Finding Sun Puddles

Our new apartment doesn't get much sun since we're in the city and sandwiched between other tall buildings, but Ellie still manages to find sun puddles!

Ellie: Queen of Bed Mountain

Lately, Ellie's been a crazy bed fluffer. I don't know if her bed has gotten less comfy or if she's just going crazy, but she will fluff it so much that it will fold in half or flip all the way over and then she can't figure out how to get in it. Or she'll still try anyway, like this:

Sleeping on the side of the bed

Well because of all of her crazy fluffing, I decided to get the second dog bed out (that we don't use) and stack them together. She LOVED that idea.

Now Ellie is Queen of Bed Mountain.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Gotcha Day - 4 Year Anniversary

"No pictures please!" - This blog wouldn't let me upload so I had to choose from an old photo :(

Surprise delivery and Ellie update

Yesterday I got a notice that there was a package for me at the front office of our apartment building. The strange thing was, I was not expecting anything. Wonder what it could be!

When I got to the office after work, she went back and grabbed a box and returned saying "Ellie?" I accepted the box and wondered if Ellie had a shopping spree with my credit card.

What could it be?

Turns out, it was some gifts from my sister!

The giant ball is called a Jolly Ball and it's scented. The soccer ball has a jingle bell inside. Great toys for a dog who can't see! And Ellie loves them both!



Ellie Update: As for Ellie's condition, it was diagnosed that she does in fact have SARDS. There is nothing that can be done, and all we can do now is hope that she keeps what little vision she has. She may go completely blind, but only time will tell.

Losing Sight

The title of this post might sound metaphorical, but it is literal. Over the past week or two, we have been noticing Ellie's strange reactions to her ball when we bounce it off the floor. She loses it very easily and gets confused as to where it went, even if it's right next to her. As time passed [and the condition potentially worsened] we realized that she is going blind.

On Friday, I made a vet appointment for the following Tuesday (tomorrow) but on Saturday I was so worried (if it's glaucoma then it needs to be treated right away) so I immediately got out the phone book and called 7-8 nearby vet clinics until I found one who was willing to let us come in at closing time.

I'm amazed by the veterinary community due to my experiences this weekend. The veterinarian gladly stayed after hours to help us out, called the animal eye specialist who was willing to see us that day and the eye clinic was closed so it was just us and the vet!

He determined that she either has brain inflammation/tumors or SARDS (retinal degeneration). Her eyes look perfect, she is only 6 years old and this is not an age-related condition.

We got steroids to reduce inflammation, but her vision has not changed the last few days, so it is most likely SARDS (we will schedule another test this week).

Ellie is handling things just fine, but it's me who is heartbroken. She has a hard time finding her ball when we throw it, she can't catch treats anymore, it startles her when we pat her head, she trips over things, and we will never again get to throw the ball in the field and see her sprint at a million miles an hour chasing after it.

Here is a video that we took to potentially show the vets:

Rant: Dumb dog owners

This weekend, I took Ellie for a walk. Well, we were at the end of the walk and close to home when I notice a guy and his leashed dog just standing on the side of the path. I held Ellie's leash close as I usually do, but he was holding the end of his 5-foot leash and (of course) allowed his dog to play pounce at Ellie while we walked by.

Well I don't know how I was holding the leash, but Ellie jumped right back at the dog and my legs got completely tangled up in the leash and I fell down, banging my knee. :(

The other dog owner only muttered "are you alright?" and I said yes. I sat there on the ground for a minute, rubbing my knee and trying to gather my wits while this guy continued to allow his dog to approach Ellie. I had to try and yank her back while I'm still on the ground, injured! What was this guy's deal?!

I finally make my way up to standing so I can walk away and the only other thing the guy says is "got tangled up in the leash or something?"
No offers to help up a fallen female. How rude!

The Prong Collar Controversy

Today I learned just how much the average pet owner despises prong collars. Pet owners have gone so far as to call them "cruel" and "punishment".

Now, I must admit. I use a prong collar on Ellie. She likes to dart off toward another dog when she sees one, and the collar prevents her from doing this, reminding her to walk nicely by my side otherwise she'll get a little 'nip' by the collar. It makes a vast difference in our walks versus a normal soft collar.

I do have a Halti and it works, for the most part. What I don't like is that Ellie hates it. She stops every few feet to paw at her face or rub her face on my legs trying to remove the thing. Could I train her to get used to it? Sure.
However, that brings me to my second point. Most people are not familiar with face halters on dogs. Most assume that it is a muzzle because it's wrapped around her muzzle. Thus, the assumption leads to the expectation that she is an aggressive, mean dog. I do not get these kinds of reactions when Ellie is wearing her prong collar.

So that leaves me stuck. Do I please the dog-loving population and use the Halti? Or do I save mine (and Ellie's) reputations and please the general population by not using the Halti?

Any thoughts?