Merry Christmas
Just wanted to take a quick minute to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours.
My Favorite Furbabies, Oscar & Harley
One of my favorite subjects is my furbabies, Oscar & Harley. In July I switched their dog food, not brand, just type and am wondering if that is what set off Harley’s stomach issues. We have been feeding both of them Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Dry Dog Food for a long time. Harley is overweight, so we decided to change from the original to the weight management bag, but stayed with the same brand.
Within a few days of switching her food, we noticed she had been limping on her back leg, so we took her to the vet to get that checked out as she would not go up and down the steps at all. After examination and x-rays it was brought to our attention that her back left knee was going out of socket. She was put on Rimadyl to help with swelling and pain. We were to take her back in a couple of weeks for recheck.
Harley & Oscar
By the time we took her back, she was vomiting after she ate, but mostly in the middle of the night. These episodes would happen off and on, but more on than off. I thought is was from the Rimadyl, but the vet said it could be a number of things including the switching of her food. They wanted to start her on a different brand of food all together. For the next six days she was to eat Royal Canin, GastroIntestinal Low-Fat, which comes in a can. In addition, they took her off Rimadyl and put her on Sucralfate and Gabapentin. The vomiting stopped almost immediately.
After six days, we could go back to dry food as the vet was trying to figure out whether the food or the meds might be making her vomit. When we went back to dry food we wanted to stay with the Royal Canin brand, so we switched her to Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Dachshund Adult dry dog food.
The vomiting continued and some days was after every meal. We went back to the vet and was told that she might just be one of those dogs that have stomach issues and it could last a month, a year or forever. He wanted us to go back to the GastroIntestinal low-fat canned food. For the past two weeks, we have had only a few episodes of her vomiting and most of those have been after she picked up something outside while going to potty.
I still think there might be something else going on because if she eats anything other than the canned food, she vomits. She is not on any medication at this time. What would be causing this to happen? We will be going back to the vet again for further analysis and testing and if our current vet doesn’t want to seek out other things that might be wrong, then I will have to pick a new doctor because being on canned food for life that costs as much as this stuff does is not going to work. Any advise or suggestions would be appreciated so feel free to leave your comments below.
Our other furbaby, Oscar, has had no issues with the switching of food and has adjusted to each change as if nothing has happened. I guess dogs are like humans, no two of us are alike.
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6 Important Aspects of RVing with Dogs
Oscar, (pic from breeder)
Our life would not be the same without our two dachshunds (a.k.a wiener dogs)! When we first moved into our RV we didn’t have any pets, but once we took to the road we decided we wanted to add a fury companion, so we started with a puppy. I know your thinking a puppy, in an RV, are you crazy? Yes we were! We picked up our first, what was supposed to be a miniature dachshund, in March 2015 that we named Oscar. He was 8 weeks old and had the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He was only 4 lbs and we thought we had hit the lottery. He is now 17 lbs and not so mini. He was the hardest puppy to potty train and never did learn to use pee pee pads indoors, so rainy days are crazy days, but that’s a story for another day.
Harley, the day we brought her home!
Oscar did not like to be left alone, which I attributed to him being a puppy, but my husband said it was because he was lonely and needed a playmate, so puppy number two came into the picture in July 2015 at 6 weeks of age. This time we got a girl and she became known as Harley and was the darkest chocolate-colored weenie I had ever seen. At 7 weeks she was only 2.10 pounds and also suppose to be a miniature; however, there is nothing miniature about her as she is a plumb 20 lbs. now.
Over the last two years we have learned a few things about living with these two magnificent animals and can’t imagine what our life would be like without them. Although they spend the majority of their day sleeping and being lazy, they still provide much-needed entertainment for us. They are more than just pets, they are our babies and life would not be the same without them.
They became fast friends!
