Update

Well I have been bad, but nothing big has happened so havent really needed to update. I missed one MAYBE two more doses since my last update, but I switched to AM dosing which works better for my memory, plus if I forget I'll remember later and can give it a little late instead of forgetting until the next morning. :P

So she is off rimadyl now but Im not confident her pain is totally gone yet.. I dunno. She hasn't cried in like 10 days but Im still nervous. Im trying to just very slowly get her active again. We had a brief play session 2 days ago, I kicked a kong around the yard in shorter distances, and for not very long, and she seems fine so far. Something just feels different this time compared to the last few times I had to use rimadyl. I dont really remember ever having to slowly build back up, nor do I recall not playing for too many days in a row after starting the rimadyl... I just really hope I dont need to get her xrayed. The stress of a vet visit is just too much to imagine right now. I guess thats what xanax is for! We'll see. Im gonna take it slow this week and see how she does. If she's okay we will up the ante the following week, and go from there. I just need to get in the habit of daily play sessions. Its been hard with this yucky weather (rain then COLD), and limited daylight hours..

Everything has been going well otherwise. Zero side effects with the prozac so far, the house is super quiet so none of the dogs have been reactive at all, they play in the yard together, and Royal & Alki wrestle in the house most every day. All is good! I am going to start (this weekend) walking Alki now to gauge her response. I really dont know what to expect... I'd be just a little shocked if she is as spooky as she was when I walked her in my parent's neighborhood right after we moved, because she has been in a good routine for a while now, and in a very low stress environment in our new house the last 3(?) weeks, but if she is, that will be good/important to know. But I fully expect her to be tense and reactive, like she was in Sacramento. And to have better and worse days. I am also curious how she will do since I havent been able to play fetch with her in a couple weeks--historically this has made her worse, but like I say, there just hasn't been anything for her to react to at the new house thus far (except the very brief encounters with the neighbor dogs).

....which brings me to, the neighbor dogs! they have been out while our dogs have been out about 6 or 7 times now. each time, our dogs (Brock & Alki) are noticeably calmer. The neighbor dogs are very reactive, and/or alarm bark-y, (they bark every time our dogs are out when they are, and almost the entire time). Since I havent been able to play with Alki, I havent been able to do our normal D/C thing (play fetch while dogs bark through fence), but despite that she has been doing very well getting used to them. After the 1st encounter, she now will finish pottying before thinking about rushing over to the fence. Her hackles do go up every single time. Because I have been giving the dogs treat EVERY single time I call them in from outside, she is VERY easy to call off the fence now. And there have been a few times now where she hasn't even gone up to the fence to sniff them. And usually she can be called off the fence to finish her duty (usually she goes out, pees, dogs bark, she goes to fence, I call her away, she poops, goes to fence-maybe, I call her in). TODAY, I went out with cheese, the neighbor dogs were out and barking, Alki peed with hackles, I called her to me after she finished and worked on "watch me" & "look at that" for cheese. She did go up to the fence after getting a couple pieces of cheese, I tried to call her which she ignored, so I clicked and she came to me. Did a couple more LAT and from then on she was only focused on me. We went through about 3/4 a stick of string cheese (maybe 8 bites for her) and her hackles had gone down and she was able to go poop. I then called her right in from there. Side note: Brock was whining at the fence but after a few moments "got over it" enough to come get a piece of cheese from me. Then went back to the fence and more quickly came back for more cheese, then left the fence alone. GOOD DOGS! I think I will try to do this each time from now on instead of calling them in right away until the neighbor dogs are gone. (Though another problem is that sometimes the neighbor dogs come out when we are already out and I do not have cheese on me, so Ive started bringing it with me every time. Further complication is that Tony lets the dogs out sometimes too and I have no idea what he does when the neighbor dogs are there, if he has encountered them at all yet. I suspect he would just call everyone in right away--he knows to give cheese every time they come in though.)

Well, I think I might brave a quick walk with Alki, just to see. Then a short fetch session. Or maybe the other way around. Will report back.