Cajsa update~ and stuff!

[April]

WE went to the vet today and she got her stitches out.  Dr. P was very pleased with her and she gave kisses to everyone.  She is wagging her tail and standing very well now.  Last night/this morning she actully took a few wobbly steps on her own before sitting down.  She is getting back to her old self and trying to go all over the place - although she is still confined or in a lap at all times.  So her spunk is coming through loud and clear much to everyone's entertainment.   

Yesterday and today I've been home with Elf so the furkids have been getting extra attentions during the day.  Elf is finally over her tummy bug so she will be going back to daycare tomorrow and I will be going back to work and the furkids will be back to the normal routine once again.  I'm hoping for a couple of things - 1. Cajsa continues to improve and 2. Gretchen starts using the pee pads!  Today while I was gone I put Gretchen in Cajsa's confined area with her bed and a food bowl and a pee pad.  (She spilled all her water immediately and I was only going to be gone a little over an hour so I didn't replace it.)  She is refusing to use the pee pads or even the litter box since I haven't put litter in it only a pee pad.  I'm needing them both to use pee pads since Cajsa can't really climb in/out of the potty box and will try with everything in her to get in the pottybox to potty if she sees it.  Gretchen will go everywhere BUT the pee pads.    I'm hoping Gretch "gets it" sooner rather than later because I don't like keeping her confined like that but if I can't watch her I have to do something to keep her from pottying inappropriately.  Cajsa is getting better about it although she would much rather go in her box than on a flat pad. 

OK rant over.  Sorry for going on so long.  The short version is that everyone is getting better here although there are a few kinks still needing to be worked out.  Cajsa is improving leaps and bounds and that makes me happy and nervous at the same time!

[Barb]

Excellent news that bat girl is doing better, Elf is over her sickness and soon things will get back to normal.

My Brandy will not go on a pp pad either.   Although we have a doggy door that is available at night, with the back patio light on - she won't go out of she needs to go.  They both go right before bed and normally Rudy can go through the night.  Brandy will normally get up and poop once and pp once.  She has NEVER pooped on a pad, but she does do it on the kitchen floor - very easy to clean up.  I put a pp pad out, but she prefers to go pp on one of the 2 throw rugs in the kitchen.  Not sure why....but I have just gotten to where I throw the rug in the washer in the mornings and go on. 

Wonder if you put just a cheap throw rug out, if Gretchen would use that?   Not sure what it is about a ppd pad.  I know Patty uses some kind of pad that she washes daily.   Maybe they just want to be sure that we go that extra mile for them by having to wash something extra !!!!  HA !!!  I don't know.     I could get up with Brandy at night - but to be honest - sometimes I don't feel her get up - it is when she is coming back that she barks a little so I will lift the covers.  We have the ramp - so I don't worry about her hurting herself if she gets up.  I know your issue isn't at night - but I just wonder if Gretchen and maybe Cajsa would use a throw rug and then you could have a couple to rotate.  I use a very cheap one from Walmart or wherever.

Hang in there !

[Roberta]

Since Emma passed on ms Amy has about one day a week where we don't "want to go outside" maybe the raspberry to you mumsy. but as Barb says a cotton mat is easily cleaned,  I bought apack of piddle pads and it seems to have shocked her into going outside, treating her like a PUP.
another thing if you use piddle pads search out bed pads, I was looking for something for work in a catalogue and found that these same size as piddle pad I paid $20 aust for 7 you could buy 90 for $27 dollars.
Roberta
ps glad to hear missie is on themend.

[MindyKay]

Happy to hear things are getting back to normal, or as "normal" a household can be with dachshunds and a little one!

Ozzy uses pee pads at night, but there is only one type of pee pad he will go on!

[April]

There actually is an area where they will both go only it's on carpet. (We are planning on having the carpet torn up and something else put down as soon as David and I can agree on what!)  Gretchen will use my nice kitchen rug under the table and it's not one I can just throw in the washer because it's pretty big.  I would be happy if she would simply pick one of the throw rugs in the kitchen that I was at least once a week already (so everyday wouldn't really be that big a deal) but she won't use those it has to be carpet or the big area rug. 
I left both girls confined to a small area today.  They are seperate but have a bed, food/water and a potty area with them.  I am seriously hoping that they go on the potty pads.  Gretchen has one of the washable ones like Patty uses with her pack and Cajsa has a disposable one since I wasn't sure how they would take to the washable ones.  Here's hoping the girls will get it and I can stop treating them like tiny puppies!  I feel awful about it but I don't know how else to teach them. 

[Barb]

That IS the only way you can teach them -  a pain in the *ss for you... !   Like teaching them to go outside....teaching them to use the pp pad is the same thing...repitition and reward !

Confining them both is a good idea - and maybe this is their routine even when Cajsa get back to herself 100%.