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, so if you click on the link and make a purchase, I receive a commission. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help us keep this site up and running. For more details, please check out our full disclosure policy. AnnaFWhite.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
LEAVING DOGS IN THE RV
On days that we want to venture out to sightsee, go fishing or just need a break, we leave them in the RV. When they were still puppies, we left them in a crate, which they hated. They did not like being confined to a small space and living in an RV, which is a small space in itself, didn’t really provide much space for a gigantic crate. The solution for us was to use what we had bought to use for an outdoor playpen inside the house. It provided a bigger area for them to move around in. We added their pet bed, a blanket and some toys and they were now good to go. We also leave the television on with their favorite DIY channel playing, which helps to block outside noises. We also leave either the A/C or heat on, depending on the weather, to regulate the temperature. The way we look at it is if we were still in a sticks and bricks house we would leave our dogs at home so what is the difference? This is our home and they have never known anything else, so they do well.
DOGGY DAYCARE
Although most days we leave the dogs at the house when we venture out, there are some days that require us to be gone for more than a few short hours, so we find a local doggy daycare to leave them at. In addition, this gives them time to spend with other dogs, just like children need to interact with other kids, dogs need to interact with other dogs. In the event we ever have to leave them in a kennel overnight, I would rather them be use to the idea of that atmosphere than be put into a situation where they feel alone and scared in an unfamiliar setting. They both love being at daycare and are excited when we drop them off and just as excited when we pick them up.
EXERCISE AND OUTDOOR SAFETY
We take the dogs out many times a day and spend quality time exercising and playing with them. The most important thing to remember is that most, if not all, campgrounds require dogs to be on a leash at all times. I cannot express how important it is for everyone to keep their dogs on a leash. The last thing you want is to witness a dog fight because someone let their dog run free. I see it in every park we have ever stayed at and it drives me crazy. When your outside, set up a playpen area, if allowed, and let your dog get some fresh air. Do not tether your dog outside and go back into your RV. Tethered dogs can get loose and/or tangled up and most parks require you to be present if your dog is outside.
TRAVEL DAYS
We have a truck and fifth wheel. We have never once thought to let our dogs ride in the fifth wheel on travel days for several reasons. One, it is too hot. Two, the roads are too bumpy and the poor babies would be thrown all over the place. The safest place is to have them in the vehicle with you. Ours ride in the back seat. I have two small puppy pads, one on each side, that provide a softer area to rest on plus a blanket and toys. Harley is the best traveler I have ever seen. She never makes a sound. Instead she sleeps most of the time and only gets up when we stop, which we do every couple of hours to give them both a chance to walk, stretch their little legs and relieve themselves. Oscar is the whiner of the bunch and hates to be in the backseat. He would rather ride up front with the passenger so he can see what’s going on, which we do allow for a few minutes every hour or so. Once he gets his special time, then he will lay right back down and sleep as well.
Enjoying the backseat on travel day!
VET RECORDS
It is very important to keep your dogs shots up to date. The only place that has asked for proof of rabies was at a park in New Hampshire, but I’m sure there are other places that will ask as we continue to travel to other states that we haven’t been to yet. You should keep your pets records with all your other important documents, so they are easy to locate when needed. When we are going to be in a place for more than a couple of days, I also look for the closest veterinarian office just in case we have an emergency. We learned this the hard way after Oscar was stung by a bee, had a swollen face and had to be treated. In our experience, in order to leave our dogs at doggy daycare or for an overnight stay, the kennel cough vaccine has been required. Some locations might not be prone to fleas, ticks or heartworms, but as a precaution we pre-treat our pets for all three. Either a google search or a call to a local veterinarian can provide information as to whether the area you are visiting should be of concern for these pests and if so precautions can be taken.
