Jetta What Have You Done?

Poor Jetta. Several weeks ago she had a lump cut out of her paw. Earlier this week she chewed off the dressing over her stitches. I didn't think she would do anything like that. Well, she did and when I got her back to the vet, he said it was too late for more stitches. So he wrapped her paw up again and told me to put the dreaded cone on her when I'm not around. Also he said that she now has to stay off her beach for 2-3 weeks. Poor Jetta, she is so good. I put the cone on her and she looked at me like "Gosh, why are you punishing me?" So, I had to reschedule her birthday party and everything for this weekend. At least now Jetta seems to have no pain when walking. I don't trust her to be out of my sight for too long, though. I put a bootie over the dressing. I leave the cone off most of the time now. She will go back next week for the vet to check her paw out again. Now every time I take Bud for a walk, she gives me this look that kills me. Jetta hears us coming back from the beach from several blocks away. She has keen hearing when she wants to.

Another Trip To MY Vet

I have been watching a bump on the top of Jetta's hind paw for several weeks. It started out small,looking like a tick full of blood. I pointed the spot out when the vet plucked a small wart looking like bump off of her eyelid. The vet knows how much Jetta means to me. He's been my vet for 29 years when I came to him with my cats.I love my vet. Doctor Truax is a common sence kind of a guy that got his schooling at UC Davis. He humors me when I worry too, much but has always given solid guidance for my animals. He has a chapter in my book,"Lumpy Bumps." After Jetta's Maste Cell cancer for years I brought her in for every bump I found. We just saw our vet two weeks ago for her eye bump. He says when he sees us in his office again very good naturally, "Denise have you been on bump patrol again?"

We both smiled and we both know that Labs get bumps with age,all dogs get bumps. I guess it's in knowing the difference, from a bad bump,and a good bump. Trust in my vet helps me know that I'm taking the best care of Jetta as she ages. Jetta is moving more slowly with her paw wrapped up in a bandage to keep the wound dry for about 7 days. I just gave her more medication wrapped in ham. Bud was very sad not to get a treat so I gave him a little ham too. After all Jetta has the boo boo. Jetta is sleeping more. I give her extra loving.

Frequently Asked Questions

I wrote this list of questions from all the millions of questions asked of me when I'm in the community with my dogs. I'm most happy to answer those questions. I find myself in grocery stores with people circling around me with these questions. I try to stop for them even when I'm in a hurry. I'm overjoyed by the curiosity I receive from the public - this means that more people can make dogs a larger part of their life. No one plans on having a disability. It's my hope that people living with disabilities will find it calming to know that a canine will be there to help them, and if nothing else, love them.

Q: What does your dog do for you?

A: He gets the phone for me, picks up dropped objects like socks, clothing, utensils, pens, eye glasses and keys. He walks next to me on a leash without pulling me over. When I'm on the ground, he stands still so I can grab his back and use him as a bench. While walking without my walker, the dog has an anchoring effect for me, which helps with my balance.

Q: How long is the training period?

A: 18 Months for full duty. The dog needs strong mature bones to bear the person's weight without it harming the dog.

Q: When can the dog visit with people?

A: When I say the word "Release", the dog knows he's on break and that I'm not depending on his for support. (And then his tail goes crazy!)

Q: How can I get a service dog?

A: Go to a large group like Canines for Independence, or other groups that offer adult service dogs. You can also pick out a calm pup and pay for a trainer that specializes in service dogs, which is what I did. Starting with a pup can be a difficult challenge for a person with a disability, if that person has to be the puppy raiser. You can try to pick up a puppy that seems to have the right temperament, however you won't know definitely if the pup will become a good service dog until well into the second year.

Q: When does a dog get too old to work and what happens then?

A: That depends on what the dog's job is. For example, Jetta can still come with me to appointments. She walks next to me but can't do any weight-bearing tasks like helping me to stand up. Jetta is slowing down and getting tired; she still loves to work but also enjoys being lazy. Because she is my dog, Jetta stays with me for the rest of her life. With guide dogs, sometimes the person can keep the old dog but sometimes that's not possible. If your dog does not pass the tests to be come a working dog or is retiring from service, there is a long list of people waiting to adopt them.

