Who is this Dog?

This is Flash, a beagle-bassett mix. From this angle, he looks like Guppy. Old Gup passed away in May of 2007.

Guppy's mom was a beagle-bassett mix and I believe his dad was a German Shepherd. I never met his dad but Guppy's fur looked like a shepherd's. See Guppy here.

Dog's Identity Stolen?

We received two "Data Breach Notification" letters yesterday from the Virginia Department of Health Professions. One was addressed to "Parents of" followed by Frank's name and the other to "Parents of" followed by Guppy's name. Now, Guppy was my dog who died 2 years ago. I assume that he got in the database because he was once prescribed a seizure medication, but the letter alludes to possible theft of his social security number. If he had one,he never told me about it! 

The letter goes on to suggest that we monitor his credit report and watch for signs of identity theft. I cannot imagine anyone trying to pass himself off as Guppy. (Well, maybe Flash!)

WJLA News on the Data Breach

Return of Seizures

My old dog Guppy is back on phenobarbital for seizures. He had two seizures yesterday, and the second one was rather severe. He fell over on his side and started shaking uncontrollably. After it was over he acted disoriented for a while and finally was able to get back up. I called the vet this morning and he prescribed the medication.

Gup took phenobarbital before but his seizures then took a different form, basically compelling him to dash around frantically eating lint and plants and even small objects. After a number of successful months on the medication, I weaned him off it, instead not feeding him any "Greenies" or chicken. This worked well for a long time (about a year). I based that approach on reports that dogs were swallowing the green chew-snacks without chewing them, and one book that said some people suffer seizures after eating chicken or eggs.

Lately my dog-feeding routine has been complicated because his buddy Ben gets sick after eating many different dog foods (and many human foods too). The only foods that I'm sure don't make Ben sick are hyper-allergenic kibble made with duck and potato, goat milk, eggs, and chicken. So I was buying a different dog food for each dog. Then Guppy lost his appetite for his lamb-based dog foods and was losing weight. He does not lick the duck and potato kibble - frankly I don't blame him. Yesterday I decided to give him a little piece of chicken to see if he tolerated it. He loved the taste but later in the day he had seizures. This could be a coincidence but he won't get chicken from me again.

Tonight Guppy seems okay but he keeps hiding in different places. Perhaps the seizures frightened him and he wants the security of shelter. Right now he is sleeping in a small spot between a chair and a wall.

Click for Seizure Disorder in Pets article.

Snopes report on Greenies

Update on Flash

Flash with Toy (After Tearing the Stuffing Out)

Flash (also called Barney or Little Guy) is doing well. He is still on a low dose of seizure-preventing medication although he hasn't had a seizure since February.

It's possible that his seizures were brought on by a reaction to eating chicken. This was certainly the case with Guppy, who like Flash was a beagle-basset mix. I don't know whether Guppy was allergic to chicken or whether he was affected by "malvin," a natural substance found in chicken, eggs, and certain fruits. The late Hulda Clark wrote that some people have seizures after consuming malvin. It was this claim that gave me the idea to take Guppy off dog food made from chicken, and the results were positive. So with that in mind, I don't feed Flash chicken either.

Earlier Post: Video of Flash and Toy Hedgehog

Farewell to a good dog

My dog Guppy has gone on to doggy heaven. He was fifteen. We will really miss him.

Before he departed he slept almost all day. The vet said his white blood cell count went higher instead of lower in spite of the antibiotics. When I tried to rouse Guppy this afternoon, he barely opened his eyes, lifted his head slightly, and gave just one small wag of his tail. Then he went back to sleep.

Now he has gone and he is released from his health burdens and declining strength. Guppy, thank you for all the years of companionship and for being such a great dog. We love you.

A reprieve for Guppy!

Guppy will not go in for surgery tomorrow after all. The skin tag that was so inflamed has shrunk back down to a fraction of its former self, almost invisible now. The vet said this indicates that it was probably infected, perhaps from an abrasion, and has healed.
Yay Guppy!

Doggy Surgery

My dog Guppy has had a "skin tag" on his right thigh for years. It did not bother him until this week. You can see it in the picture just above the leash.

Two days ago it swelled up and started to bleed a little. So yesterday we took him to the vet. He recommends removing it and having it biopsied to see if it is malignant. Since it is bleeding, I don't see much choice. So Guppy is scheduled for surgery next Tuesday.

There's a slight risk because Guppy has a heart murmur and is 14 years old, which is considered elderly for a dog. Still, he's pretty strong and energetic. Dr. Costen prescribed an antiobiotic for us to give him 3 days ahead of surgery. And I've ordered a pet supplement from VRP for nutritional support.

