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Category Archives: Archie

Well Suited!

Archie in his Vetgood suit

A shock discovery

Last month we discovered a hard lump in one of Archie’s testicles. We got him to the vet as soon as possible, which wasn’t easy as there were so many vets off with COVID.

After examining him, the vet recommended castration with scrotal ablation to ensure that everything was removed. Our biggest fear was testicular cancer. We decided to proceed with the operation but then had to wait another three weeks for it to be performed, again because of COVID. As you can imagine, we were very worried about him. However, he seemed perfectly okay in himself. There were no signs of any illness at all.

Finally, the day came around. He had his op and was back home again in no time. The vet assured us that it had all been removed and samples had been sent off for testing. Another anxious week passed, waiting for the results.

Eventually, we found out that it was a seminoma and that the majority of seminomas are benign, plus the fact that we caught it early, so all the signs were good.

He has recovered very well and is now almost back to his usual exercise regime. We have made subtle changes to his diet, adding some supplements, which we hope will boost his immune system. He must now have his lymph nodes checked regularly.

Know the signs of testicular cancer in dogs

If you have an unneutered male dog, would you know what to look for? There is an excellent article on Checking your Dog for Testicular Cancer. It is well worth reading and speaking to your vet about it. In fact, it would be a good idea if whenever your unneutered male dog has his annual vaccine, the vet performed this simple check at the same time.

We’ve Got You Covered!

After the op, we thought he would be stuck in the Cone of Shame for a couple of weeks, but we opted instead to use one of our Vetgood Protective Medical Suits. This was an absolute godsend, and we had a relatively stress-free time, whilst ensuring he was fully covered – no scraped walls or bruised shins!

Medipaw boots and suits help dogs and cats recover from surgeries, injuries, and other wounds easily and comfortably.

We have a range of suits for cats and dogs

Less Stress and Faster Recovery

Protective gear that provides maximum protection for a smoother, faster recovery all while keeping patients calm and stress-free.

Keep Healing Time on Track

High tech material safeguards wounds when life gets messy from outdoor elements and unwanted licking and scratching. Your pet’s bandages, wounds, and incisions stay clean and dry.

Comfort for Body and Sole

Protective boots and suits are designed for comfort and convenience so pets can easily eat, drink, sleep, and go outdoors.

We also have a range of protective boots

Archie’s Op

Archie hasn’t always been such a handsome boy

Archie is one of the only dogs we’ve had who hasn’t spent a great deal of time at the vet during his adult life.

This wasn’t the case when he was a young pup.

We bought him locally and he was clearly the runt of the litter. After a few days with us, we realised he really wasn’t very healthy. His coat was in terrible condition. He had bald patches where his fur had fallen out, and he was very skinny.

The vet was initially puzzled but when we told her what we fed him, she immediately blamed his raw diet. It was difficult sticking to our guns, but we had fed our dogs a raw diet for years. During that time we had seen huge improvements, not only in their health, but also in their behaviour after we switched from dried kibble. Despite the criticism, we continued with his diet, along with medicated baths every day for his itchy patches.

We find the root of the problem

Although the breeder had previously wormed him, it became clear that the cause of all his problems was indeed worms. As soon as we cleared that up, he blossomed. The vet was astonished at the change in him, as were we.

Archie blossomed into a beautiful boy — A couple of months down the line and he blossomed

He went from an ugly duckling to a swan almost overnight and has not had any major problems since.

Last year we noticed a lump at the base of his neck, just above his shoulder. It wasn’t huge and we know that older dogs (he’s nearly ten now) get lumps and bumps. However, it continued to grow, so we took him to the vet. They said it was probably a cyst, and tests later confirmed this to be the case.

Visiting the vet in lockdown

We were advised to leave it alone but keep an eye on it. It got bigger still, so we really wanted to take him back to the vet for a check-up. With lockdown in place, it proved difficult to get an appointment. We had to wait a week or so and in the meantime the lump burst. Or it may have been helped on its way by Archie’s toenail!

Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get an immediate appointment so instead, sent them a picture of the wound. As it wasn’t what they considered to be an emergency, we continued to wait. In the meantime, we kept it as clean as possible.

Eventually, we got our appointment. The wound was cleaned up and he was given antibiotics. These didn’t help. We got stronger ones and at last, it looked like it was healing. But then pus started seeping from the wound again.

We decided enough was enough and booked him in for surgery.

Thanks to lockdown, we can’t accompany him inside the vets. He has to be handed over and collected at the door. We have to stand outside in the freezing cold for the consultation, but it’s completely understandable and better than no consultation at all!