CAMPGROUND ETIQUETTE
I saved the most important thing about RVing with dogs for last….etiquette. More and more people are becoming less concerned about what they do affects others. However, when you stay in an RV park or campground we need to remember that we are not the only ones there and not everyone likes dogs. We need to show consideration for those people as well. All dog owners need to pick up after their dogs. I think we all should have stock in the poop bag industry to recoup all the money we spend on those bags. The last thing anybody wants to do when having a nice leisurely stroll, especially at night, is to step in dog poop. Pleeeaaaassssseee pick up after your dog! In addition, do not cut through another campsite especially with your dog, and don’t let them pee on the neighbors flowers or anything else in their yard. Another thing that irritates your neighbors is a dog who constantly barks, especially when your gone. If you’re not sure if your dogs a barker or don’t want to believe it when your neighbor tells you your dog barked all day long, then set up a video camera and record your dog when your gone. We wondered how our dogs behaved while out, so we did just that when we were on our trip in New York. We bought a wireless camera that we could view from our phone, which allows us to watch the dogs, to see what they are doing all day. Not only do we see them, but we can hear them and we can talk to them as well. It provided peace of mind knowing that they were fine and slept more than anything.
RVing with dogs is possible and can be a great experience for all involved. Our life wouldn’t be complete without our furbabies and the enjoyment and companionship they provide is undeniable.
Christmas 2016
Oscar and Harley
I have two of the most spoiled wiener dogs around. On a recent trip to my parents, I was able to use them as my photo subjects instead of my human children. Both are very photogenic.
Oscar looking so debonaire.
Drinking from the cement pond where the crawfish and bullfrogs hang out.
A natural in front of the camera. He actually looks like he was posing for me, but really I was just lucky to get the shot.
Harley is a stunning “little” beauty. Posing is everything when taking pics, even with dogs. This pose hides how fat she really is.
She can also be a comic, as shown here, with her eyes closed.
Like Oscar, she looks like she is actually posing perfectly for just the right shot.
Travel through Cades Cove
One of my favorite places to visit is Cades Cove in the Tennessee mountains and with our last days in Tennessee just around the corner, we decided to head to the cove, so I could see my favorite spot in the Tennessee mountains. The colors are beginning to change and the leaves are falling, but it will still be several weeks before the best of the colors are out. For some reason this trip seemed to take the longest to get there and even longer to get back from. And even while driving through the loop, it seemed to take us longer than it ever has. Maybe it was because God wanted us to enjoy the beauty of this place for as long as possible as we don’t know when we will be back in this location again.
Over the last few years I have made several trips to Cades Cove and I remember on my very first trip seeing a gorgeous buck off in the woods and had gotten out of my car just like all the other spectators and getting as close as possible to get “THE” shot. I got a good enough shot that day and was excited that I was able to see a buck up so close as they are such magnificent animals. Ever since that first trip, I have yet to see another good quality buck until TODAY. He was the most beautiful 8 point I have seen in quiet some time.
Gorgeous 8 point buck
The funniest part of this excursion, which we didn’t laugh at at the time, but are laughing at now that it’s over is when we spotted this buck. There happened to be a parking lot that we could stop in and get a better look, so we stopped. We both got out, left the dogs in the truck and proceeded to get a good look. Oscar, our mischievous male, was trying to jump out the window we had rolled down, so we rolled up the windows, but made the mistake of leaving the truck running with all the keys inside. You guessed it, Oscar jumped on the door lock and locked us out. It was starting to get late in the evening and would be dark soon, but we were stuck until finally he stepped on the lock again and unlocked it. We looked like two crazy people trying to get the dog to step on the door lock. It only took him about 10 minutes, but in the meantime we were able to see two doe walk into the field where the buck was, so in the end it was worth it or else we would have missed seeing the additional deer.
If you’ve ever been to Cades Cove, you know the first thing you usually see when you pull in is the gorgeous horses and today was no different. These animals are majestic and beautiful. We pulled down Spence Lane, so we could get a closer look, as they were all hanging out over by the fence. Lucky for us there was barely any traffic on this lane, so we were able to stop in the middle of the road and I got brave and went right up to the fence to get a closer look and better view for pics. I say brave because I had on flip-flops and the grass was really high and I am scared to death of snakes, but luckily nothing got me this time around.