Guppy Fears the Stairs

My dog Guppy has a problem. He is afraid of the steps going down from the deck to the yard, and he is even afraid to go down the doggy ramp. I think it's because a cataract clouds one eye so he can no longer judge distance and depth. He has fallen on the steps several times and when we get him on the ramp, he tends to leap and tumble. I worry that he will get hurt.

We have tried various approaches. I've tried a couple different halters thinking that I would have better control of him. I've tried bribing him with treats, and Frank and I have tried pushing, pulling, and blocking him. Nothing works.

The other day he got away from me twice! In the morning, I used a new halter on him and was able to get him down the ramp with difficulty. He was very upset and wiggly, and after we were on the ground he wriggled out of the halter and ran across the court, through Don's yard, and into the next yard. It is downhill, however, and to get there he jumped off a retaining wall, about a 3 foot drop. This startled him and he halted in their driveway long enough for me to catch up and put a leash on him. It was only then that I noticed that my left knee was hurting. I must have twisted it a bit running after him.

For his evening walk, I decided to tempt him onto the ramp using pieces of meatloaf. He crept onto it, grabbed the meat, and then made a huge jump so sudden that the leash flew out of my hand. Again he ran off, this time circling around our shed before pausing. I managed to catch him in spite of my sore knee.

At age 14, he is practically deaf and does not hear me when I call. I don't know how long he could survive in the woods with his limited eyesight and poor hearing,

This morning we tried a new vest that has handles so that you can carry your dog like a suitcase. Guppy did not like being carried and wiggled frantically. Frank got him downstairs and walked him without further problem. But tonight we were unable to get the vest back on him because he jumped and twisted and acted like he might bite. So I bribed him onto the ramp using a piece of meatloaf but then he panicked and jumped, hitting the steps. Luckily, he bounces pretty well.

He comes up the ramp just fine. If we don't get the other house, we will have to hire someone to build a long gentle ramp, or maybe a series of steps and landings.

Guppy on the Deck

Guppy is still the best dog I know. He doesn't hear much anymore and he has cataracts but he's been my friend for a long long time.

He was the star of my first website, Guppy the Puppy.

Doggy drugs

Guppy the wonder dog is now on phenobarbital for seizures. He's had a problem with what the vet thinks is a seizure disorder for some time, and on New Year's eve he had a recurrence. He ran around frantically licking the carpet and eating dust, dog hair, and fibers. When I took him outside he ate grass. I wound up putting him in our other dog's crate to keep him from eating anything hazardous, and little Ben slept in as travel crate.

A month ago a similar episode landed Guppy in the animal hospital. He had eaten some very unsuitable material during the night while we were asleep, including a small battery and some foam from his doggy bed. So now he's on medication. I hope this solves the problem.

---

Meanwhile, our cocker spaniel Ben still resists learning advanced social skills. He spends much of his time tied up or confined to a cage because he won't behave. When my sister was here, I let him greet her but he growled at her threateningly. And yesterday I had the idea of letting him run around the house wearing a muzzle so that he wouldn't eat every piece of paper within reach - newspapers are his favorite. Well, he ran around until he knocked over a lamp and then he pulled a sheet of pop paper out of a box, holding it under his chin while he tried to tear it. After that he attacked some decorations in the same way, and finally he got the muzzle off and tried to eat it. So I put him in his crate for a while.

Ben is cute and I feel kind of sorry for him, but we walk him 3 or 4 times a day so he's okay. I wish he would calm down and become a sweet companion like Guppy is.

Guppy is Back at Home

Little Guppy is home and seems to be okay. He spent Tuesday night in the doggy hospital recovering from a painfully over-stuffed tummy. He had eaten some bad things including a piece of cloth that he chewed off his dog bed. He has eaten inappropriate things before but this was the worst.

Unfortunately we don't know why he has these eating fits. It could be a seizure disorder. I'll have to keep a close eye on him.

Guppy is 13 and a really neat dog. He had his own website at http://members.aol.com/pupguppy.

Wayback When

15 Years on the Web

The first website I ever posted was devoted to my dog Guppy. This was in 1997 and of course it was a learning experience. Back then AOL offered free website hosting to members and that's where I put it. Eventually they stopped offering the space and I let the site die. But it still exists on the Internet Archive and I found it using the Wayback Machine by searching for the URL members.aol.com/pupguppy. Here's a clip from the opening page.

You can click on these to see them larger. Here's part of the second page. (The links don't work because this is only a screenshot.)

