some regret shutting the blog off to those that liked reading it. I know it's "special" to a couple of readers and one in particular. I'm thinking of opening the blog back to public - yet there might be different photos along with more detail than they are used to.

Sadie's Upset Stomach

It started Sunday night where she starts by being obsessed with licking the carpet. On the way of letting her outside she is going ballistic hopping up and down. Once the door is open she sprints to the field and starts eating the tall grass. It is something I have noticed before when feeding Diamond Natural dog food. I don't recall her ever doing it when I fed her Fromm.

Last summer I thought it was because it was too hot inside and outside. Sunday night I instantly thought it was Diamond Naturals dog food. Yet Stella and Winston have no issues with it.

Monday night was different. After about 8 hours she puked up her whole meal I gave her at 1:30pm....plus the grass she had ate. While sleeping on the couch and having the run of the house last night, I found 2 small places she had gotten sick.

Today I fed her 100% Diamond Grain Free that I am finishing up since Heidi is now eating 4Health Duck and Sweet Potato. Sadie didn't go ballistic today to go outside, nor did she puke but she stayed outside a long time roaming the field alone, eating as much grass as she could find.

She was pooping grass today, a lot of it. So she has had a thorough intestinal cleanse. It 5:52pm and she has had no issues today.

The other dogs are fine. It's hard to imagine but Heidi has rarely scratched today after one day on 4Health dog food. That has to be way too soon to show any differences.