It’s starting to feel a little bit like Autumn….

…and I’m LOVING it!  My Mom was a little concerned about my lack of stamina over the

summer but it appears I fooled her.  It was the heat Mom!  I HATE heat!

Yesterday, we had a great walk on a woods road…I clipped right along keeping everyone

on their toes to keep up with me!  Along the way, was some scrumptious partridge poop!

Well, for some darn reason, I kept getting called off it…how come?  Doesn’t everyone

enjoy eating partridge poop?  Especially when it’s nice and fresh like I found?

Hey! What in the world is my little sister doing in MY blog again?

Had a pretty busy day yesterday….from the walk in the morning…to later doing some

fun training with my Mom!  I was ready and raring to play some Wag It Games!

(please read the descriptions on the video links for details of each exercise).

See Mom…it’s the cool weather giving me renewed energy!

and this video is just a fun little clip of me playing some agility with the hoops…I LOVE

hoops!

Well, that’s all from this neck of the woods…happy fall everyone!  I LOVE fall!!

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

 

 

 

Summer has been hot!

Hello fellow tripawders,

Nuttin’ much goin’ on up here in Northern Maine – it’s incredibly hot here today at 86 degrees – Ireally hate the heat but I was up for a walk early today before it got too hot…then I went down to the lake for a ‘wade’.

Nice in the shade this morning!

Hope your summer is going well…honestly, I can’t wait for cooler weather! I don’t have much energy in this heat!!

Until next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

 

Maggie in Animal Wellness magazine!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Rene for writing this article on Maggie!  This is in

the August/September issue of Animal Wellness magazine.  Here is a pdf of the

article:

Article from August 2012 Animal Wellness magazine

And a picture of the actual article…  a bit of an update in that Maggie is now on

the potency of LM11 for her homeopathic remedies from Dr. Loops.  Each time I run

out, he increases the potency.   Maggie is having a great summer and this was a

nice thing to receive today in the mail!

I told Maggie she is a “Super Star” being published in a magazine! 🙂

News Flash! Health update!

Some of you have probably heard me complain about Maggie’s changing eyesight and

also her liver numbers being a little “off” at her recent yearly vet check.  Since that time,

she has been on Denamarin for her liver and was told to recheck her blood again in a

month.  When I was downstate last weekend, we swung into Auntie Gina’s vet office

(we fondly call Auntie “Dr. Gina” – she’s a Vet Tech but really SHOULD be a Vet),

to have her doctor up Maggie’s cyst on her shoulder(which is healig nicely now!) and

while there had her draw her blood.  Her liver numbers, and all others for that matter,

are perfect now! 🙂

Also, while downstate, I had an appointment with another holistic vet, Dr. Lee Herzig,

that we use for acupuncture, cold laser and chiropractic.  I told him about her eyesight

changing – he looked into her eyes and said she had the start of cateracts.

Earlier, “Dr. Gina”, had prescribed several various cell salts that I’ve been giving Maggie

for both her lumps and bumps and her eyesight.  Dr. Herzig also now has me putting

homeopathic eyedrops into Maggie’s eyes…so she’s getting internal homeopathic and

external homeopathic help for her eyes and I am VERY VERY VERY happy to report

that a lot of her vision phobia’s she’s been having in my house are pretty much

disappearing!!!!  I’m in total shock as this has been a really big ongoing issue for her!

So thank you to “Dr. Gina” and to Dr. Herzig for the help with Maggie!

On another note, here’s a fun little training video of Maggie I did the other night:

Tracy

My Wag It Games Weekend results!

Moose Point State Park with Penobscot Bay behind me – Belfast Maine

Hello all!

It was a busy weekend for me and my little sister, Haley, last weekend.  Mom took us

to Lincolnville(Maine) for more FUN Wag It Games Trials.  Here are a few photo’s

from our cool cabin and from our walk at Moose Point State Park nearby!

 

Me n’ Mom at Moose Point State Park
View from along the trail
Me and my dorky little sister at the COOL cabin!
the Park has lots of weddings held there – the grounds are beautiful!
one of the trails..

I played in Novice Sniff It, Skilled(2nd level) Shadow Skills and Skilled

No Need for Speed Skills. I earned my WAG1 Sniff It in Search and Identify!

I earned my WAG2-O(Obstacle skills) and my WAG2-S(Shadow skills)!!!

So my Mom is pretty darn proud of me…here’s some video links to some of my runs:

This is No Need For Speed Class – a lot of it reminds me of my ole’ agility days – only

NO speed 🙂  I LOVE the ramps and the hoops!  Oh and I’m pretty darn good at that

“Place It” exercise – where I pick up the ball and drop it in the bowl!

