The Big Black Dog Gets A Bath….

The Big Black Dog Gets a Bath…..
It is a nice spring day, the sun is shining, and light fluffy clouds hang high in the sky. My dog Zeus is outside in the back yard digging crazily right next to my pink and purple tulips. The ground is muddy from the last three days of rain and at the corner of the yard a big puddle still remains. I call out in a loud voice for him to come; he lifts his big head and looks at me as if he may have just heard something, but is not sure what, so he turns his attention back to the hole he is digging. Today is bath day, the day we both dread, my big moose of a dog that outweighs me is never overly excited to take part in this activity.
My 135 pound Rottweiler finally leaves his crater in the yard as I wave a treat in the air, He clumsily runs toward me as drool hangs from his jowls. Once Zeus is inside, he gobbles the treat so fast that I am sure he didn’t even taste it. I search for all the supplies I will need to get him squeaky clean. I gather up five towels, his shampoo, conditioner, and finally the bath mat for the bottom of the tub so he doesn’t slip and fall. I glance quickly at the shampoo and conditioner as I set them down on the edge of the tub and notice they are half gone already after only three baths. I have to use a quarter of a bottle for each bath because there is a lot of dog to soap up.
As I get everything set up in the bathroom, I peek into the living room to see my dog pretending to be asleep in his bed. He knows I am getting ready to give him his bath and will do anything to get out of it. I pull the grey shower curtain to one side and place the bath mat on the bottom of the tub. Now all I need is to change into some clothes that can get soaking wet. I then find Zeus snoozing in his bed like he has been asleep for hours when in actuality, he was digging crazily in the yard only ten minutes ago. I tell him it is time for his bath, he opens one eye and looks at me, and he then rolls over onto his back for a belly rub, which looks silly because he is the size of a pony. I try not to giggle so he knows I am serious and tell him again to go to go get in the tub because it is time for his bath. Since his belly rub technique is not working, he gets up and goes to the front door looking at his leash, implying now would be a good time for a walk. I sternly tell him that he can go for a walk later, but has to take a bath first. He finally gives up and makes his way slowly and sadly to the bathroom. He jumps in the tub and stands there with a pleading look on his face. He really hates bath time.
I can now start this two hour, back breaking process. I use the shower hose to get him soaking wet and he makes this difficult by shaking all the water off that I am putting on him. Once he is fully soaked, I give the shampoo bottle a good shaking, one big squeeze, and begin to lather. I lather for about fifteen minutes to make sure I cover him well. Once lathered, the shampoo has to sit on him for ten minutes before rinsing. I turn my back for one second to reach for the washcloth to clean his face with and he decides he is clean enough and jumps out of the tub, runs down the hall into the living room dripping soapy bubbles and water behind him as he goes, looking over his shoulder he checks to see if I am following him. Of course I am right on his tail and I am not happy! He knows this and gives me his best version of his sad puppy dog eyes as he sits again in his bed pleading with me that he is clean enough. I don’t say a word to him as the anger boils inside me, all I do is point to the bathroom and I think he knows that finishing the bath is the better choice because he walks slowly with his head down back to the bathtub. Now that the house has had a bath and the dog is back in the tub, I begin the rinsing process of this big black dog followed by applying the conditioner and rinsing again. Now it is time for the towel drying process which soaks all five towels. He shakes off the water doing his best to help me as water splatters the walls and everything in the bathroom, including me.
Now that the dog is clean, my house is not! I first start with the tub which is now full of black hair. I rinse it all to the drain and reach in with a paper towel to grab the huge black harry mass and toss it in the trash. I wipe down everything in the bathroom including the floor before pulling the vacuum out to suck up the remaining hair. The bathroom is finally spotless as I make my way down the hall and into the living room soaking up the soapy water that the beast tracked through there. With the dog clean and the house clean, I change out of my wet clothes and sit down rubbing my lower back where it is aching horribly. This process makes me wish I had a smaller dog instead of a gigantic one!
I look down at Zeus who is lying again in his bed. He is so clean that his black coat looks beautiful, shiny, and silky, although if you were to look close, you would still see the small white dandruff flakes throughout his thick black and tan hair. These little white flakes are caused by his allergies along with ear infections, and one itchy dog. This is the reason for his bath every two weeks and his special shampoo and conditioner which are more expensive than the ones I use on my own hair.
I look out the open window and hear the birds singing, Zeus and I are so glad that bath time is over and try not to think about repeating this task again in another two weeks. Be walks to the back door whining to go outside. I open the door as he takes off into the yard at full speed. I pour a cup of coffee as I look out the window to see my big black dog digging furiously with dirt flying. You wouldn’t know it now, but the big black dog did get a bath!
PLEASE, help us save our big black dog and visit our fundraising link located on our blog page. Thank you for your support!