I've mentioned Guppy on this blog. He's not around anymore but you can see him playing with Benny at Orkney Springs here.

Blog Post #6100

Yes, really! Blogger tells me I have posted six thousand one hundred times on this blog. I've been very dedicated (compulsive?) and will continue to try to post every day, at least for a while. However, I am trying to be a little more relaxed about it so I'm not participating in quite as many linkups. For example, I'm skipping Skywatch Friday today because I have other things I want to share. However, I'm still joining Willy Nilly Friday because I happen to have five images on different topics.

1. It's been a sad news week, and it followed a couple of weeks of worrisome stories about hurricanes and other disasters. 

2. At least Lynn had some good news: She is officially cancer free! She doesn't look happy here because I was intruding with my camera as she tried to complete some paperwork. This is her "Mom-what-are-you-doing" look.

You can see her GoFundMe page. Even after insurance, she has a hefty bill from UVA Hospital. But at least the surgery and radiation were a success.

3. Last weekend I enjoyed an exhibit at The Barns of Rose Hill. The National Park Quilts Exhibit is only there until November 25 but it is excellent. 

4. Here's some advice I want to share with my friends. There are people who seek to divide us, perhaps to "divide and conquer" but more likely to distract us so that we don't stop them as they expand their power.

5. And finally, I realized the other day that I have another online anniversary. I made my first website 20 years ago! I was learning HTML so I created a simple site for my dog Guppy. Eventually the hosting service closed in 2008 and I did not repost the pages. I still remember Guppy though; he was a great dog!

National Dog Day 2023

August 26 is National Dog Day. Although it takes place during the "dog days of Summer," it reminds us to appreciate our canine friends. 

I did not have a dog as a child because my dad had asthma. When my children were young, we got a puppy that I named Spotsy. I did not know much about dogs then, but fortunately he was good-natured. It was much later that Lynn gave me Guppy, a beagle basset mix. He turned out to be a great pet.

Benny the cocker spaniel was a good-looking dog with issues that I never understood. He got along with Guppy but could be easily alarmed. He actually bit me a couple of times.

Flash was another beagle mix. He was a great dog. After he died in 2018, it was four years before I could deal with getting another dog. That’s when my daughters talked to me into getting Charlie.

Here is Charlie this morning. This was before he destroyed that blue collar when he wore it in the car. He still gets upset in the car and chews on things. On a good day, he chews on one of the dog bones or toys that’s there for him.

We celebrated National Dog Day by going to the dog park in Basye. I figured it would be a little bit cooler up there than in the valley. There was a nice breeze. Charlie had fun playing ball. He has learned to bring it back, finally. He does not give it to me, but he drops it near my feet.

The dog park there is next to the library. Folks have been building a “rock snake” in the garden there.

I’ll close with a picture I made this morning using StarryAI. By the way, every day is Dog Day around here.

A video starring Guppy

This little video is the first one Frank took with his digital camera. He did not know whether the video button was working so the results look unprofessional, to put it mildly. But I love remembering how Guppy enjoyed jumping in and out of the river. He would do it over and over.

The locale was a community beach at Glebe Harbor near Montross, Virginia.

Guppy is on antibiotics

I had to cut Guppy's dose of phenobarbital in half because it made him totally groggy. We took him to the vet today and she put him on antibiotics because his white cell count was high. She is very concerned about him. So are we.

Photo taken May 15.

Flash Pictures

Here are two more photos of our guest dog Flash. From the side he reminds me of Guppy, the best dog ever. (See posts about Guppy.)

Guppy the Flying Dog

Guppy has gotten more accepting of my fastening the Lift-N-Aid harness around him. Still, once he feels airborne he acts a bit panicky.

Since he is unable to go down steps without falling and afraid of the little ramp we built him, this harness is the only way we can safely get him down to the ground for his walk. Frank carries him down this way twice a day. Once he reaches the ground he tries to runs in circle until I unfasten the harness.

Snoopy he's not! Well, in a couple of weeks we will move to a house that has just one short step to the ground.

Guppy likes the beach house

My dog Guppy, who is 14, has difficulty with stairs. He really likes the ramp at our house in the Northern Neck because it's easy to climb. I imagine he really doesn't want us to sell this house!

Picture: My Dog in the Car

Guppy was happy to leave the kennel and come home! He and Ben stayed at Seven Bends Kennel while we went to West Virginia. The kennel and veterinary office recently moved to Hisey Avenue in Woodstock. Their new building is all on one floor which is good for Guppy. He is long and short-legged and has problems climbing stairs.