101 replies to this topic

[FiveNotions]

FCB, what an asshat !

 

I may have missed this in one of your earlier posts .... why the need for a visit from this "delightful" fellow? Are you out on disability paid by your employer?

 

Is this a job you absolutely must have in order to survive financially? Doesn't sound like a pleasant place to work, or boss to work for, to say the least ...

 

Any chance of permanent disability via the gov like we have here in the US?

[thismoment]

FinallyComingBack

 

I totally agree that many pets totally qualify as consciousnesses with which we can connect! I came across this in my readings on consciousness:

 

"An international group of prominent scientists has signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness in which they are proclaiming their support for the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are — a list of animals that includes all mammals, birds, and even the octopus."

 

I have no doubt that the dogs and cats and ravens I have known are conscious by the most astute definition: they are aware of their surroundings; they know what's happening; they fear; they show compassion; they protect and defend loved ones; they are respectful of the space of others; they won't tolerate chaos; and (. . .  wait for it) . . . they are moral.

 

I subscribe to the notion that the highest ethic to which we may aspire, is to foster the flourishing of all conscious creatures.

 

Take care.

[DoneWithCrap]

Benzo the wonder dog is too good about using his crate

I have crate trained Benzo so that I can housebreak him and for when I'm eating, cooking of need to leave him home alone. The problem is that now he would rather sleep in his crate than sleep beside me. LOL I know this is how he is supposed to use his crate but when I'm ready to go to sleep, he wants to stay in his crate and I'm back to sleep anxiety. 

Once he is completely house broken I will let him sleep in my bed but for now I will just have to watch him sleep...

 

I wonder if this is how my husband feels when I don't sleep with him    

[FiveNotions]

Renee, maybe Benzo would let you join him in his crate?

[DoneWithCrap]

LOL FN my son has already squeezed into the crate and barely fit without Benzo. My son weighs 80 lbs. I'm a bit bigger than that   lol. though that was a good try

[DoneWithCrap]

Benzo didn't like the $65/ 10 lbs of Halo dry organic puppy food that I bought for him so I decided to make my own. He loves it! The first batch only lasted 3 days so I made a huge batch today. 6 lbs of chicken, 5 lbs of ground beef, 6 eggs shell and all, 3 cups of brown rice, 2 lbs of carrots, 1 large yam, 5 small sweet potatoes and 3 cups of frozen peas. It took me all afternoon to cook it and measure it into daily portions and get it into freezer bags. Enough for 12 days. I don't even cook for my family. My kids were excited to see that I was cooking until they heard what I was making 

I said Benzo actually eats what I cook. I think I'm going to regret setting this new standard for my dog but who knows, maybe I can do it every other week as long as the vet says it is a complete diet for him.

Now I'm too tired to make something for myself to eat. It's OK. I'm not hungry anyway.

[TryinginFL]

Renee...

 

I sure hope that Handsome Hound likes it - man, what a dedicated "canine mom" you are - serving him gourmet food!!!  A good anxiety beater for you I'll bet!

[DoneWithCrap]

Yes TFL. I used to enjoy cooking a very long time ago. I don't have the attention span or stamina for it since around the time I started taking Cymbalta. I either forget what I'm doing and bur the food or get half way through and run out of energy and wind up with just meat and no sides or just salad and no meal. I'm tired and in a lot of pain but HE EATS IT!! Unlike my kids. They are too picky to make something they will both eat.

Dogs are so easy to please 

[FiveNotions]

I'm easy to please when it comes to food, too, Renee ... and that recipe sounds yummy to me ... do you ship? I'd be happy to pay!

[DoneWithCrap]

FN I'm glad you like my recipe but sorry, I cook as a labor of love for my dog lol. My kids are on their own and so are you

I would eat it myself if it weren't for the eggs and their shells.

[Limbo]

We have some kittens at the farm, and I have always called them my depression warriors

[DoneWithCrap]

That is great Limbo!

[FiveNotions]

I just love this thread that you started, Renee! "Benzo Tales (Tails?)" ... and now expanding to include the "depression warriors" and all of our various animal companions ... the gift of unconditional love is such a healing grace....

[brzghoff]

i have a cat whose anxiety is worse than mine, the other cat makes up for it ;-)

[TryinginFL]

brz.....

 

Oh my - how can you tell if a cat has anxiety??