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News Flash!!!!!!

Time to wake up Zeus, you are going to be in the News Paper!!!

NEWS FLASH…… Wake up my sweet, sleepy, boy, the Westland Observer wants to do a story about you! A story about Zeus and our fundraising efforts will be in Sunday’s paper, I really hope it helps us reach out to our community for the help we need to save our sweet boy!!!!! Make sure to get a Westland Observer on Sunday to read our story! If you would like to help us raise funds for the medical tests and treatment for Zeus, please visit our fundraising site to make a donation! Thank you for your support!

How Zeus Is Doing

For those of you who remember and have fallen in love with my Rottweiler Zeus, I want to update you on his condition…  As of tomorrow, we will be cutting his prednisone dose in half. Although the prednisone is keeping his pain under control and enabling him to walk, larger doses for long periods of time can cause major medical issues including diabetes and cushings disease. Because of this, Zeus’ vet keeps trying to get him to a lower, safer dose. Until we can raise the funds to provide medical tests to see what else besides the Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis is happening in his joints, prednisone is the only medication they can give him. In the past we have not been able to lower his dose under 20mg/day because he relapses causing the internal medicine specialist to think something other than the Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis is happening to his joints. They cannot put him on medication for this, other than the prednisone, until they know what else is happening to his joints. It breaks my heart every time he relapses because his severe pain and difficulty walking returns. I do everything I can for him to make him comfortable and give him the highest dose of pain medications the vet will allow, but still feel helpless because I can’t take the pain away for him! I can only hope and pray we are able to raise the funds to provide the medical treatment he so desperately needs so that we can improve his quality of life and allow him to do all the things that dogs love to do!

A Pillow For Your Weary Head…

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

Please help today

Won’t you help? Our fundraising efforts have been a success so far, we have raised $915.00 for Zeus in just under two weeks! We are still far from our goal of $5,000.00, the funds needed for the testing and medical treatments he so desperately needs. Please help us today if you can by clicking our Saving Zeus fundraiser tab to donate today! We thank you for your donations, big or small, they will help so much! If you can’t donate, we understand and thank you for sharing our fundraising information with your friends!

What Zeus Would Want

My Sweet Zeus

Before humans die, they write their last will and testament,  give their home and all they have,  to those they leave behind.  If, with my paws,  I could do the same,  this is what I would ask…

To the poor and lonely stray, I would give:

–         My happy home

–         My bowl and cozy bed, soft pillows and all my toys

–         The lap, which I love so much

–         The hand that stroked my fur, and the sweet voice which spoke my name

I’d will to the sad, scared sheltered dog, the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds. So when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.” Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope and give MY place to HIM. This is the only thing I can give to him…. The love I left behind.

Author unknown

Please help us save Zeus!!!!