And this is my first run of Skilled Shadow Skills.  I was a little drifty to start – not sure

what I was seeing(or not seeing) on the floor – my eyesight is giving me a bit of a hard

time 🙁

And these are Novice Sniff It – the Search portion.  Identify portion is 10 containers in

a row but no video of me doing those tests.

And here’s a photo of my ribbons I earned!  Pretty colors huh?

Me and my “bling”!
Notice the ribbons have THREE paws on them!!! How cool is that!!!

Well, that’s all from this neck of the woods!  Guess I’m done braggin’ for a bit!  😉

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

 

Summer time finally!

Hey all my fellow Tripawders!

It’s summer time finally here in Northern Maine.  Mom took me for a nice little jaunt around what she calls “Maggie’s Trail” just down the road from where we live.  We rarely ever see anyone there so I think they made it for ME!  All for me!  Hence, the name of the trail 🙂  Getting around purty good…my sight and hearing are going a tad but, hey, what do you expect for 12 1/2 years old! Mom just HAD to show you this video…I don’t know why but she said it proves my hearing is going…pffftt…will you tell her I was just ignoring her!

And Mom took this one to show how much I “work” as a Tripawd.  It’s hard work to motor around on three legs sometimes…

And of course, Mom had to shoot some pictures of me!

TRIPAWD POWER! My little tag I got from you know who(hint: Rene!)
Along “Maggie’s Trail” (well really it’s a public trail but I think it’s mine!)
Mom, can we go for a walk now? Enuff pictures already!
Ok, this photo shoot is making me tired! Time for a break!

Well, after all those photo’s FINALLY we started motoring down the trail…my walk was short..it was hot and I got muddy getting into a mud hole, so Mom took me down to the lake to get cooled off and washed off!

Here’s “my” version of swimming…3 legs or 4…I haven’t changed MY style of swimming(aka wading!)

Well, ’til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

Maggie’s yearly wellness check results..

Last Friday was Maggie’s yearly wellness exam and testing.  Maggie is now almost 12 1/2 years old.  She has lots of lumps and bumps on her and one on her right shoulder has grown quite fast so I had my vet do a fine needle aspirate on it.  The results on that are “friendly” epidermal inclusion cells.  Yay!

Had a geriatric blood panel drawn on her.  She had some elevated liver and pancreatic enzymes which my vet was a little concerned about but also didn’t indicate liver disease.  I, of course, instantly think the cancer might be spreading as I have read that STS goes to the liver and lungs.  She prescribed Denamarin for her (silymarin/milk thistle) and recheck blood in a month.

She also found that Maggie has a Grade 2/3 heart murmur.  Maggie does cough a little bit now and then and this could be the cause of that.  Again, I was instantly thinking lung mets when I would hear her cough.  She’s been doing it now all winter.  NOT a lot but…

I told her about Maggie’s lack of stamina these days and how a 15-20 minute walk really seems to tire(or sore?) her the next day.  She stated she may have the start of arthritis coming.  Based on Chloe’s recent update, being a rear leg tripawd too, I am probably sure that is what is going on with Maggie too.  I didn’t x-ray her.  She also stated that the heart murmur could be part of the cause of less stamina.

Her urinalysis, fecal, heart worm and Lyme tests were all negative.  🙂

So, I left there thinking I need to review all of this with Maggie’s homeopathic vet, Dr. Charlie Loops in NC.  So I made an appointment for a phone consult.

Here’s his take (I emailed him Maggie’s test results):

Dr. Loops said Denamarin OK for her liver but in Maggie’s case he feels milk thistle would do just as well and a lot cheaper.  And could use Milk thistle long term.
He said her numbers are really not a problem.  He said the GGT liver number is even an unreliable measure in people.  The ALT number not all that high.  I told him the number of last year and year before as a comparison.  The one number that is really high is Lipase, which is a pancreatic enzyme.  He asked me if she is showing signs of pancreatitis, like vomiting.  I said no.
He said if her cough progresses than yes, an issue, but if it isn’t (it is not) than all is OK in his mind.  He also isn’t terribly concerned with her heart murmur.  He said she is 12 1/2 and things get more constricted in the valves, etc.  He did say it would be good to give her CoQ10 to support her heart and to give her 60 mg. per day.
I asked about the Hawthorn berry as I read that is good for the heart.  He said it is ok, an herbal diuretc..doesn’t know if she needs it but it won’t hurt her.
I told him about her lack of stamina and not able to handle much for walks anymore(the day after she is mopey and seems maybe a tad sore based on her balance).  He says it all sounds normal to him based on her age and her being 3 legged.  He did ask me if I had her on a joint product.  I said oh yes..  He figured I had but wanted to be sure.
So, he isn’t going to change her cancer homeopathic remedy protocol.
Put her on the Denamarin and recheck blood work in a couple months.
After Denamarin put her on milk thistle long term.
He sees nothing that points toward cancer progression 🙂
I feel better…I have an aging 3 legged dog that just needs  less walking, more doting on and a couple new supplements.
Here’s a couple photo’s I took of Maggie….as you can see she’s getting grayer – like the rest of us, I guess!
Tripawds rule!!
Mom, this is MY blog - why is little rug rat sister in MY blog?
Well, that’s all from this neck of the woods…keep on hoppin’…even if just a little slower these days…
Tracy & Maggie(oh and Haley too!)

