Eros Fractures His Leg

If you would like to donate to the outstanding bill, we would be eternally grateful. There are a few ways you can do this:

~ Calling the hospital directly - Cottonwood Animal Hospital #801-278-0505

~Paypal (no account needed)

Currently we have raised about $1400
Eros & I both send all of you who have donated- love, light and good karma!

UPDATE 07/26/09

Sorry it has been awhile since we updated. Life has just about bowled us over!
We are SO very appreciative to everyone who has contributed to the overwhelming vet bill for Eros. We are grateful to the Dr. Law and the continued support he gives us. He is a very caring Doctor and we are happy to be able to have his knowledge and guidance.

The last week or so has been hard, as Eros seems to get more and more restless. It is hard to have to stay in bed all the time! He really wants to get up and play and acts as if nothing is wrong, which is encouraging.

One a very positive - I do believe that he will have full use of his leg again and hasn't suffered any nerve damage - YAY!! He seems to feel all the way down the leg and also places it correctly when he stands and walks. I have been massaging it and manipulating it. And, of course, since he is sleeping most of the time, I get to take lots more sleepy Neo pics :)



UPDATE 07/12/09 - 6:00PM
It's been one week since Eros broke his leg.
Wow, what a crazy week :)

He seems to be having a rough day today.
He can't get comfy. He wants to lay certain ways, but there's a big rod sticking out of his leg preventing him from doing so.
He experienced separation anxiety for the first time. I haven't taken any clients all week, and this morning I decided to see a couple, plus meet some friends at brunch to get some adult conversation & interaction. I came home to a big crying baby, who bayed with displeasure if I decided to even leave the room after that.
He is also ultimately offended by the ex-pen keeping him confined to bed. (He would like everyone to know that if it wasn't for the stupid broken leg, he would've just walked over the ex-pen by now!)So, we are taking things one day at a time and staying positive about his healing - which is right on schedule! I am trying to teach him new behaviors that can be done from his bed to keep him from getting bored. Currently we are working on putting stretches on cue, both neck/head stretches & front leg stretches.

And, I have noticed one bonus... he wants to snuggle more. Sure, $4000 and a broken leg to convince Eros that snuggling is nice... *sigh*

THANKS again to everyone who has sent us love, thought, prayers and donations!

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UPDATE 07/10/09 - 3:00PM - Eros' Birthday

Eros turns 10 today - on the 10th!!
Wow, what a decade it has been. While he has to spend this bday in bed, he is milking it for all it's worth. :) Breakfast in bed this morning included Elk, Buffalo & Deer as well as some organic beef liver & free-range eggs - NUM!

When we took a potty break today, He also had his first bowel movement since early Sunday morning. I have never been so happy to see poop! LOL And as you can see in the pic above... it must've been quite a bit of effort, once we were back inside, he started dozing off before his head even hit the bed ;)
He seems to feel great and is adjusting to the recovery process. He is listening so well to me and understands that I need to help him do things. He is allowing me to do that. I have also tweaked his supplements today which I think has helped him feel better. So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY - Mommy loves you very much!
Here's to many more happy years together!!(Anna & Eros @ 4 months)

If you would like to donate to the outstanding bill you can do so through a variety of ways:
~ Calling the hospital directly - Cottonwood Animal Hospital #801-278-0505

~ Buy a Raffle Ticket for a great prize: http://tinyurl.com/kk5gr9
(thanks to www.DoggieZen.com)

~Paypal (no account needed)

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UPDATE 07/08/09 - 3:00PM - My Birthday - Eros comes home

Do you ever just want to lift up your hands to the universe & sing?!
Today is one of those days for me! I don't think I could describe in words what Eros means to me, what we've been through together in the past ten years and what his companionship will mean to me during the forthcoming years. He is my heart-dog.

This has been a very trying week for us. As emotionally and mentally upsetting as it has been, I feel as if I am gaining so much from it. I am incredibly lucky. Yes... Lucky...
* Eros broke his leg on a section of shore that was pretty steep, two wonderful unknown men drove their 4runner up the shore to him & lifted him up. These two men also followed me to the hospital and helped lift him onto the gurney and get him inside.
* We happened to have the accident very close to one of only two 24 hospitals in SLC
* The best ortho surgeon in the region just happened to be coming in the next day at that very hospital and was able to look at Eros' xray and perform the surgery immediately. Eros struggled overnight greatly as his vitals were low and he needed oxygen, who knows what another night would have done to him.
* The break was worse than expected, so they had to open him up, which is when they found the nerve & artery were entangled, and were able to correct that.
* He got to come home on my birthday!
* I will have the BEST arms ever! Have you ever tried to lift the rear end of a 170lb Neo to help him walk? Goodbye Gym ;)

My very first visit in to see him today - he lept to his feet and starting his big 'ol Neo bay - "Moooommy"!! Dr. Law took one look and said "Well, I guess he's ready to go home!" He was incredibly happy on the way home, he knew exactly where he was going! He crawled into his bed & I swear he was hugging it (or holding on for dear life)!

