Adventures in dog shampoo

So with it being the time of growing things and plant sex it is also the time for allergens, sniffling and sneezy humans, as well as itchy dogs. Menchi we are pretty sure now has some seasonal allergies. She started the spring of with an ear infection and followed it with a skin infection, which of course sent her mucinosis into overdrive... So we are making battle plans. How best to keep her comfortable, healthy, and happy without having to resort to things like steroids (the side effects worry me way too much)...

We have are going for an approach from several directions...starting with one thing at a time. One of the first things we did is to see Dr. Jody for the mucinosis and skin health. Dr. Jody made dietary recommendations that we are implementing and prescribed a Chinese herbal formula.

The results of that is that her skin seems to be slowly calming down...but there is still some mucin overproduction happening.

One of the other things we are doing is that I have plotted to make our own dog shampoo. Sabe and myself have been using home made shampoo with Castile soap for over a year now, and we have been very happy with the results. So I thought why not try to make some for the dogs too.

I researched essential oils that are good for skin health to add to Menchi's personal formula.

We started with our first batch of shampoo a couple of weeks ago.

The first batch was:

3 cups of water
1/4 cup of organic apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons of Castile soap (Dr Bronners)
A sprig of rosemary
1 tablespoon of Coconut oil
A few drops each of the following essential oils: German Chamomile, Geranium, Cedar wood, Naiouli, Lavender.

You start by boiling the water and steeping the rosemary in it. When it cools you add the other ingredients. I recommend adding the coconut oil before the rosemary water cools too much though. The ACV will help balance the pH.

This version did not lather up as well as I would have liked...but it left both dogs clean and fresh. Menchi's skin responded amazingly...any redness she had faded and the trouble areas in under her front legs by her chest where there has always been some skin discoloration are almost completely pink rather than grayish.

I had enough shampoo for two full baths for each dog. Menchi is getting the weekly spa treatment.
This week I have made more shampoo and adjusted the soap content to 4 oz in 2 cups of rosemary water. I kept the rest of to formula the same.

I got much better lather with the increase in soap content...

We will continue with weekly baths of the new formula for the next month or so and see what changes in her skin can be observed.

On to some pictures...

The cast of characters...

Close up of the essential oils...

Now to chronicle the humiliation...

Woe...

Why...why is this happening...

Disgusted...

All soaped up and filled with more woe...

Post rinse sadness...

Rubdowns with towels are fun at least...

I hate you all!!!

The Chicago Land Edition

So this last Saturday it was time for our annual meetup with other crazy dog people we met over the internet...more specifically people that I met through Chaz. This was our third year running and we had quite the turn out. There were 11 humans and 13 dogs present this time.

Unfortunately I managed to catch a cold and was sick the entire weekend...I am still trying to get rid of the plague as we speak in fact.

The other fly in the ointment was that it rained pretty much the entire time of our dog park trip. Only one brave soul broke out her camera to get a few pictures, and Watson managed to avoid having his presence documented completely.

We did have an awesome breakfast/brunch with everyone though...that alone would have been worth the trip. It was that delicious :)

I took a few pictures of the aftermath or the hike at the hotel room... so that is all I really have of this year's Chaz festivities.

There is always next year though :)

On the bed after a good rubdown with a warm towel.

The sandman cometh...

...and she is out...

ZZZZZZZZZ...

This couch matches my coloring...

Self appointed door guard...

Moar naps...

Watson watches the world go by...

Enough with the pictures already....

How can I stop when he is so handsome?

An update on the state of affairs...

So the last time I wrote Menchi was experiencing some trials and tribulations. I am sad to say the ordeals are not over yet. We had another trip to the vet at the end of last week. The poor girly has an infection... in sad, unmentionable places. Inflamed anal glands are no fun!

We are thinking that there are some seasonal allergies behind this one, especially since she also had a recent ear infection. So battle plans are being made on how to best keep the allergy beast at bay in the future while we treat this current inconvenience.

Along with all of that she is having a good moult and of course having a bout of mucinosis because of the infection. She looks like a little, plucked chicken in some areas.

At least she seems to well on the road to recovery from her recent back issues. As far as that goes she is back to her bouncy self so much that we have to at time slow her down before she injures herself all over again.