Did the vet give you excercises to do with Cajsa's back legs?

[April]

I'm trying.  I just hope Gretchen (and Cajsa too!) decide that the potty pads are OK to go on sooner rather than later. 

As far as Cajsa's therapy goes, she is supposed to be encouraged to stand several times a day and her legs should be "excercised" for a few minutes several times a day.  She has started walking  a few steps and that's OK for her to do as long as she doesn't overdo it.  So far she will take 3-4 wobbly steps then shake out and end up sitting down.  When that happens she looks at me like "what happened mama?"  It's too funny to see that expression on her face!  She hasn't made the connection with shaking out=sitting down and she's not steady enough to hold herself upright when she shakes. 

She climbed out of her bed this morning in the bathroom and made her way over to the tub where I was showering (it was a bout 2 feet) so she could lick my hand.  It was too sweet. 

[Krista]

Glad to hear Cajsa is improving!  That is great news!

Hope the PP situation improves too.

[Etta21]

 :apls: Good to here that Cajsa is doing better.

I have an issue with Bishop using the litter box. He is great on the pee pads, I buy the big blue box "Economy" pp pads and that is the only pads that he will use. I tried that nasty smelling spray and 10 different types of litter and he turned tail and ran out of the litter box everytime. He goes potty outside too but only when we are over at my parents. I think that I am going to try something "new", Gabe and I built (at our old apartment before we had Bish) a "potty box" but it didnt have the high sides it was made of ply wood and 2x4s we build it for our roommate's dogs a Eng. Bulldog (100x more stubborn than a Dox, sweet as pie) and a Cocker Spaniel (who if you looked at her she would pee every where not to mention when they would play all over the couch) so they would stop peeing all over our apartment (we only lived there for 6 mons- our roomie never NEVER cleaned up after their dogs. And both were puppies our carpet in the six months that we lived there went from Brand new Beige Burber to BLACK  and (very gross) the Bulldog would wipe his rear on the nice white walls. Poor boy I felt bad for him I wanted to steal him when we moved out b/c out roomies never paid any attention to him didnt train him when they would brush him they used a brush for long hair dogs (one of those spiky kind). Didnt even leave enough water and shade out for them during the summer on out patio.

Have you tried (my in-laws do this with their Maltese -Pookie) like astroturf or that "real" looking fake grass? Good luck with Gretchen and  and kisses for miss Cajsa.

[Kari]

I'm glad to hear that she is improving  Penny goes outside, so I don't think I will be much help on the pad training ...Sorry!

[April]

Cajsa isn't fond of grass to be honest.  She is stubborn.  Gretchen will go nearly anywhere but where I want!  She will potty outside if I take her out on a leash, but I can't do that during the day while I'm at work and it would be nearly impossible to do it at night because of Elf and Cajsa's sleeping arrangement.  I'm thinking I may try putting one of her "potty rugs" over/under a pee pad to see if that will help her.  If she doesn't pee on the pad while I"m gone today I"ll definitely try it tomorrow.

[Nikki]

Glad to hear she is doing better.  I know what you are going through.  It gets better and then will come the day when she is running around and wanting to jump and it will scare the **** out of you 'cause you don't want her to get hurt again.  As far as the PP pads, I don't use thosem but I have purchased several baby blankets that I put in the kitchen (where they are baby-gated while I am at work) and I just throw them in the wash every night.  Good luck and I am sure you will find something that works for your girls. 

[April]

Glad to hear she is doing better. I know what you are going through. It gets better and then will come the day when she is running around and wanting to jump and it will scare the **** out of you 'cause you don't want her to get hurt again. As far as the PP pads, I don't use thosem but I have purchased several baby blankets that I put in the kitchen (where they are baby-gated while I am at work) and I just throw them in the wash every night. Good luck and I am sure you will find something that works for your girls.

She has already tried to jump off the bed!  She couldn't even stand up on her own and she was trying to launch off the big bed.  Thankfully David caught her or we'd be in trouble!  She tried to put her front feet up on the side of the tub this morning while I was showering but thought better of it very quickly she just sort of raised both front feet then immediately put them back down.  IT scared me and I didnt' have time to say "no" before she calmly laid down again.  I loved on her and she seemed happy with that.  THis dog knows nothing about restraint sometimes.  She is always on "GO GO GO!" unless she's feeling bad or sleepy!

[Sandishooligans]

Good girl, Cajsa!  Way to go, sweetheart.  And the pee situation?  Well, keep trying.  They'll get it eventually.   

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

I'm so glad that overall she's doing better! I am sure she'll get the PP thing down soon, which will make your life easier and I'm sure any less stress is very welcome for you about now. I can imagine your panic when she almost jumped off the bed...they can be so quick! She sounds like such a sweetheart, thanks for the update, keep them coming.