No cone of shame for Archie

He had his op and seemed completely unfazed by it all. Now we just need to ensure that it has time to heal properly. A cone is no use (thank goodness) because of the location of the cyst. Luckily, we happened to have a Vetgood Veterinary dog boot which is on his back foot to help prevent any damage to the wound should he attempt to scratch it. And he’s definitely given it a try!

All we can do now is wait and hope that this time it heals up completely.

Archie as he is today — Our gorgeous boy today

Daisy and Archie with the Puller

Daisy and Archie play with the Puller exercise toy

Here we have Daisy and Archie playing with the Puller Exercise Toy for Dogs.

The Puller has been designed with exercise and stimulation in mind, and just 3 simple exercises – running, jumping, and pulling – over 20 minutes will provide a workout for all of your dog’s muscle groups, and is the equivalent of 5km of intensive running. Perfect if you like to keep your dogs in tip top condition.

This video shows the Standard size, which should be suitable for most dogs, but Mini and Maxi sizes are also available.

Today though, we are taking advantage of another feature of the Puller – it is great fun to use!

Daisy and Archie certainly love them!

Archie meets the Treat and Train

We try Archie with the Treat and Train Remote Dog Trainer for the first time.

We recently introduced Archie to the Treat and Train, a treat dispensing device that can work at a distance by remote control. Although it works up to 30 metres away, we stayed at close quarters during this session in order to aclimatise Archie with the machine.

It works on the same principle as clicker training, where the first step is to click and treat your dog ‘unprompted’ to cement the connection between the clicking sound and the treat/reward. This link between the click and the treat is paramount to the success of clicker training, and so it is with the Treat and Train. The only difference is that the Treat and Train beeps rather than clicks, but that’s a minor point provided you follow the same preliminary steps.

Archie does like to play games like this, so after a while we moved on to some basic targeting with a target stick. It isn’t advisable to move on too quickly in a session, and in most circumstances we would have left it with the Treat and Train only (ending on an high point), but he was happy enough to have a go.

See how we got on…

Archie vs the Fabric Treat Ball

Archie helps himself to a Fun With Fido Fabric Treat Dispensing Ball

We received a fresh delivery of Fun With Fido Fabric Treat Balls just last week, and as we were checking them into stock, Archie decided to do some ‘stock taking’ of his own and helped himself to one!

He does favour toys he can carry, and the plush fabric of the Fun With Fido treat toys obviously made them irresistable.

Since he was so enthusiastic, we showed him how to use it. See how we got on below…

Birthday boy

Celebrating with Archie

The middle of February was our boy Archie’s first birthday. He has grown into a beautiful dog and has the sweetest nature. His favourite trick is a high five, although sometimes he’s a little too enthusiastic and smacks you in the face with his heavy paw. He loves his life on the croft and can’t wait to get started in the mornings, always managing to wake just before our alarm and starting a noisy game with Daisy.

This month we have been preparing ourselves for lambing. There was a slim possibility that our ewes could have given birth from 26th but it seems that the first tup we put in with them, wasn’t quite up to the job. We are now expecting deliveries at the end of next month.

In the meantime we have had the girls inside for a bit of TLC to make sure they are in tip top condition. Read about their sojourn at the sheep health spa.

Fun in the snow

It’s plain to see how much the dogs love the snow

Me and my shadow

Daisy showing the new boy how it’s done

Thankfully Daisy is now completely recovered and back to playing frisbee and her shepherding duties which she carries out with a little too much enthusiasm sometimes.

Archie, who despite his bad start in life with stomach problems and itchy skin, has blossomed into a beautiful boy and he is pleased to have his playmate back. He copies everything she does, good and bad!

Around the croft we are waiting to see if one of our goats is in kid, we are hoping for third time lucky. In previous years she hasn’t taken, even though she has had several suitors. We have dabbled in butter making and have various fruit wines bubbling away all over the kitchen.

This sudden hot spell has taken us by surprise; we were just about ready to break out the thermals again and were bracing ourselves for the winter to come.

The new boy

We welcome a new addition

We are obviously gluttons for punishment, and recently acquired Archie our GSD pup.

At 8-9 weeks old he is a real live wire, and is having a great deal of fun antagonising Fin and Daisy with his antics (and sharp teeth!). Not least of which is hanging on to one end of their Romp n Roll toy while they try to carry the other end! Light hearted fun, with a bit of noise thrown in…

Apart from the odd mishap, he has fitted in really well and has been socialised brilliantly by the breeder. We have been keeping up the good work by making sure he meets the postman every day, and delivery drivers when possible, and he is also enrolled in some local training classes. We do most of the training ourselves at home, but it is extremely useful for him to meet lots of other dogs and people.

Welcome Archie!