[fishinghat]

That's easy TFL, just count the claw marks on the ceiling.  lol

[TryinginFL]

hahahahhahahaha

[DoneWithCrap]

Oh no! poor kitty. We have a cat who has agoraphobia and high anxiety lol. Now that Benzo lives here, she has taken up residence on the second floor. It's OK she has the guest room to herself now that my daughter moved out 

[brzghoff]

brz.....

 

Oh my - how can you tell if a cat has anxiety??

 

she is 15 and as she ages has developed a very wide "vocabulary" which includes an incredibly panicky and demanding meow. i come running to see what's happening and she just looks at me very insistently, but doesn't respond to anything i try and do for her such as feed her, change her water, let her outsde/inside. she just wants to stand there and "complain". i pick her up to give her a little love and she usally just wants down. other times she is very sweet, a lap cat. she doesn't exhibit any pain symptoms either

[TryinginFL]

Poor Kittty!

 

That is a new one on me!  Actually, my 13 yr old Yorkie is similar, but I'm sure it's a mental problem with him - he's been this way all his life!

[thismoment]

The so-called "runts" (don't like that term) of the litter are often the highest strung. They've been bullied since the moment they emerged into the world.

[DoneWithCrap]

IMG_0502.JPG

Trying to post pictures of a few leashes that I have made.

[FiveNotions]

Hey there Renee, just checking in to see how you and Benzo are doing .... let us know, okay?

[DoneWithCrap]

Benzo is doing great!
He started puppy kindergarten last Thursday. My son came to the lesson with me. On our way home he said " Mom, I know where I got my ADHD from". I asked him what he meant. He said every time one of the puppies either moved or made any sound, all three of us (Benzo, Scotty and I) all turned our heads to see what was going on lol.

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I started a new med last week. The side affects for me have been low blood pressure, dizziness, fatigue and trouble concentrating. I also have been retaining so much fluid that I have sausage fingers and spongy legs (pitting edema). I'm expected to be on this for life, I think, to treat my mixed connective tissue disease. The edema is getting better since I have been wearing compression socks but I'm still in a lot of pain.
I go back to my rheumatologist next week.

Seems like another treatment that is causing as many problems as the original reason it was prescribed to treat. I I'll give it more time though. Something has to help because I can't live with this much pain every day.

[FiveNotions]

And yet, Renee, you still managed to take Benzo (and your son), to puppy kindergarten!

[DoneWithCrap]

Yes! I couldn't have gone without my son. He is 14 years old and talks constantly. He helps keep me grounded and in the present.

[DoneWithCrap]

You may know that I adopted my puppy, Benzo, because my daughter moved back home for 4 months with her dog then moved back out leaving my heartbroken. (more so about the dog moving out rather than my daughter moving out)
Well last week my daughter and my grandpuppy, Spaghetti, came up to visit. She took him up an escalator and he got his paw stuck and cut it pretty badly. I took him to the vet and had him patched up.
My daughter is living in a tent in the middle of the woods (by choice as she could live here if she chose to do so). The bandage on Spaghetti's paw needs to be clean and dry at all times and it needs to be changed by the vet every few days.
Guess who is taking care of him while my daughter, his mommy, is out partying in the woods?
At least Benzo and Spaghetti get along most of the time.
It really pisses me off that she is just going to take him back from me when his paw is better. I just get to pay the vet bills.

[TryinginFL]

Awwwww, Renee...

 

So sorry to hear of Spaghetti's accident - so sad, but I know that you and Benzo are taking great care of him!  (Your daughter living in a tent in the woods? )

 

Enjoy both the pups while you can!

 

Is your pain becoming more manageable?  New med finally helping? 

 

How are you doing on the discontinuation trip?  Please let us know if we can be of any help!  We love hearing from you - it's been a while!

 

Liz  

[DoneWithCrap]

Thank you Liz.
I have been feeling better since I started a new Rx last month but need to stop taking it due to a possible allergic reaction (itchy rash).
I'm down to 12 beads of crapalta which is just around 2 mg. I'm dropping a bead a day and expect to be off in 12 days. I have had enough of this tapering business.

[TryinginFL]

I wish you the best, Renee!  Congratulations on doing such a great job with the weaning!

 

I hope it will not be too rough when you finally stop...    Those who have gotten to that point say that is when it is the hardest - good luck!!

 

Please keep us posted!