One of the struggles through all of this is that it happened at a very financially unsecure time in my life. But, once again, the universe steps and reminds me how lucky I am.

There has been $1050 in total donations and the wonderful gals at www.DoggieZen.com are having a raffle to help us come up with the rest! http://tinyurl.com/kk5gr9

Thanks again to everyone who has sent us love, energy, light & prayers.
Eros sends you big gooey Neo kisses, and I send you big fat hug!


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UPDATE: 07/08/09 - 6:00AM - My Birthday

I am hoping to get the okay from the Dr. to bring Eros home today. They decided to keep him last night because the swelling in his leg is still pretty severe and it's bleeds pretty heavily everytime they take him out.

He seems to be getting back his personality though, he is working hard to train the staff there to accommodate his every whim. He has figured out just the pitch and tone of his whine that gets the staffs attention & uses it often. It works.. they come right away!
He has also figured out that they need his help to move him, so he cooperates if he's going somewhere he wants, and doesn't if he's going somewhere he doesn't want. Best example is potty breaks, he'll help out by putting every ounce of effort into standing and walking when it's time to go out, but on the return, he plops down on the grass and acts as if it's simply impossible to move :)


He is still pretty restless.. I am sure that being in that environment is incredibly stressful for him. He has never been boarded like this and it is loud and full of scary things. He pants and cries and whines and sniffles.. and he hasn't been sleeping well. So, yesterday I went and played some calming music for him and just laid next to him for a couple of hours, he was finally able to get some rest.

The best birthday present today would be for him to come home! We will have to see though. It still takes Eros cooperating and two people to towel him and help him.

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS KEPT EROS IN YOUR THOUGHTS/PRAYERS!! We feel so loved!
We also express sincere gratitude to those of you who have donated, seriously, every dollar helps!
We have raised a total of $350!

Big Gooey Kisses from Eros the Neo


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UPDATE 07/06/09 - 9:30PM

We LOVE Dr. Law!
What an amazing surgeon and all around nice guy. Dr. Law took the time today to take a good look at Eros' xrays and talk at length with me about my concerns.

Biggest of which is anesthesia for a Neapolitan. Neos are very sensitive to anesthesia & it is common for Neapolitans to be put under for routine procedures & not wake up or recover. Dr Law was knowledgeable and very thorough, answering all my concerns. Come to find out - we even know some of the same country vets up in Idaho! :)

So, that's one piece of good news! The other is that Eros pulled through the surgery like a champ! It lasted almost twice as long as they thought it would.. and that brings us to the bad news.

Eros' fracture was worse than they thought. The original plan was to use the external fixators (such as seen here) and apply the pins without opening the leg up. But, since the fracture was as bad as it was, they decided to open the leg up and pin the loose fragments in place. When they did, they saw that the spiral fracture had wrapped itself around the main artery and nerve in that leg. They were able to pull them out and place them where they should be, but Dr. Law is concerned about nerve damage to the leg.
He says we will just have to wait and see if there is any damage at all. So, Eros will be spending this night and quite possibly the next at the hospital. Send him lots of warm fuzzy thoughts. He certainly misses his mommy!

And thanks to everyone who has donated to his bill! So far we have raised $100.
Lots of Love - Anna & Eros

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07/06/09

On July 10th, 2009, Ephailtes Ray of Sunshine aka Eros will be 10 years old. He has been my constant companion for those past ten years. He has also been an incredible mentor, friend, and confidant & he needs my help more than ever now.

On Sunday, July 5th, Eros was out playing & swimming in a reservoir when he got his leg caught in a group of rocks and fell back on it. He suffered a serious spiral fracture with fragments to his left femur. Lucky for us, one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the region will be able to put him back together on July 6th, but at a cost that is a bit above what we can afford.

