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

[Steven Johnson]

Although what you say is true, I did notice that a friend of mine, who was
just issued a guide back in late May, was gaining weight.  I don't see them
everyday, but did notice that I was no longer to feel the ribs as easily.
The dog was issued at 48 lbs, and about 2 weeks ago, had a weigh-in at about
55.  I honestly believe that having an outside perspective may sometimes be
valuable.  
Now on the other hand, I have my guide's diet down just right.  She was
issued at 55, and is at 52 now, and has not gained or lost significant
weight since issue which will be 4 years coming up in a few months.

JMO,

Steve



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2012 8:06 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Bailey's Latest--bathing, weight, etc.

Hi Robert.
Like Julie J, I wondered if the vet's scale was off.  Not all scales are the
same.  The scale at TSE says Ben weighs 5 pounds more than my vet's scale
says he does.

I use the same method as Julie J, only I use the shower, and use a large cup
to get the places the shower doesn't reach.  But I am a strong believer in
not washing the dog unless there's a good reason to do it. 
It's just not that much fun.  If he's not dirty or smelly, no bath required,
IMO.  Ben hasn't had a bath in years, and he's clean and odor-free.
The part I hate most about bathing the dog is the fur that gets in the tub.
I worry about clogging up the drain, which isn't so great.
HTH.
Tracy

> 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 solut  ion. 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/carcione%40access.n
> et
>



_______________________________________________
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/blinddog3%40charter.net