I'm Back .. Lil' Bit of Bad News

**BC_MoM** · 07-25-2006, 12:12 AM

Hey everyone! I'm so glad to be back from California.

I had an amazing time.. the States is different than Canada. Especially the weather difference. After 5 minutes of being outside in Cali, I had sweat dripping down my back.. and I thought it got hot here!

I went to Universal Studios on Tuesday and to Disneyland and California Adventure Park on Wednesday. I don't think I'll ever have fun at the exhibitions here now compared to those two amusement parks! The rest of the days were full of Sunrider events for my Grandma.

My trip was awesome, but my Mom didn't have a great time back at home with the M&M's and my Granddad's dog Chelsea.

Chelsea hasn't been able to poop for about a month now, really, and I kept telling them to bring her to the vet but they wouldn't. They had her on ASPIRIN for 4 weeks and some medicine for her arthritis which ended up making it worse.

She has a tumor right at the tip of her tail bone which is why she has not been able to easily go poop. She went for a surgery this morning, they kept her over night and I'm going to get her in the morning.. wish her la speedy recovery! The tumor is the size of a grapefruit.

Mickey was a nervous wreck and out of sorts the whole time. Apparently he only started eating last night. My Mom said she thought he must have (thought) realized that I was never coming home.. Awww... my poor baby. My Mom actually asked the vet about Mickey's nervousness, but he said Shelties tend to be like that (but I know he's crossed with Collie, not Sheltie).. but I don't know, there has to be something you can to do ease a dog's nervousness.

Molly has been destructive. I knew something like that would happen because they wouldn't excersise her enough. She chewed through some wall, and has started digging in the backyard again.

She was chasing a wasp today and got stung on the nose.. but I can still see her doing it again sometime soon.

Another bad thing happened. She nipped at a guy passing by yesterday. My Mom said he wasn't even threatening, he was smiling and saying 'hello' as he passed and she was barking like crazy and then nipped at his shorts. "We need to socialize her more," says Mom. Wow. What have I been telling them?

Hopefully Mom will put her into obedience now that she realizes that Molly could use some work.

ANOTHER weird thing about Molly.. her nipples have always been black and crusty.. my Mom said that today they're swollen around the nipple and were apparently leaking milk. What the heck is up with THAT?

PS - if anyone would like to update me on anything that has happened, feel free to let me know.

Also adding a picture of me outside our hotel hugging a palm tree. Most in Cali looked pretty trashy but the ones on Convention Way were realllly nice.

**JenBKR** · 07-25-2006, 10:20 AM

Wow looks like you had a great time! Welcome back! You look so cute there hugging that tree

poor pups, that's too bad that they had a rough time. But that's good that you mom realized that Molly need socialized, hopefully some obedience classes will help. And poor Chelsea! I'll be praying for a speedy recovery for her!

**Riptide** · 07-25-2006, 12:13 PM

Uh-oh, I hope all the dogs are ok! Do you think maybe Molly is having a false pregancy?

**BC_MoM** · 07-25-2006, 12:29 PM

We asked the vet today about it, and he said she COULD be, but I really don't think that's what it is to be honest! lol

She does take her toys and lay with them.. but he also said being spayed that it's less likely that it IS a false pregnancy, that is usually happens more often in intact dogs.

My Mom wants to bring her in to get it checked, so maybe we'll figure something out.

Chelsea is here now, resting.. she's very sore. There's a chance there is some nerve damage on her back right leg, the foot is curled, and she doesn't put much pressure on it. There's a place here that does hydrotherapy in a doggie pool for dogs for only $30 for an hour that I reccomended to my Grandma, but she said no.. so maybe I'll try it once to show her how much Chels could benefit from it.

**Bronx'sBower** · 07-25-2006, 12:42 PM

Well good luck to you, your M&M's and Chelsea-I hope she heals well, what ever happened with the tumor, is it gone completely?

**bckrazy** · 07-25-2006, 02:50 PM

Welcome back! I didn't know you were in Cali all this time. I'm glad you liked it! But, you seriously came at the hottest part of the year... wow. It was 113* in Northern California!

I'm glad your grandparents dog got her surgery and is recovering

poor pup.

About Molly, this is a common behavior for Border Collies. Gonzo only does the nipping behavior when strangers come into the house and ignore him. I suggest keeping her under strict voice commands, or leashed, in the front; and allow her to greet people only when the person is standing calmly and lets her approach them on her time. I don't think a person being friendly or not matters... the person is walking by her house, he is moving quickly, he is not confronting her, and she probably felt like she needed to control the situation but the guy probably was not even looking at her. Like any good working dog, when the livestock ignores her, she needs to show a little more force with a nip

. Socializing could help, but controlling her in these situations is the safest way.

**BC_MoM** · 07-25-2006, 03:42 PM

Yeah, I didn't mention the nipping was Border Collie to my Mom. She wouldn't care anyway, she just wants it fixed. lol

I think I'm going to get some of my dog savvy friends that she doesn't know to walk up and down the street passed my house, and everytime they go by, give a cookie if she is calm, and doesn't go crazy with barking and growling.

She sure is a hardheaded, territorial dog! lol

**cyber-sibes** · 07-25-2006, 05:24 PM

I was in California several years ago, aren't the palm trees amazing? Also took my sons to Universal Studios, had a really fun day there.
Sending good vibes poor Chelsea gets back to normal soon, poor sweetie. Maybe now that you are back, the M&M's will behave better.