HOT SPOTS, Oh My...

Poor Baby girl!
Nothing worse then a hot spot. And what a location! A top that white bowling ball head! Poor girl!
Now if your Cilla Mama would just stop licking it so you can get that furry face back.
I've used any and everything to help her get her cuteness back! It is just a waiting game.
I am up for TEA BAGS!
Here is some helpful information:

Here is some info:

The first thing to do is speak with your veterinarian. Due to the rapidity of spread

 and possibility of deeper skin infection, it is wise to start treatment with your vet.

 Also, these hot spots can be very painful to the animal -- caution is advised, 

use a muzzle if need be for your protection.

1. Shave the area. The first treatment for hot spots is to dry them out 
2. and get air to the area. Hair loss is a feature of hot spots, but hair 
3. can also mat over the inflamed area, covering up a potentially 
4. much more severe and large problem.
5. Cleanse the area with cool water and a gentle skin cleanser.
6. Cool compress the area 2-4 times a day with a cool wet 
7. washcloth.
8. Medications - Depending on the severity and size of the 
9. hot spot, your veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics, 
10. topical drying sprays or medications, and/or special shampoos.
11. Prevention of licking, biting, scratching -i.e. Elizabethan collar
12. Additional home remedies that can be used until you 
13. can see your vet:
    • tea bag compresses (black or green tea) to help
    •  dry the area out. Tea can be used as a wash or as a compress.
    • Domeboro's (Burow's) solution (aluminum acetate)
    •  - available over-the-counter at pharmacies to help dry
    •  the skin out. Can be used as a compress or as a spray.
    • Hydrocortisone creams - Some people advocate using
    •  a thin film of an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.
    •  I would recommend talking to your vet first -- 
    • in general, creams and ointments only serve to
    •  "gunk up" the area and prevent proper drying
    •  if used incorrectly. Also, if the pet licks it, 
    • you want to make sure that it isn't toxic.

Let's WAIT Until Spring

Let's wait until spring! Running the house , caring for the Fab-Four and changing careers all while my husband is on a movie location! I don't think I can handle breeding too.
Had 3 heartbreaks with one perfect ending last year.
1. Our Priscilla was 2 weeks to her due date and started to spot! It was a case of Metritis  (inflammation of the endometrium (lining) of the uterus due to a bacterial infection, usually occurring within a week after a dog has given birth. It can also develop after a natural or medical abortion, miscarriage, or after a non-sterile artificial insemination. The bacteria that are most often responsible for infection of the uterus are gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli, which often spreads into the blood, causing a blood infection. The infection may lead to sterility, and if left untreated, septic shock, a lethal condition, may follow.)
We could have lost her! But we got her to a specialist 55 miles away in the middle of the night and just as we arrived she dropped a fetus. We had her fixed and after 3 days in the hospital she came home happy and healthy!


2. Lola only had 1 puppy in her first litter, A "Lit" , He was perfect and beautiful. 6 weeks later he had to put down because of a under developed respiratory condition. I stayed awake 24 hours straight to feed him drops of pedialite and water. It was a second heartbreak.


3. Lola's second litter. TRIPLETS! They were beautiful! But we lost the two smaller ones a boy and a girl hours after they came home!  Our surviving baby was the first one out , bigger and healthy! She is almost 1 year and lives a great life very close to us. We see her a lot! Roxy is her name!
So that's the 3 heartbreaks and a perfect ending! 
Meet Roxy and Roxy with Mama Lola

Baby Bella Where Are Your Fancy Jean Panties?

Daddies Little Fatty! She just started to spot!  Second Heat was a planned GO-Time for Breeding! But now I think we will wait until springtime!  So much going on and she is getting crazy little hot spots. Its got to be her hormones! And One dead center on top of her head! She looks a mess!  My snowball is flawed!
Feeling that its best to just spoil her! Now, I have to find her Fancy Jean Panties!
She is so THICK I had to buy her XXL!  They fit her girth but not her legs! It's a sight! She waddles around in them!
She will either:
Try to break free from the panties!
OR
Lay Around looking like she wants Bon-Bon's on a Silver Platter!
Hey, I think its time to BEDAZZLE those Panties!