Eros surgery will cost approximately $4000 USD. We have about $2000 of that, but will need help with the other $2000. If there is any portion of that you can help with, it would be greatly appreciated! All portion of your donation will go directly to Eros' vet bills, in the event that the donations exceed the given amount, all donations will be given to the Utah Animal Adoption Center to help them continue the care they give their animals there.

We will update this page with current donation totals as well as pictures of
Eros & the progress that your donation has helped with!
Thank you & Big Gooey kisses from Eros the Neo!

Heirarchy of Humane Behavior Practices

So, Fido's a little Fiesty? Or Spot won't Settle?

It's hard sometimes knowing what to do to help your pet. Wish there was a road map to follow? Something to give you specific instructions on modifying behavior for good? You're in luck!
Renowned Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Susan Friedman has published just that. This pyramid tells you exactly what steps to take in order to modify your pet's behavior, and create a happier & healthier pet. Of course, this road map isn't new, educated Animal Trainers and Professional Behaviorists have always followed this hierarchy.

Hierarchy of Behavior-Change Procedures
for Humane and Effective Practice

So, how does it work?
Easy. You start at the top, and follow each step down until the behavior is modified. This means, that each step in itself can help or even modify your pet's behavior altogether.
I.E. A pet that is struggling with aggressive behavior should be looked at for thyroid issues, seizures, eyesight and hearing issues, as well as full blood panels & urine analysis. It is not uncommon to find that an aggressive animal is ill & actually need medical attention, not behavior modification. When you have an animal in this situation, usually once the health issues has been cleared up, then the aggression subsides as well.

Let's walk through a few of these steps:
Medical, Nutritional, Physical - All of these can affect behavior in a profound way with our animals, yet this is something that is often overlooked when you have a pet struggling with inappropriate behavior. It's always best to ensure that you are feeding a healthy, appropriate diet, as well as having a clean bill of health from your veterinarian before starting any type of behavior modification.

Antecedent Arrangements - I once had a client ask me for help. Every morning, she would put her lunch and briefcase in the car, and then also put her dog in the car to be taken to daycare. The problem she had that she wanted help with, was that while she walked back to the house to lock it up, her dog would eat her lunch. The antecedent arrangement here would be that she not put her lunch in the car with her unsupervised dog, she could set it on her car, or even carry it last to the car before leaving. She could also restrain her dog so that her dog was not loose in the car with her lunch. I call this 'setting your dog up for success' - we need to give them every chance possible to do the right thing!

Positive Reinforcement - This is the practice of reinforcing behavior that we want to happen again. Example: Your dog sits calmly, you praise and reward with a treat or toy. Now your dog is learning that if he sits quietly, he will be get something he desires. This encourages him to perform the behavior again.

By now - you should be starting to get the idea - Make sure your dog is healthy and thinking clearly, set them up for success and reward behaviors you want to have happen again. I think it's important to note, that I rarely have to go past these steps. If done correctly, behavior can be easily modified with these first three steps! But let's examine a couple more:


Differential Reinforcement - This is the practice of rewarding one behavior over another. Example: Your dog jumps on you when you get home, instead of saying hi, you ask your dog for a sit, when he does this, you offer praise, attention, a treat or a toy. Now he is learning that it is more desirable to sit instead of jump, earning what he wants sooner.

Extinction - This is the practice of completely ignoring behaviors until they become extinct. This often requires great patience and is good for very persistent dogs. Once the behavior stops working for them altogether, they will move on to trying other behaviors, until one is reinforced. Example: Your dog keeps jumping when you ask him to sit, so you completely ignore him, after awhile he will calm down and sit, then you praise and reward.

There is so much to keep in mind when you are trying to modify your dogs' behavior. Be sure to stay calm and be patient during the process, although training can sometimes take awhile. If done properly, you will have a happy & healthy companion for life!

*Happy Training*

Creating a Calm Canine

This is one of the things I get asked endlessly: How do I get my dog to calm down?!

There are many things than can lead to hyperactivity in your pup. Did you know that as natural predators, dogs should sleep an average of 20 or so hours a day? We'll discuss some of the things that might be working against your pup as well as simple things you can do to help create a calm canine!

~ Food.
The food you feed your companion can actually be causing them to act out-of-control! Think of hyperactivity as a allergy - certain foods can cause this allergy to flare up. Corn (and all it's by-products) are the #1 culprit here. Corn always causes hyperactivity and can even cause skin irritations as well as other allergies. Dry dog foods high in grains can also cause this. Look for foods that are free of corn, and limit other grains to one wholesome source.

