Gavin's dotage

Tonite Gavin wanted to be hand fed. I only lasted about half his food before I have up. he then decided he would finish it off :) he was just playing with the weak hind end to get some extra attention! the yummy curry takeout container had nothing to do with it, I swear.
 
Gavin's beach visit today wasn't the greatest.
He had fun, don't get me wrong. He was very alert.
But he didn't walk very much, and he tipped over twice.
It does happen occasionally (like once every 4 visits?), but this was the worst I've seen.
His front paw(s) buckle, either due to weakness or a dip in the sand. The worst one, he was in the water and I had him off his leash and was 10 feet away.
I had to run over and get him up (the water was relatively shallow, but it was still kinda scary).

I really hope this isn't a trend :(
 
I know Gavin thinks it's worth it (even if the first few days after a beach visit he has issues with walking); it's why we do this.
Even if we need to use the wagon more.
Even if I need to carry Gavin out to pee more and stabilize his little bum (he does fine peeing and going up the ramp and I know he wants to do as much as he can on his own, but going down is harder).
I decided to postpone his stroller walk until tomorrow as he struggling a bit more than normal.

I have gotten a few more Gavin loves, which means he comes over to me and lays down at my feet. That's as good as it gets, I'm afraid.
He'll give a quick kiss If I put my hand out under his mouth, but that's it.

and today there is sand EVERYWHERE. side effect of his little spill. So extra vacuuming and laundry, too.
 
Gavin had his annual vet visit today.
vet thinks he might have a foxtail in his paw (there is a sore in between his toes), so foot soaks and antibiotics for a few weeks.
Also, his bad paw is still pretty beat up.
but Gavin doesn't want to sit still, he wants to let it heal up. sigh....
 
Well, it doesn't help that Gavin removes socks and boots from his front paw.
it seems that the boot on that front paw affects his balance a bit (trial and error, he potties much better without it)
his bad one he has never messed with, but the one with the owie that wont heal he HAS to lick I guess.

and soaking a dogs paw for 10 minutes in epsom salts is just as difficult as it sounds!
 
Cindy said:
Well, it doesn't help that Gavin removes socks and boots from his front paw.
it seems that the boot on that front paw affects his balance a bit (trial and error, he potties much better without it)
his bad one he has never messed with, but the one with the owie that wont heal he HAS to lick I guess.

and soaking a dogs paw for 10 minutes in epsom salts is just as difficult as it sounds!
Click to expand...
i can imagine soaking a paw for 10 minutes could be challenging! Could you try soaking a facecloth and then applying it to the paw, occasionally moistening it in the epsom salt mixture? I bet Gavin keeps pulling it out of the water! Another idea is to use an IV bag for the solution (ask your vet for one) and hold it on his paw for the 10 minutes. IV bags are thick and he wouldn’t be able to puncture it.
Hope it heals quickly and tell him no licking!
 
Great idea, Lisa! I was thinking about something similar.
Glad Cling Wrap is great for putting on a dogs paw or up the leg to keep it dry when going outside. Thought of using in reverse, putting the solution inside a small baggie with enough solution to cover the effected area. Then wrap with Glad Wrap to keep it attached to the foot and leg. It is easy to remove too. You would just have to watch Gavin to stay still and not chew on it. Just a thought…
 
The foot soak is even more challenging because Gavin is usually laying down on his side, and keeping the bag with warm salt water upright to avoid leakage is hard.
A lot ends up dribbling out onto the floor. and tape doesnt work to keep the baggie attached and water from coming out of the top. so far I am using a velcro tightener cause I can get that pretty tight, but the real issue is keeping everything upright. gravity and all that.....
washcloth type soak works well for his naked paw, but with so much fur on a regular paw it isn't very effective.

and Gavin starts licking in the seconds it takes for me to take the bag off and wrap the paw in a dry washcloth

we are fumbling our way through it....
 
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