Q: Who qualifies for a service dog?

A: Anyone with a disability that has a doctor's note stating that a service dog would make their life safer.

Q: What different types of Service Dogs are there?

A: Guide dogs, Seizure dogs, Hearing dogs, dogs for stress disorders, dogs for returning war vets with post traumatic stress disorders.

Jetta Goes to Her Vet

JETTA GOES TO HER VET

I noticed a little spot that looked like a wart under Jetta’s eyelid – I’m always expecting the worst, like “Oh my God, she’s going blind”!. I do this because once Jetta had a little cancerous bump that had to be removed, it was called a maste cell. I took her to the vet and also took Bud for his monthly weigh-in. She walked in like a good service dog, she always loves to be there. Bud, who has had some painful toe-nail breakage recently, has been afraid of the vet. My helper Charlie had to basically force him to go, he had to be pulled. We got to the clinic, Jetta got weighed while Bud was trying to get out of that hell-hole, crying and jumping on my lap, carrying on like a big drama king. We got in the examining room for Jetta’s appointment and the vet gave her a thorough exam. He explained that the eyelid sore was starting to scratch and irritate her eye. He said we could put her under or take it off right then with his scissors. I said to do it the easy way. He said she probably wouldn’t have any discomfort, so I said “Do it without putting her under”. Good, patient Jetta. All the time Bud was crying, trying to escape and carrying on like a big baby. During the exam, we talked about how dogs age. She’s lost muscle, but her weight is perfect, so we can only continue what we’ve been doing with her, walking and swimming, for as long as possible. After the exam, both of them got a treat. The vet bought the book and loved it. Bud was so happy to get out of the room, but Jetta wanted to stay because she loves the attention of her fans and knows they have treats.

Old Dogs Have No Shame

Jetta's behavior has changed with age. Jetta has always been the most polite dog. Now that she is almost 12, she is rude. She looks at me and barks for treats. She never did this before. She barks at me to jump up to bring her the water bucket from the kitchen into the living room while I'm watching TV. I know this because I tell her that I don't know what she wants. Then she gets up and goes to the kitchen and drinks water from the water bucket. She barks at me when she wants to have a walk. When we go to the beach, she trots down the beach stairs then barks at me while I walk down carefully so I don't kill myself; she wants me move faster. She pokes her nose at pockets of people on the beach hoping that treats drop out. She backs her hind quarters in to every one she sees, hoping for bootie rubs. At home in the garage, where I keep a covered cat box, she puts her head in, looking for kitty poop. Gross! She knows how to open the refrigerator and kitchen cupboard where I keep the trash. At night I have to put the trash bucket in the sink. On three different times, when the front gate didn't get closed properly she took off and wandered the neighborhood looking for food. Jetta, much to my shock, has gone into other homes down the block and eaten any food left in sight. I can only think that old dogs don't care. They must think "Oh well, whats the worst thing that can happen." So I have concluded that old dogs have no shame because they know how much we love them and treasure every moment with them.

Dogs Visting

It took me a while to really understand Bud. He is so different than Jetta. He is an awesome dog when we are working. He is steady in chaotic settings. I think he gets more drained faster than Jetta, so I give him more play breaks. A good friend stopped by with her pack of four dogs. The dogs had tons and tons of energy from riding in a car for eight hours. This pack of dogs lives in the country way up north and are rescue dogs. The dogs came in. The owner of the pack has two little dogs that are friendly and meet my dogs well. The other two larger dogs got busy checking out my house and found toys right away. My dogs share toys and are used to this and know that's okay. One of the dogs played rough and barked and growled and snapped at Bud. Bud bared his teeth in defense and retreated to me and jumped on my lap, on the sofa, which he never does. He watched the pack of wild dogs with a look of disdain and then left the room to the solace of his crate in the den away from these wild crazy dogs. Jetta just laid on the floor not bothered by this at all. So now you know more about my dogs' temperament. We call Bud the sensitive one and Jetta the rock.
I would love to hear about your dogs' behavior in similar situations.

Jetta's Journey ~ Life and Times of a Service Dog: Service Pups Need Play Time

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