Pure Beauty
Love the colors of this paint…the brown colored ones in the back don’t look bad either.
We had another first on this trip as well and that was we saw 3 different coyotes. I have never seen a coyote in the park, but we saw three different ones. Of course, the first one we saw, it was so far away, we thought it might have been a fox, but after seeing the other two we think maybe it was a coyote instead.
Coyote
As for bears, the only bear we saw was after 7:30 pm when we were trying to get out because it had already gotten so dark, you could barely see in front of you. The park had two separate areas marked off with orange cones telling you there was bear activity in between the cones and sure enough we looked over to the left and there was the bear that had been holding up traffic for several minutes.
As for Tennessee, Cades Cove will always be one of my best and top places to visit. If you have never been, I would highly suggest that you add it to your bucket list, as you won’t be disappointed.
Our Favorite Furbubies, Oscar & Harley
We like snuggling in Mommy’s Florida State blanket!!!!
We have two adorable chocolate Dachshunds. Our oldest, Oscar, we’ve had since March. He was born in January and weighs 13 lbs. He is a big boy and spoiled big time. The baby, Harley, was born in May and we’ve had her since July. She is a doll baby and as cute as can be at only 8 lbs. Oscar is very set in his ways already. He knows what he wants and does whatever he has to to get it. Harley on the other hand is very laid back. We got a seat cover to put in the back seat of the truck, so when we’re traveling they can just hang out and have all the room in the world to sleep and play.
Hanging in the backseat waiting to go potty!
Prior to getting this cover, Oscar would hang out mostly on the center console, so he could look out the front window. Harley on the other hand would be in mommy’s lap snoozing. Now that we have the seat cover, it has been an adjustment to get Oscar to stay in the back seat. I bought a piece of fabric that has holes, like the kind you would use to make a fruit bag or grocery bag out of and stretched it from seat to seat and hooked it in using the neck rest from the front seats. It was a good idea, but Oscar likes to jump over it, so he can get in the front seat, while Miss Harley just lays out in the back seat enjoying lazy time. I know it will take time to get Oscar use to doing something different as he doesn’t like change very well.
Oscar in his favorite spot looking out the window while waiting for daddy!
We messed up and put Oscar in our bed the first night we brought him home, which wasn’t bad when he was only 5 or 6 pounds, but now that he’s gotten so long and an instant heater, we were bound and determined Miss Harley would not make it in to our bed. How has that worked for us, you ask? Not too bad. We started right from the beginning putting her in a small dog bed right next to our bed ON THE FLOOR and blocked it off so she couldn’t go anywhere. She was easy to train on the potty pads as the breeder had already been using those. So in her little spot she had her bed and potty pad.
We love our big bed!
After a couple months of this I finally bought a bigger doggy bed and made Oscar start sleeping with Harley. The first night he wanted to fuss, but after about 15 minutes, he laid down and was fast asleep with her. Waiting for him to get use to her being around and for her to grow up some was worth the wait as now they really get along and pretty much stay right next to each other all day.
He doesn’t fuss about going to bed and now Mommy and Daddy have their bed back or at least until early morning.
The dogs usually get up between 5 and 6 am, which is too early to get up when you don’t have to go to work every day, so I take them out to potty and then they get spoiled having mommy and daddy time in our bed. They sleep for another couple hours and sometimes I have to make them get up as they are so snuggly they just want to stay there all day. Harley is getting a lot longer and even more adorable, if that’s possible. They both let us know when they want attention. Even though they sometimes drive me crazy, I wouldn’t want it any other way. They are my babies and I love them. Only a real pet lover can relate to how I feel about them.
Please share information about your furbabies in the comments below as I love seeing others pets and hearing about how their life revolves around the ones they love.
Oscar enjoying his pool time!!!
Hope to see you on the road…