Little bit of this n’ that…

#6 Dog in APDT Rally-O for 2011 in Veterans Excellent division!

 

#9 in APDT Rally-O for 2011 in Level 3 division!

Just a monthly update from me…nothin’ much goin’ on but here’s a few things to blog about

Mom got in the mail a couple of APDT Rally-O awards from 2011 rankings – check

these out!  My Mom is pretty darn proud of me getting these!  It’s not easy doing Rally

on three legs – especially with all the S-I-T-S in it…gawd, I really despise sitting now!

Mom said I’m only going to play in Veterans Level now if I do any more Rally-O this

year…shorter courses and less sitting.  I’ve been showing my age a bit since last fall and

my stamina level just ain’t what it used to be – so I am going to be competing less this

year and just taking in as much sunshine, lounging around and a little fun here and there when I’m up to it 🙂

In an effort to keep me as physically strong as possible, Mom bought me more PT tools –

this time, these funny little round objects she thinks I should stand on and hold still on

them.  I showed her it isn’t TOO hard – she has to still place my feet on them – they are

small for me to step onto!  But here I am after my third try at them!  Tripawd Wyatt

impressed my Mom so much with his work on them, she thought I deserved some of

them too to add to my already full closet of PT equipment!

No problem Mom! I can stand here and balance on these Paw Pods!

I competed in Wag It Games again last month…that is such a HOOT!  We did our first

Sniff It competition – where we search for food scent in a container that is either hidden

in a pop up tent(many on course) or in a line of many containers that don’t have food

in them.  I have a VERY good sniffer, I’m told by my Mom!  I qualified in all four classes

of it!  Then I also competed in No Need for Speed and Shadow Skills classes.  I am very

close to finishing my Open titles in those classes…another trial and I should have those

finished up!  I do love Wag It Games…so nice to have my very special own distinction

as a “Heart Dog” – meaning, I don’t have to do those stinkin’ S-I-T-S if I don’t wanna!

Because I’m a 3 legger, I am judged only against myself – not with other dogs.  I can

still earn titles in the program!  So cool 🙂

This photo isn’t a new one but it is of me doing Wag It Games No Need for Speed class –

one of the obstacles called the “270”…passing thru all 4 hoops making a 270 degree pattern.

Wag It Games

Well, guess that is all from this neck of the woods!

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

 

 

 

 

Just showin’ off my tricks…still winter here!

Just another winter blog update…nothing new really…just me being silly!  My Mom loves to see me being silly 🙂

It’s been a pretty good winter….lots of walking lately…I have been doing pretty well with handling daily walks…if I get a little tired after a longer walk, Mom just shortens up my walks the next day or so…so at least I still get a walk in, just shorter..

We are working on some training stuff for an upcoming Wag It Games trial at the end of the month though!  One game is called “Sniff It”…and man, am I rocking that training right now!  Great fun using my nose to find the food scented containers!  And what dog wouldn’t love this!  🙂

So, next update may be a little more exciting of me doing Wag It Games..

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie

 

 

Just a winter time check in…

Hey all,

It’s STILL winter in Northern Maine…will it ever end?! Here’s a few photo’s of who else but starring ME! Of course! 🙂

Our Winter Walking Trails…pretty huh?

 

Hey Mom!

 

 

I can run fast! And with a smile on my face!

And here’s just a little video of me…doin’ nothing too important…tried to find a stick but they were too far off the trail to get a hold of. My Mom made another video of me but it just won’t load(stoopid youtube!) and geez, I even did my “Spins and twists” for you, Karen! Boo-hoo…I was showing off for ya’…well, maybe Mom will get it loaded eventually!

And one more photo – my Papa was making fun of me tonight…

Papa, stop picking on me…it’s YOU that needs glasses not me!

Well, that’s all from this neck of the woods!

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin!

Maggie