[nagdu] Bailey's Latest--bathing, weight, etc.

[Doug Parisian]

Well, bathing is much easier if you have one of those hand-held showers.  My 
last dog particularly liked my water Pik which has seven different head 
settings for sharp spray, fine spray, and several Massage pulsing settings. 
It actually feels great on this human as well.

I find the best way to prevent slipping if you're using a tup is to place a 
towel in the bottom; crazy glue is not recommended.

I once had a yellow lab who would attempt most strenuously to join me in the 
tub.  That same little Miss Crazy was absolutely in sane about swimming and 
on her own, kept close guard of me at the beach.  I truly lose orientation 
in the water; all I had to do was the dead man's float to be assured of a 
tow into shore.  The only problem with her was that she would then attempt 
to rescue every other swimmer, including those in canoes if I didn't 
restrain Miss Madness.

Doug: splish splash I was taking a bath!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Hooper" <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
To: "NFB-NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 5:05 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Bailey's Latest--bathing, weight, etc.


> Hello all:
>
> I recently returned from a vet visit and was hoping to share the results 
> of my relentless inquiries. It seems as though Bailey's weight jumped from 
> around 31 kg to about 35 KG since the last visit two months ago. This 
> despite my frequent checks of his body condition. The vet didn't seem to 
> notice any overt physical changes in his appearance, but we both thought 
> it a good idea to cut back on the food. Annova Evo is very calorie-dense 
> and dispenses with many ingredients that might hinder or stop the 
> processing of certain nutrients. I was told to start by removing ten 
> percent of his food intake. So, instead of a cup and a half, I half to 
> find a way to remove 3/20 of a cup of food from his daily meals. After 
> doing the math, I came to the conclusion that instead of his usual 90/60 
> cups of food a meal, he would need 81/60 cups. If I gave him 1-1/3 cups of 
> food per meal, this would equal 80/60 of a cup, thus closest (to within 
> 1/60 of a cup) I can get to a perfect mathematical solution.
> Note that I am not that invested in the numbers-I just had a long time to 
> wait in the lobby before being checked out.
> Another topic I discussed was dog bathing-this is something to which I 
> have never been a party. Many family members encouraged me to find a place 
> that would do it for me. I object to this for many reasons (all of which 
> my vet supported and understood). Firstly, many such places are prone to 
> outbreaks of kennel cough, skin infections, improper technique, etc. 
> Secondly, Bailey is a service animal, so I require a higher degree of 
> control-that is, I am loathed to give up my dog to anyone else who does 
> not know how to handle, treat, etc. him. Thirdly, I am one of those 
> "annoying dog Nazis"-that is, I allow very limited interaction between 
> others and my dog. I do not want Bailey to trust others or form bonds with 
> others as he does me. Furthermore, I do not want him to see people as 
> giant petting machines worthy of his attention and thus potential 
> distraction. So, that desire in itself rules out taking him anywhere for 
> bathing purposes.
> Fourthly, I heartily dislike paying for a service that I could just as 
> easily perform myself. Bathing him at home would lessen my inconvenience 
> of having to find transportation to and from a facility, would save me 
> money, etc.
> Now comes my questions regarding bathing. I have done some research about 
> properly bathing dogs at home. I am most worried about the complete 
> rinsing of shampoo-is dog bathing a very daunting task? Bailey hasn't been 
> bathed since I received him in July and he continues not to smell. I 
> regularly groom him, so that should cut down on his odor and dirtiness. I 
> guess my main concern (as it is with most things) is that I'm afraid of 
> not doing it right. If anybody has any assurances, techniques, detailed 
> instructions with schematics and diagrams, etc. to share, I would welcome 
> such.
> I also discussed heart and flea preventatives with my veterinarian, dog 
> anatomy and behavior, and various other such topics. I welcome feedback on 
> all aspects of this message-from its grammatical style to critiques about 
> my personal objections toward taking Bailey to a Dogwash. I look forward 
> to everyone's thoughts and I hope I have provided some brain food on which 
> we can all munch.
> Sincerely,
> Robert Hooper
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
> The Ohio State University
> 0653 Buckeye-Cuyahoga CT
> 653 Cuyahoga Court
> Columbus, Ohio 43210
> (740) 856-8195
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/eggmann%40shaw.ca