~ Lack of Exercise.
Many of us lead hectic lives. We get up early and race through our day, by the time we get home: we're exhausted and our pup is ready to go! Don't consider your work done until your pup has been exercised. Make sure they get their walk, or a nice long game of fetch. After some physical exercise, try some brain work to ensure you wear them out! (See our post on interactive toys)

~ Constant Chaos.
Many of us don't give our dogs the kind of 'down-time' they need. Take time to give your pup some calm attention, engage in a bonding experience such as meditation, massage or Doga (Yoga with your dog). Breath deeply while you're with your pup, notice how their breathing slows as well. Take this time to just 'be in the moment' with your pup. If your pup is excited at first, simply remain calm and ignore them until they calm down. Once they are calm - try putting this on cue. At our house - we use the cue 'calm'. We've practiced being calm so much, that when I ask my dogs to 'calm', they do just that. Handy for the dog that's easily excitable!

~ Encourage Calm Energy.
Sometimes it's nice to have a holistic remedy to help you on your calm journey. Flower Essences and Aromatherapy products can be extremely useful for this. We offer a couple of remedies that will help your pup replace the anxiety and excitability with calm energy. You can find those at out store:
www.HappyHealthyPup.etsy.com

We hope you find these suggestions useful, we wish for every pup to experience calm energy.

*smooches to the pooches*

What I've learned from Dr. Temple Grandin

For those of you who are not familiar with Temple Grandin. She is autistic, and has done pioneering work for the autistic community, but also realized that her autistic abilities allowed her to better understand the animals. She is a renowned animal scientist. And I had the opportunity to hear her speak. The energy was amazing.. people were overflowing everywhere, the SLC Library auditorium, which generally seems large, seemed minuscule by the throngs of people. I loved it.


*Animals have feelings. Their feelings are the key to their emotional and physical well-being.*
I loved hearing this out loud! Just loved it!
After all, this is what my life work is based around. The fact that animals feel, and their emotional well-being is important. Temple speaks in her book about the importance of the emotions of animals, and also addresses the fact that their emotions directly effect their behavior. Beautiful & oh so true! I see it everyday!

*Animals Think in Pictures*
For most of us that work with animals in behavior modification, we completely understand this. She spoke specifically of fear and used the example of a horse that was scared of black hats. Any other color hat was fine - black was not. She found out that, during a procedure with the horse, someone splashed alcohol in her eye. The horse was looking at a person wearing a black hat. That is the photograph her mind took when she was scared. Ouch = Black Hats. This is true for any animal that has a bad experience... I could list hundreds of examples here, because I see them everyday. Dogs that are pinched, shocked, forced or physically manipulated. Their fear, anxiety and pain are real - and most often make an association.

*Flooding is not fixing*
I loved that she was able to make this point to the audience in attendance. There is a very common mindset locally, that you should just make the animal 'do it', that they need to 'get over it' or be forced in order to 'suck it up'. This couldn't be more wrong. Fear is a real emotion for an animal, and whether or not we see the threat - they do. Flooding is a psychological term for basically 'forcing'. She actually used the example of Cesar Milan - noted an episode where he forced a dog to walk across a slippery surface that the dog was afraid of. She literally gasped as she said it - it struck her as that inappropriate and cruel. Stating that more often than not - the fear worsens instead of getting better.

There was much, much more. And, if you have the chance to read any of her books - I highly recommend them.

One other thing I took away that evening is - never underestimate the power of friends. I loved seeing the others trainers I work with there, as well as rescue people, therapy animal people & other friends. What a wonderful opportunity to bring us all together!

*smooches to the pooches*

Keep their mind happy too...

We all know the importance of physical exercise for our pups. But, did you know that your canine companion needs to exercise their brain as well?

Interactive toys and games help your canine stay mentally alert, but they can also help with destructive behaviors such as separation anxiety, boredom & hyperactivity. There as several great toys on the market now such as...

The TREAT STIK

BUSY BUDDY & other great toys from Premier

Nina Ottosson Tornado game

Canine Genius Plush Toy

These are just a few of the toys available to help stimulate your pup's curiosity and thinking skills. But you don't need a fancy or even expensive toy to keep your pup happy... Here's an idea from a good friend of ours, called the Muffin Pan Game.. simple, easy and you can make it at home!


Happy Training & Playing!
*smooches to the pooches*

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!

We are just getting started, but are looking forward to answering your questions and posting information that will be helpful for you. Don't hesitate to leave us a comment and let us know what's on your mind!

*smooches to the pooches*