Relative Something

A week ago we took Asher to the groomer for a good cleaning and nail trim. The morning of his appointment, we noticed he hadn’t finished eating all the food in his bowl. That wasn’t the first time he’d done that, so we weren’t overly concerned. However, he continued to show a lack of interest in his food. As we monitored that and experimented with some ways to figure out the reason for his apparent change in appetite, we also noticed he was developing some bumps on his skin.

The skin issue showed up after the grooming appointment, so we suspected he may be experiencing a reaction to a product they used. With the two issues happening simultaneously, there was a possibility there was more to it than we could deduce on our own.

Time for a visit to the veterinarian.

The first thing Cyndie learned was a confirmation of two similar opinions we have heard from visitors recently. Asher has gotten bigger! Measuring in at 18 pounds more than when we took him in almost a year ago, Asher now weighs 88 pounds.

The medical diagnosis was a skin infection or allergic reaction and the possibility he simply had a stomach virus or ingested something that upset his system. He hasn’t been throwing up and is drinking water and continuing to produce normal poops.

Given the number of times I have seen him gobble up very questionable finds on our walks through our woods, it is not the least bit surprising that he would develop a digestive disruption.

It sounds like he was a real lover and won over everyone at the clinic. Cyndie gave him a massage last night with an anti-bacterial potion to calm his lesions and we will continue to tailor his meals toward guiding his gut back to normal. The vet said that dogs may associate the smell of their food with the time they didn’t feel well and lose interest in their regular food even after their tummies return to normal.

If we don’t win him over to devouring his food like he used to, we’ll transition to a different brand. I wouldn’t mind if he lost some of the weight he has gained. It’s getting harder for me to wrestle him given his increased size combined with him figuring out all my moves. He’s not as dumb as he sometimes pretends to be.

Eighty-eight pounds. No wonder it hurts when he tries to pretend he is a lap dog.

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