Ear Cleaning With The Fab-Four

Well, another beautiful day and I realized I haven't blogged about my Fabulous Four Bulldogs in a while!
Today was the Day to Clean those ears!
Let it be said," This Is no Easy Task"
4 Sets equals 8 ears! Imagine if you will. Running around like a fool with a squeeze bottle in hand and one catches a peak and then 80 toe nails start running through my house like bats out of hell. Skidding out on the distressed teak floors until they reach the backyard! Yep.. Picture it!
With Lola done Bella takes off to hide under the patio table. Achieved!  Bella's Ears Are Clean! Elvis is now on the run because he saw me look at him. I capture him,  I squat on him like a professional wrestler would do. Squeeze , Rub and RUN like hell so I don't get sprayed when he shakes it out! Then as I get to Priscilla I look over in the yard and rubbing his head in the dirt like a wild animal is ELVIS! Then it was like he dove into the dirt and came out completely dirty, A BIG DUST BALL! All I could do was laugh and  run to grab my cell phone to take video of this big boy!
So really, You must know what's next?
BATH DAY!

Priscilla's Girls, Lola & Bella

Well, What can be said but these girls bring out the best and worst in each other.  They also bring out the inner puppy in their mother! You can hear the tap of 40 to 80 toenails tapping through my house at any given time. It might be Bella with one of her toys that now must become her sister Lola's. Or Lola running with that chew bone and now "Uncle Elvis" wants it. No wait, Cilla wants it now here we go, 80 toes a tapping and  skidding out on my distressed teak floors. Hint: "Distressed" floors. It was a choice made early on. And I love the beauty and am so happy that they age to look even better.  So how does one have two bulldogs under the age of ONE and save the HOUSE?
Well, let me take Bella. She was just an angel. That is until she realized that to chew a rug was the end all!
Yep my throw rug in the kitchen was a new happy chew. I can't really spray it with anything to stop her so  back to that  silly can with coins in it.
She also discovered  that if you play with the bedroom carpet that ends at the door jam you might just get to RIP the carpet for more added pleasure!
At this point Lola was looking like the best older sister ever. Until Bella awakened the Pre Puppy Boot Camp Graduate in Lola! Lets see as sisters what we can get into?
Lola found it down right amusing to go into my husbands garage and find tools that were at eye level and drag them out to the yard. This in turn showed Bella and the fascination  continues even to this day. We keep things high but as we all know just when we don't prepare what a delight it is to go out and find bolts, brushes, hammers, maybe a slice of the hose that someone chewed through strewn in the yard. Yes, I love picking up the yard. (said with eyes rolling) You look at those eyes and just melt. So lets take a look at Lola my Little Muse as a puppy.

 

How could you not fall in love with this? I don't know what it is about her but she had me with that black mask. Lola has her own theme song,  Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets by Sarah Vaughan The GOTTAN Project Remix . Listen for yourself. Its fabulous!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofekx-cILh4

 Lola as crazy as she can be has me writing about her all the time.

That's why she is called My Muse.

I'm just as crazy for my others but this one brings out the creative side in me.

She and her sister Bella as puppies were always first on the nipple last one off. They love to eat.

The magic words for our Fab-Four are COOKIES or SNASAUGES. You can stop the rowdy bullies just by saying one of these words. The crackle of the bag they can hear from the back yard!

Yes, I am  that person that rewards with food!

And the journey continues....................

And then Came, "The Fab-FOUR"

