By Kara
“That Dog has been nothing but trouble,” grumbled David, as he rolled over in bed to try to go to sleep. I sighed and took a deep breath as I began to clean up yet another stinky, gooey dog mess that was quickly sinking into the fibers of my bedroom carpet. David had already taken his turn earlier in the evening.
Xerxes, a gorgeous, 7 year old, chocolate lab, came to live with our family nearly one year ago. We were told he was loving and well-trained, that he used to work as a therapy dog, and he got along well with children. We thought he’d be a great pet for our family. As we had wanted a family dog for some time and he came with such great recommendations, we decided to give him a try. David was in Montana when the girls and I decided to take Xerxes for a trial week.
It was love at first sight. He followed us everywhere and was a great playmate and companion. He let three year old Alia lay on him and next to him while he was eating. He loved to play fetch with Makenna and would come to any of us when we called him. He never begged for food from the table and always lay down nearby when it was time to eat. We called and talked to Daddy before we committed to keeping Xerxes, but we had already fallen in love and made him a member of our family. He was practically perfect in every way.
Xerxes’ good qualities continued to shine, but we soon noticed that he was miserable. He itched and scratched himself constantly and would gnaw on his paws at any chance, even to the point of bleeding. “He must have allergies,” said the vet. So, we gave him an allergy shot to make him more comfortable. But that didn’t work. Perhaps he was allergic to his food. We decided to change his food, but that hasn’t worked either. Our family has become increasingly frustrated as we try to help our friend feel better to no avail. We’ve tried:
- At least 5 different foods
- A dog food cooked by David: homemade chicken, veggie, and rice
- Allergy shots
- Baths
- No baths
- Pet medications
- Human medications
Our current protocol is not to bathe Xerxes and to give him human, non-drowsy antihistamines every 12 hours with his food, duck and potato by Blue Buffalo. Every other day he gets ½ of a prednisone tablet. He’s smelling better and has a soft, dry (not oily) coat. He lick’s his paws a little, but they’re not raw anymore. He seems more comfortable, except for his appetite. Xerxes is reacting to his prednisone and is ravenous. (Hunger is a common side effect of prednisone for both humans and other animals.) As a result of his insatiable appetite, he has taken to begging, stealing food off the counter, rummaging through the compost pile, dismantling the garbage can, pulling dirty dishes and scraps out of the sink and even – get this - pots of spaghetti sauce off the stove!
Today Xerxes got into the trash can while I was at the library with the girls. He consumed unknown quantities of grease soaked paper towels, food-covered aluminum foil, and plastic bags with beef blood and fat trimmings in them. That’s why I’m on my hands and knees cleaning reeking bodily fluids at 11 p.m.
Am I frustrated with the trouble Xerxes is causing? Yes! Am I tired of cleaning up after his kitchen rampages? Of course! Am I afraid to open the door each time I come home for fear of what I’ll find? Absolutely! Am I tired of trips to the vet and expensive vet bills? Without a doubt! Do I think “this dog’s been nothing but trouble”? Absolutely not!
Xerxes has his problems, has been extra work and has cost us money we’d rather spend on fun things like clothes, vacations, dinners out and entertainment. There is no doubt he’s been trouble. But he has also been much more. Xerxes has been a companion. He’s been a friend. He is a good sport, like when he attended Alias’s Flower Fairy 4th birthday party. He’s my early morning running partner. He is comic relief when he rolls on his back for a tummy rub with a huge smile on his face. He is a comfort to Makenna when she can’t sleep, a playmate for Alia before her sisters return from school, and protection for Linnea when she comes home to an empty house or goes downstairs alone in the dark morning hours. Xerxes is sometimes the only one to wag his tail in greeting when David arrives home form work. He’s also the only one who really loves “Friday Night Lights” as much as I do. (Or at least he pretends really well.)
Each pet, just like his owners, has good days and bad days, excellent qualities and issues. As a family, we take the good with the bad and work together to help each member thrive. We’ll get your allergies figured out, Big Dog. Until then, thanks for being an important contributing member of our family. We love you Wise Old Xerkie Boy.
Today Xerxes got into the trash can while I was at the library with the girls. He consumed unknown quantities of grease soaked paper towels, food-covered aluminum foil, and plastic bags with beef blood and fat trimmings in them. That’s why I’m on my hands and knees cleaning reeking bodily fluids at 11 p.m.
Am I frustrated with the trouble Xerxes is causing? Yes! Am I tired of cleaning up after his kitchen rampages? Of course! Am I afraid to open the door each time I come home for fear of what I’ll find? Absolutely! Am I tired of trips to the vet and expensive vet bills? Without a doubt! Do I think “this dog’s been nothing but trouble”? Absolutely not!
Xerxes has his problems, has been extra work and has cost us money we’d rather spend on fun things like clothes, vacations, dinners out and entertainment. There is no doubt he’s been trouble. But he has also been much more. Xerxes has been a companion. He’s been a friend. He is a good sport, like when he attended Alias’s Flower Fairy 4th birthday party. He’s my early morning running partner. He is comic relief when he rolls on his back for a tummy rub with a huge smile on his face. He is a comfort to Makenna when she can’t sleep, a playmate for Alia before her sisters return from school, and protection for Linnea when she comes home to an empty house or goes downstairs alone in the dark morning hours. Xerxes is sometimes the only one to wag his tail in greeting when David arrives home form work. He’s also the only one who really loves “Friday Night Lights” as much as I do. (Or at least he pretends really well.)
Each pet, just like his owners, has good days and bad days, excellent qualities and issues. As a family, we take the good with the bad and work together to help each member thrive. We’ll get your allergies figured out, Big Dog. Until then, thanks for being an important contributing member of our family. We love you Wise Old Xerkie Boy.
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