Winter hit us full swing this week and it’s been absolutely frigid outside. My Pop has been keeping the duration of my walks to a minimum, which I’m cool with because it means I get my post-walk treat that much sooner.
But being cooped up inside can drive a pug a little stir crazy. I’ve already completely emptied out my toy box, checked to make sure the fridge door wasn’t left open (twice), barked wildly at the garbage truck in the alley, rubbed my face on all the piles of clean clothes or pillows I could find, tried to hike my bed through my legs, and killed about six squeakers. I’m running out of ideas, people.
Sid and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We were lucky enough to have a four-day weekend so the two of us journeyed to my parent’s house in the suburbs.
Where is the turkey I was promised?
It’s amazing how spread out everything is once you leave the city. Sid enjoyed all the new smells, the ample supply of shrubs to pee upon, and all the toys that he commandeered from his canine cousins, Sweetie and Ellie.
He even got to eat a few bites of turkey and thankfully it did not exacerbate his allergies. I don’t know if he actually got a chance to really taste the flavor of the turkey though as the pieces instantly slid down his throat in the same manner that a fish slides down a penguin’s gullet. I told him to “enjoy” and “savor” this special treat but I think my message went in one floppy ear and out the other.
What special treats or snacks did you all get to eat this Thanksgiving?
Thank you all for your positive comments and support! I actually took Sid to a brand vet on Friday and I left with a very good feeling about our visit. The vet said that Sid looked really good, his blood levels were all normal, and also to not worry about the dose of prednisone I have been using to handle Sid’s allergies as it is very low. She does not suspect a dose that low would not have any bad long-term effects, which was a huge relief for me to hear. So Sid’s back on his low dose of pred, he’s been de-coned, and (thank goodness) isn’t scratching his face off anymore.
So, in addition to taking the vet’s advice, I also took the idea that many of you had suggested in the comments and addressed Sid’s baby carrot deficiency with the following:
After the smoke that puffed out from his ears dissipated from the room, I saw the plate – now completely empty – slowly whir to a stop. And then I found Sid passed-out in this position nearby:
It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and he’s already got a case of severe food coma!
As most of you know, Sid’s severe allergies to mother earth make him the ultimate bubble-dog. We’ve tried elimination diets, Atopica, OTC medications (Benadryl, Zyrtec, etc.), (very expensive) skin allergy tests, (also very expensive) allergy shots, t-shirts, medicated shampoos, soothing sprays and lotions, and though all that the one thing that seems to work the best is prednisone (or prednisolone). I know that it’s not ideal to take a steroid long-term (remember CARL and his friends?!), but I also want Sid to have a comfortable life. When he’s been on the prednisone, the dose is very small and he only gets it every other day. It allows him to lead an itch-free existence and he can put the energy he would have expended on scratching to better use (e.g. pulling all his toys out and scattering them over the whole apartment).
First, the good news: Sid’s been off his low every-other-day prenisone routine for almost two months! He’s definitely been on the itchier side but it doesn’t seem to disrupt his normal pug activities (i.e. eating, sleeping, and staring at me until I give him treats).
The bad news: his allergies have started flaring up lately and he has scratched a few raw spots on his (adorable) face. It’s nothing major, I just don’t want him to scratch any more of the raw spots, which has led to the following…
PROGNOSIS: Cone head for the rest of the week. Sorry, little buddy!
Sid is going to hate me for posting this, but I think you all need to get the FULL STORY about Sid. At Pug Slope, we strive for HONESTY. Sid’s not always the calm, chilled-out dude he purports to be.
So, today I present another side of Sid. A side that makes an appearance every day precisely at noon – when I prepare his favorite lunchtime treat.
Thank you all for your concerns regarding Sid and his recent baby carrot deficiency. Lucky for him the grocery store was open and we restocked our B.C. supply with haste. Sid was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I responded to his demands.
Speaking of surprise, both of us were stupefied by the sudden arrival of a certain fluffy, white, cold visitor.
Yep. Just when we got our masthead all up to speed with an Autumn theme, in rolls the blizzard. Well, not quite a blizzard like the one back in 2010, but it was enough to get poor Sid shivering!
I guess his t-shirt alone wasn’t cutting it. Time to break out the fleece!
PUG SLOPE chronicles the adventures of a pug named Sid as he navigates his way through the world. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, started the blog in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and is currently calling Chicago, Illinois his home.