And then came  The Fab-Four!  Priscilla gave birth to three boy's & one girl. They were big and healthy and just sweet. I said to my husband, " There is no reason for us to keep a puppy So no attachment!"   We laughed and agreed it would be crazy. We have three as it is.  Lola from the last litter whom had just stopped her teething rampage now was acting like a young puppy again. Although she wanted to lay and watch her mom feed the new litter she started acting up. So I decided it was time for "Puppy Boot Camp"
Lola was so excited to take her class every week and play with the other most unusual looking dogs. I mean after all she was used to dogs that looked like her. The big dogs with long snouts were  exciting to her. Of course being the only bully in class she was also the most popular. Everyone wanted to know Lola.
Back to the litter,  All went very well with this group for the first 3 weeks and then all of a sudden it came. The LIQUID SHITS! I won't go into details but as I am sure anyone can imagine it was bad! We finally crossed that challenge. And 6 weeks flew bye.  Just as we went for the 6 week health check and shots, Bam  here we go again The Poo's!  I was happy to be in the vets office when this arose. It seems that they just picked up a little something from their Mom.
Our boy's we named, Mickey, Benny & Teddy were sold quickly upon their 8 week birthday. I had a list of people wanting our female but something just told me to hang on to her. Well, Now you understand where Bella fits in. We kept her! She is the cutest Fatty Cakes ever! There was just something about her. And to watch Lola , Cilla & Elvis play with her was just too cute. Knowing well that the teething rampage was going to begin again we decided to just deal with it. Who knew that Lola would start up again? Not Me! After all she was a GRADUATE of Puppy Boot CAMP!
I had a new couch delivered for our living room in a pumpkin ultra suede. It was perfect. And then came LOLA & BELLA. I went out and I returned to two tooth holes punctured in to the new sofa! Well, this is upsetting! We went on full time Puppy PT. I was on a mission to teach them not to do things like that. I reverted back to sour apple, lemon and then finally just the crunch of a paper rolled up. It worked! With in 2 weeks we had them over it.
Until I brought home the wicker outdoor sofa! It was a gift. I told you about bulldogs and wicker previously. It doesn't mix! To date that is still  an issue. But I can deal with it.
The next hurdle,  I will not allow my house to smell like a kennel and now there were four indoor dogs!
Let me share how easy it is. The only thing that changed is that I vacuum daily! Twice a week I still use Lysol and wash out the crates and the bedding still gets washed every other week. Really it's not a big deal. There is nothing more energizing then coming home to find these happy critters running to greet you and do the snot blow. Bulldogers, You know all about that!
And the story continues.....................

And Now There Were PUPPIES!

Priscilla had her very first litter of 5 chubby little bundles of squishy love. 3 girls and 2 boys.  We hired our dog sitter & friend to help us take care of them. She is lovingly titled 

"The Puppy Nanny"

We were working full time and racing around playing TAG-TEAM .

2 to 3 hour feedings around the clock all during the busiest time of the year,

The LAST QUARTER!

That means cooler weather, longer nights, more to do to be blunt.

All of a sudden 2 of them get pneumonia and 3 of them get the poops!

Oh My GAWD!

Puppies in a box and off we went to find them help. It took an entire week of medications, Pedialite , Nutritional supplements, baby butt balm and  a humidifier 24/7 to get them all back to health. But what a great day that was when all were aligned in perfect health.

However, 2 days later one of them had a pneumonia relapse. I would sit with her in a wash cloth bundled up feeding her with an eye dropper. I just fell in love with this little black masked girl that we had named Lola.

She finally was healed and while at work an old song came on ,"What Lola Wants" 

But it was a re mix  and it was at that moment I made that  Lola's Theme Song. Now she was ours. 3 BULLDOGS, We thought we were out of our minds!

8 weeks passed and it was time for them to move on to their new homes, all but one of course.

Lola is like my MUSE.

A crazy little red bully that just makes me laugh & wakes up my creativity. Our family of bullies gets along in harmony. Uncle Elvis loves to play with her and make her chase him to get toys. Her mama Cilla  is just as playful.

Then comes TEETHING!

Did I mention teething? You with puppies know all about that. Lola used my favorite couch as a teething ring! I have never had a dog do that.

I was in shock I was able to hide it for the most part but I know its there and it's not tiny.

My thing is you can have dogs in the house but your house doesn't need to smell or look like you have 4 legged kids. And yes, I vacuum every day if its 5 AM or 5 PM .

So with the theory of "my home is my castle, a cozy delicious place to rejuvenate"

I purchased everything, SOUR APPLE she LOVED IT! I even tried having her lick a LEMON when she tried to chew. You know thinking of the 

SOAP in a CHILD'S MOUTH  theory.

LOVED IT!

I was told try Hot Sauce! That I just couldn't do and I didn't want my house smelling like that.

A CAN with coins in it, NOW THAT WORKS! In fact that works for almost any situation.

Thank you to the pet trainer at Petsmart for that little trick.

We finally jumped that hurdle and life with 3 bulldogs was fun!

We should try this again my husband says to me. WHAT?

And the journey continues....................