[Purple-Hops]

So as many have read in my posts about seperation anxiety I recently acquired a crate for keeping Coco while w're gone to school after multiple run-ins with destruction. The last straw was when he somehow disconnected the subwoofer and the wire was in pieces that doesn't seem possible unless they were chewed (yet there was no chew marks).. That one's still a mystery.

So the kennel is big enough for him to turn around, yada yada yada.. He freaks out in the morning after the diaper goes on bc he knows the next step is the kennel (usually I'll wait a while. And I put the diaper on after his walk so he forgets about it). The only problem I've had so far is his excessive barking (not my problem, but the neighbors :lol and by the time I gets home he is dehydrated and drinks forever.

I keep the fan on while we're gone, swaying back and forth to give him some air while not making him uncomfortable. And I have a bottle which I intend to freeze and put in there once summer reaches the island -_-


Anyway, not my point. Today I came home early bc it's my nieces birthday and I was going to walk Coco and feed him then go on to Lisa's. The window was open and there was strange barks coming from him. I thought the worst was that he had barked himself into such a dehydrated frenzy that I would solve it with water. Came up and noticed his jaw was pried open, teeth stuck in the bars of the door. There was sticky saliva everywhere (leads me to believe he had been stuck a while) and blood everywhere. I got him out and held him trying to get him loose and it was just not budging. I'm the type to NOT keep my cool in emergencies. Not good. I called the vet they only told me to either come right in, no charge or to apply butter to him. So he wiggled himself free, bc the second I let him go he panicked and wiggled so I wouldnt have been able to walk away from him to get butter. Plus he was pretty lubed up from his own saliva anyway. I don't know how he managed to wiggle free bc I was urging him one second then the next he was free. He drank a lot of water, he cleaned out his mouth with it and I walked him.

I met neighbors who offered advice on his hot spots ^^ But they didn't seem very educated, nor did they care when I explained I had that under control. Oh wel. They tried.

I examined his mouth, its just swollen now. He had the bars cut deep into his gum behind his 2 bottom canine teeth so I'm watching that. He ate no problem, scoffed back his dinner. His jaw is not broken and I don't think fractured or anything serious.

I don't know how long he was like that but I'd bet a while judging by the drool. Anyway, thought I'd share. Does anyone have an alternative to the crate now?? I'm scared to death to put him in it tomorrow. I have an exam tomorrow.


I just googled what to do and someone in a golden retreiver forum uses the bathroom as the "kennel" to keep her dogs contained. I wonder what Coco could possibly do in there! He's running all my resources thin!

 

[Jess]

Maybe you could get some sheets of plastic (or something similar) to line the inside on his kennel with? If it is all a smooth surface on the inside, I don't think he could do much to it.
Have you given him treats, bones, ect. so he has something to work on while you are gone?
I'm probably not much help, since I've never had problems like this with my dog, but I thought I'd try LOL.


And happy birthday to Chloe!

 

[Kendalle]

i think a pet taxi would be better, harder for him to hurt himself on. like this

 

[Purple-Hops]

Thanks guys Well, I have until tomorrow night to figure something out bc Matt works and I have a psych exam (can't miss) I wil stay home with him in the day though.

He has always totally ignored treats, kongs, everything while left alone. When he was much younger we would leave out deli slices of ham and cheese for him which he would not touch until we came home. He's so not a dog! So messing up his crate with treats would do nothing. Actually the first couple of days I was trying to make the kennel a good thing and left him treats, which got lost in the newspaper that he shred. (I put layers of newspaper in there so he had something to do keeping in mind he wouldn't care about kongs) So I don't know what else to do regarding that.. And I hope I can find something smooth to line the inside of the door with so this will never happen again.

@kendalle- he DOES have a pet taxi. He tried to chew his way out of the door, got his teeth stuck. This is why I'm so worried about it.. I never thought this could happen!


**Update:
I came home from Lisa's (Chloe had a wonderful time thanks! ) and he went out and ate and even played for 5 seconds with me. He's a little slow drinking water, he don't stick his tongue out so I assume its sore from the struggle. He got his massage and is now resting waiting for bed time. I checked his mouth again- aside from the slight swelling in his upper lip (from the postition he was in stuck to the door) and behind both his bottom canine teeth (which is tender and inflamed) I think he'll be okay. I don't really have emergency funds. My credit card is nearly racked so I'll make my payment and hope I don't need to use it. For the time being I think he'll do okay. He will, however, he scarred from going in the kennel.


LOL You're SO lucky Jess!! Dealing with a neurotic, anxious, alzheimer, half deaf aging dog is a nightmare when he does things like this!

 

[wishbone]

Bless Coco. Maybe you should take him for good walk or hike and see which activity would greatly take out his attention and energy...

 

[Purple-Hops]

Ah, more and more. The parking lot attached to this house has been sold and they began construction yesterday -_- It never ends. Coco's poor life will end in miserable anxiety....

@wishbone: Coco is 14 (officially on June 20) he cannot take such long walks or hikes like he used to. The last 8 months have been mostly downhill for him energy wise. Only last August when I moved in and all last summer he was coming on hour long+ walks.. But sadly, he just cannot do it.

Granted, since our little kennel incident I have not been able to find myself putting him in. I know it's bad for the consistency and whatnot but we were unable to come up with a solution to the door of the kennel.. Since then we were just putting the diaper on him and leaving him to free run. He has been so good since then. Not a problem. Now, yesterday they smashed up the pavement and dug the hole for the foundation for the new house- we didn't know anything about it until we got home and realised the crater hindered our entire path to the back door. Coco was home alone all day listening to it -and feeling it no doubt- but he was okay. The problem is when he is contained to a room or small space.

Does this mean Coco is claustrophobic?

 

[Purple-Hops]

Updation:

It's June 19th and well things have been gettting stinky in the world of Coco's mouth I've been looking online and inside his mouth and from what I can see (around all that terrier beard) is that he has a mild infection in his bottom gum on the left side, where he had bitten the kennel.

I'm a little worried now because it smells so bad and I know it is uncomfortable for him. I bought chlorhexidine gluconate 2% which I downed with sufficient water to allow for an oral rinse, but with the dilution it seems there is not enough chlor in it to heal!!! I've also been getting the toothbrush in there. I made it bleed so I think tomorrow I'll try a gentler brushing with the finger nub thing I have.
How many of you have undergone this sort of thing? How quick should it take before I know if my care is enough?? I think the trip to the vet and back will cost me upwards of 40$ cabfare both ways, then the "seeing" fee plus antibiotics. The tremendous costs associated with pets have got me really in a loop, it stresses me out some bad let me tell you! I have the vet on my mind if things don't start looking up. How many days do you think it should take??