We had gotten some new lure coursing leads for the dogs, since before Miss Menchi got sick we were supposed to head to a trial in Iowa. The pieces arrived and are just stunning. I ordered them from Sexy Beast Dog Collars. I received stellar service and as I said the products are amazing.

At the vet... Dr Jody took this picture...there were treats involved.

The new bling...I do not think the mere picture does them justice!

The other creature that lives in our house...

Upside down...

What?

Menchi's Month of Yuck!

April has not been a good month for the little Pei Goddess.

First there was an ear infection...something that reared it's ugly head last year around exactly this time as well. So we are considering the possibility of seasonal allergies.

Then there were tummy troubles. Which of course meant a vet visit, a shot, fluids because she was a little dehydrated from vomiting, and 24 hours of fasting before starting back on bland foods.

Then the very next day after that vet visit she found herself at the emergency vet. At first we thought she had taken a turn for the worse with her stomach trouble, but as it turned out what laid her low was something separate and different from the initial illness. She somehow between one vet visit and me returning home from work the next day managed to hurt herself seriously enough to be immobile with the pain. The pain as far as an exam revealed at the vet was somewhere in her back and bad enough to cause her to limp and shiver. X-rays were taken and showed a beautiful set of hips and a normal spine... the surgeon was consulted and said the X-rays were clean. Menchi went home doped up on morphine and with a script of pain medication.

She is convalescing now. She is better today...eating, moving (sometimes a little gingerly), and taking more of an interest in things. She is taking pain medication and is under orders to rest.

We had entered a Lure Coursing Trial and CAT this upcoming weekend...but that is now a no go! The Shar Pei is broken until further notice.

The diagnosis for the moment is soft tissue injury somewhere along her lower back... if she should take a turn for the worse or stop improving we return to the vet yet again.

Send the poor girly some well wishes...she could really use them :) This whole thing was pretty scary for all of us. The specter of Shar Pei Fever was mentioned and considered...but she never had a fever or any swelling of her joints, which is a pretty typical symptom of that particular syndrome.

I leave you guys with this...

This Shar Pei is not amused!

Picture Time: Saturday Evening Outing

It is Easter weekend and the weather is kind. So we headed off to the park and let the Curly Tails run amok.

Dog Council meeting...

The derp was strong with this one. Watson and this big lab had quite the game of chase...

She is coming for him...he is not yet aware...

Once he realizes the game is afoot...

This is what happens when she catches him...

Battle is engaged...

Stand off...

This is...

...the last thing you see...

I liked the evening sunlight on her...

This is the sight of Watson I capture most often...

Picture Time: Puppy Match Edition

This Saturday I spend time hanging out at the Basenji Clubs annual Puppy Match. It is where the pups get their first chance to go into the ring and strut their stuff.

Sabrina's puppies where in attendance, even little Abbott was there with his new owners. He has them firmly wrapped around his tiny paws.

Other than basenjis everywhere, there were a couple of fluffy Afghan pups, several sweet, pointy whippets, a handsome Rhodesian ridgeback, and even a lovely Irish Wolfhound present.

I only got a few pictures. The lighting was not that awesome...

Playtime

This is Miss Kimber of New World Basenjis...she was a little sassy thing.

Miss Irma

Miss Elsa

Franklin says look at me!

Elsa won all the things...

Puppy containment...

Siblings make the best pillows!

Picture Time: The Spring is coming Edition

It is finally happening here in WI...Spring is is coming. Beginning last week the temperatures went up. So we waited for things to melt off a little and this weekend we headed out to soak up some sun and fresh air.

It was time to exorcise the Curly Tails' winter demons...

We also decided to explore yet another dog park we had not visited in the area. This time we choose Indian Lake Dog Area. It is beautiful...the main downside I saw is that it is not fenced and gated, and the parking lot is close to the road. This means leash up the dogs a ways before getting back to the car.

I will start with just some pictures of the park that I took and then move on to the documentation of the exorcism ritual :)

She found some mud to roll in...she was thrilled!

Yep, this is the dog that would not go near any body of water to save her life as a puppy...

Shar Pei on a bridge

Basenji on a bridge...

I wish this shot was focused...

She is going to get him...

Bonus Frenchie...we ran into this little guy and I snapped a quick photo.