Wednesday

[ksmith]

I took Gaby to the groomers' today--she was scratching and licking herself quite a bit, and I was concerned about fleas as well as overall skin condition.

Well, the groomer found flea dirt, but no fleas. She also figures that Gaby is still intact--is that the right word for females--and that she is in fact gearing up to go into heat.

Is this where I add that I have never had a girl dog before?

I will be getting hold of girly dog diapers pretty darn quick. I ordered her a new Lupine collar and leash in a very girly color combo of bright pink and other colors that go well with her coat. Said coat has been trimmed, and I will be the first to admit that I asked for too short a trim. Gaby looks better with some fringies, and the shorter coat highlights just how skinny she is. Think whippet or greyhound skinny. Too skinny.

However, we seem to be over the fussy food thing. Over the weekend, I was happy if she ate half a cup of dry food at a time. Today for lunch, she ate a full cup of dry food, with a heaping tablespoon of wet food and a few bits of chicken liver. She licked her bowl clean, looked into King's bowl to see if he had left anything behind--no luck there--then sniffed around and picked crumbs off the floor. I will be feeding her about the same tonight, maybe a little less. I don't want her to get sick from overeating, but she does need to gain weight and I don't want her to feel famished. Need to ask vet how much she needs to gain, but I am guessing 3-4 pounds wouldn't hurt her at all.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Thank goodness for no fleas! I hope they're gone for good.

My cat had a misadventure, where he climbed into a car engine and fell out onto a major highway and disappeared into the brush. It took three October weeks to find him (Not the best time of year for learning to hunt). He was too lean when I got him back, though obviously not on death's doorstep. He ate like three cats for weeks afterwords. You should talk to your vet about how much to feed Gaby while she's in the weight gaining stage. It will go on as fat, but if she gets enough exercise, most of it will eventually turn into muscle.

Adrianne

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I'm taking her to the vet on Saturday, and we will consult about her weight and food. Some breeds are indeed this skinny, so she may be fine. I doubt it, but she may be. My basis for comparison is rather skewed.

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

We had a girl dog unfixed for awhile. Sometimes they'll wear the diapers, sometimes not. My advice is to go get some panty liners instead of whatever actually is supposed to go in the diaper. They stick down and work better, at least they did when I did the doggie diaper thing.

Good luck. Hope you don't end up with puppies.

Di

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

She's in a fenced yard. I won't leave her outside unattended, and hope nothing untoward finds his way over.