Gasthof and Dr. D

Gasthof is one happy puppy! First day able to run again :-) Look at that tongue!

Gasthof finds the sunny spot

Before I begin, I wanted to just clarify after my last post. I should have titled it better. Things are going well with Gasthof--I just wanted ideas on a few things. Thanks for your comments!

On Saturday I got a call from our veterinarian (Dr. D) saying that Gasthof's stool sample was positive for Giardia (a microscopic parasite that is often found in areas with poor sanitation, and can contaminate water sources. If interested, you can read about Giardia on the Mayo Clinic website. The vet said that this parasite was often missed in the past, but now they have better testing methods. He also said that he has found more success in being aggressive with treatment and treating it with two medications rather than just one.

Gasthof's medical bills may exceed mine this year (So far we're at $225). I knew with dogs came medical expenses...but I feel bad that he has had this many issues within the first few weeks! However, because he is a rescue dog (and still a puppy), much of this isn't surprising. If you bought a used car and the owner had not ever given it an oil change, changed the tires, etc (I don't know much about cars so I'll stop here!), you would expect that the car would need some TLC!



Here's Gasthof's list so far of ailments/medications/vaccines
1. Soft tissue injury (treated with rest/no running for 11 days, and an anti-inflammatory)

2. Skin infection (treatment: Keflex antibiotic)

3. Scrapes on his belly/groin/legs from getting out of the kennel (the scrapes appeared to heal normally)

4. Giardia (treatment to be picked up at the vet's office on Monday morning).

5. Vaccine for Distemper

6. Vaccine for Lymes Disease

7. Heartgard (one chewable tablet per month)

8. The vet also said he has separation anxiety (trying to get out of the kennel so much that he injured himself. He has mini panic attacks), so Dr D gave us some information about treating this.

He had the Rabies vaccine back in July, a few other vaccines, and was neutered just before we got him. The good news is that he has put on about 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks. The vet expects him to grow some more.
I'll probably end up buying him different food coming up (the vet recommends "Instinct" and "Prairie" brands), but I'll make sure to incorporate it slowly into his diet rather than switching suddenly.

I let Gasthof nap at the foot of my bed with me...I was in desperate need of a nap!

I have Gasthof in a harness that is buckled in..this helps keep him safe if I were in an accident, and also helps keep him from climbing to the front of my car while I'm driving

I have really been lacking in sleep the past few days, and this afternoon I took a long nap (from 1:30 to 4:15) and Gasthof rested at the foot of the bed the whole time! I was very impressed. Nick was wonderful (I'm very lucky!) and helped mow my lawn. The backyard grass was getting very long, and this was making it tough to clean up after Gasthof. The vet says we have to be really careful because we could get infected with Giardia if we accidentally get contaminated by Gasthof's stools when cleaning up after him. Good hand hygiene is key!

Gasthof showing his purple pride (see dog tag)

On a side note, Nick and I met up with some coworkers on Friday at Gasthof's (the bar/restaurant on University)--the same place Nick and I met almost a year and a half ago. We had a good time...but after we were there a few hours, I started getting overwhelmed with the number of people! I could barely walk anywhere--everyone was standing in groups of people touching shoulder to shoulder....but overall it was a good night. The Vikings play the Jets tomorrow and I hear that Randy Moss will be playing....unfortunately we have dog obedience class from 8 to 9 and will miss most of the game. We need this win!!