Our Rottweiler Zeus

Our wonderful, loving 6 year old Rottweiler Zeus, who has been with us since he was 7weeks old, was diagnosed this past May with a rare genetic disorder called Immune-Mediated Polyarthrisis. Sadly, an allergic reaction to antibiotics has caused his immune system to start attacking his joints causing him severe pain and making it very difficult for him to walk. Usually prednisone is used to control this disease because it depresses the immune system and at first is administered in a high dose, then lowered over a few months to a perminate low dose, administered every other day. Prednisone, when taken in high doses is not a good medication to be used long term because it can cause serious medical issues such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease among many other dangerous health issues. Zeus has been on a high dose of prednisone since the end of May and every time we try to lower his dose  to every other day, he relapses causing his doctors to believe there is another underlying issue along with the Immune-Mediated Pollyarthritis. Proper testing such as digital x-rays and joint taps, are extremely expensive, but also extremely important so that Zeus can receive proper treatment.

At this time, because we do not have the funds, we are keeping Zeus comfortable with a high dose of prednisone, which is the only thing that seems to be controlling his pain and enabling him to walk. With your help, we are hoping to raise enough money for these extensive tests and the treatment needed for him to live a happy, healthy, long life. I have started a fundraiser in hopes to raise enough money for his tests and proper treatment. I just can’t bare to sit back and wait until the day comes to put him down without doing everything I can to try to help and save him. I will be completely heartbroken if we lose him and am asking for your help, please visit our fundraising page at www.giveforward.com/SavingZeus and make a donation today.

If  Zues’ condition worsens and he passes away before we raise the funds for him, or if we do not raise enough for his tests and treatment, please know that the proceeds of this fundraiser will be donated to his veterinarian Dr. Steven Mantay, owner of Healthy Paws Veterinary Medical Center in Westland, Mi. to help another animal in desperate need of medical attention. But, please help us raise enough money to help Zeus before it is too late for him!

To make donations, give hugs, get updates, watch our progress, and to get information about upcoming events please check our fundraising page often at www.giveforward.com/SavingZeus, also join our group on face book called Saving Zeus where you can see posts and share comments .

Thank you for your support!

Melissa

Bringing home our new rotti puppy Zeus…..

Who wants to shower me with love and kisses?

Zeus was born on Mother’s Day, May 14, 2006. We met our Rottweiler puppy for the first time when he was one week old, he was so small he could fit in the palm of my hand, his ears and his eyes were still closed and he seemed so tiny and helpless that first day. We visited every week, watching him grow and by the fourth week, had built a wonderful bond with him, he would follow me and lay in my lap for an afternoon snooze. I hated leaving him every week without bringing him home, but knew he still needed to be with his mama until he was eight weeks old. We visited once a week for a few hours every time. I couldn’t wait until the day came that we could finally bring Zeus home to join our family for the rest of his life.

On our seven week visit with our puppy Zeus we were surprised to learn that he could come home with us that day, one week early. I was so happy that we didn’t have to wait until the following week. We brought Zeus home and into our lives and our family fourth of July weekend and we couldn’t have been happier. He was a little bundle of joy weighing eleven and a half pounds. Who knew he would grow to be the one hundred forty pound gentle giant that he is now and that we love with all of our hearts.

Once in his new home, Zeus met our cats and he was so excited and wanted to play with them. Of course Jessie, Britt, and Bree had no idea what to think of him and ran for their lives. Apparently an adorable eleven pound puppy could be terrifying. Zeus was so sad every time one of the cats would run away that he would sit there and look at me whining like they really hurt his feelings. After a while, the cats came around and within a few weeks the cats and Zeus became fast friends. They now cuddle and often sleep together.

We rescued a puppy that we named Lucky when Zeus was two years old and Zeus took him in right from the start. They are now best friends and love each other so much. They play and dig in the back yard, together, and even sleep together. They get along great!  Zeus loves to clean Lucky’s ears to the point that they are dripping with slobber. They love to play go find it, a game that I invented, involving treats that I have hidden around the house and them finding them by using their noses to look under couch cushions, on window sills, and many more fun places. They love this game and I love watching them play it. It is really quite comical!

Today, both of our dogs are a big part of our lives, infact, I couldn’t imagine life without them and we love them so much, we  would do anything for either one of them. We hope to enjoy them for many, many, many years to come!