Re: Torrey and Maple's 3000 mile Thanksgiving trip

["J. Renee Brooks" <jrbrooks@cs.utah.edu>]

Gina Heitz wrote:
> 
> At 10:19 PM 11/28/01 -0800, you wrote:
> 
> >Well, we did it.  Our first *very* long car trip with the dogs, 3000
> >miles in total once we were done, and the dogs did great!
> 
> Wow sounded like a fun trip, minus the hitch hiking fleas you posted me
> about...
> 
>   Question for the list, is anyone having problems with Frontline not
> working for their dogs as well?

Just to fill you all in a bit, we used frontline just before we left
on the trip since we knew we would be staying in hotels and around
other dogs.  However, once we left the desert (after 6 days) the dogs
were really itchy, and we were visiting friends in Santa Barbara.  We
noticed lots of bits on Torrey and found a flea on Maple without
having to look to hard.  I was horrified since we have never had a
flea problem.  Gina pointed out that some of the itching could be dry
skin from the desert and perhaps sand fleas too.  But anyway, I was
worried if the dry dusty conditions in the desert might be such that
it negated the frontline.  


> Also on Torrey, he is mildly dysplastic, which was discovered at about age
> 2.5 (?) when he started having some lameness issues after heavy
> exercise.  Leigh and Renee have been medically managing his dysplasia and I
> am curious guys how are things going?  Will you when you have the time
> recap to the list what you have been doing to manage Torrey?

Torrey is doing quite well with the Glucosamine treatments.  He could
outrun most of the dogs in the desert, and for a tennis ball he would
do so easily.  After a while of hard running, he does favor one leg,
but nothing like before.  We treat him with 3 tablets of glucosamine
(500 mg + 400 mg of Chondrotin) a day.  When we know he'll be running
around, we give him asprin, sometimes rimadyll (sp??).  We also keep
him lean and exercised.  So far he is doing well, but he is only 3.5
years old.  

Thanksgiving does mark two years of a new life for Torrey.  I like to
think he's live longer with us now than he did in his previous life. 
And for the most part is his just the best dog.  However, every rare
once in a while, a ghost visits Torrey.  Usually, it's in some strange
environment and somebody he sees will remind him of something and
he'll bark like mad at someone.  But that is very rare now.  Most
people just love him and he just loves them.

Renee and Leigh.   

-- 
J. Renee Brooks
U.S. EPA                          (541) 754-4684 (Office)
NHEERL/Western Ecology Division   (541) 754-4799 (FAX)
200 SW 35th St                    jrbrooks@cs.utah.edu
Corvallis, OR 97333