Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[puppycanducruise]

16 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Well, Horton had his Internal Medicine "Second Opinion" visit today.

 

Doctors words:  "Take Horton OFF all meds.  He's looking and sounding as well as could be expected from an 11 year old dog".

 

The Vet feels that Horton was subjected to some sort of infection that effected his internal organs and mirrored Cushings Disease.  The rapid response with IV antibiotics and Vitamin injections were a life saving decision that made all the difference in his immuno response.  Thank you, Mobile Vet.

 

Hallelujah!  All I can say is THANK YOU for all your prayers and good wishes. If Horton is still doing well in two weeks......we're in the clear.......The doctor wants him to stay on the "old man diet" that I put him on with some added multi-vitamins to help him thrive-on.  

Thanks for the update.

Still sending prayers that Horton continues to do well.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Yay, Horty and Roz.  So glad our BIG boy dog is doing well.  Finger, toes, Claws and Paws crossed that in 2 weeks he is doing fabulous!  ❤️ 

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy, Healthy Weekend Everyone. ❣️ 

 

Saw the most adorable little girl in Target today with the cutest "Hello Kitty" mask on.  What a brave little girl, maybe 3 years old, to keep her mask in place while she was looking at the "stuff" on the shelves.  

 

Welcome to our new normal!

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy Weekend Everyone.

 

Horton is doing very well.  He's now on Senior Vitamins and Probiotics [both put in his food, twice a day.]  He greets me everyday with a Horton smile and I love it!!!!  I can only hope that he continues to improve and live out his golden years pain free and happy.

 

Thank you all for your support and good wishes.  I so appreciate your wonderful and kind words!

[S.S. Cruisers]

Good to hear Horty greets his Momma with smiles.  I just love the sound of those big thumper tails hitting on something! Thump, thump thump and smiles to go along with it.  💖

 

it has been crazy around here, as usual.  Trying to get Travis all set up to "go" to school on line.  At least they got all the teachers on one page on how they were going to do it.  Some like Google classroom others like a different format.  I believe they are going to give assignments on Monday, for the week.  Then the kids can do it all at once or one lesson a day.  Then turn it in at the end of the week.  At least one of his teachers wants lessons on Monday, Tuesday turn homework in on Wednesday.  Then lessons on Wednesday, Thursday turn it in Friday.  Sounds like a better plan than procrastinating the whole week then having 5 days of lessons due.  We shall see.

 

Ms. Jezz y Lou goes in for her surgery Tuesday.  Took her to another Vet for second opinion.  I !liked her.  Very positive about the surgery.  She has done a lot of them. Used laser technology even though she has to still go inside.  Has a technic that seems reasonable for being as precise as possible.  So going with it instead of taking her to the Vet every 2 weeks for the rest of her life and traumatizing her.  

 

Hope everyone is settled down into the " new" normal.  We are still all hunkered down.  We have over 900 positive cases of Covid.  Seems really high for our small town. We are now required to wear masks when out and about.  I only go out when necessary and always wore my mask anyway.  Still disinfecting when I get home.  

 

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend. 😻

 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

6 hours ago, S.S. Cruisers said:

Good to hear Horty greets his Momma with smiles.  I just love the sound of those big thumper tails hitting on something! Thump, thump thump and smiles to go along with it.  💖

 

it has been crazy around here, as usual.  Trying to get Travis all set up to "go" to school on line.  At least they got all the teachers on one page on how they were going to do it.  Some like Google classroom others like a different format.  I believe they are going to give assignments on Monday, for the week.  Then the kids can do it all at once or one lesson a day.  Then turn it in at the end of the week.  At least one of his teachers wants lessons on Monday, Tuesday turn homework in on Wednesday.  Then lessons on Wednesday, Thursday turn it in Friday.  Sounds like a better plan than procrastinating the whole week then having 5 days of lessons due.  We shall see.

 

Ms. Jezz y Lou goes in for her surgery Tuesday.  Took her to another Vet for second opinion.  I !liked her.  Very positive about the surgery.  She has done a lot of them. Used laser technology even though she has to still go inside.  Has a technic that seems reasonable for being as precise as possible.  So going with it instead of taking her to the Vet every 2 weeks for the rest of her life and traumatizing her.  

 

Hope everyone is settled down into the " new" normal.  We are still all hunkered down.  We have over 900 positive cases of Covid.  Seems really high for our small town. We are now required to wear masks when out and about.  I only go out when necessary and always wore my mask anyway.  Still disinfecting when I get home.  

 

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend. 😻

 

 

Good wishes to Jezzy Lou and an easy and quick recovery ❣️

 

I can't believe what school has turned into.  It all sounds so darn complicated.  I loved the time when the kids were out of the house and I could really get stuff done.  I know they loved the time away from me and with their friends too.  I feel so badly for the changes in their world right now.

 

Who knows what problems this will create in their world later on!

[lindaler]

Well we can’t go on an ocean cruise but Chavela and I went on a kayak cruise this morning on the river. Just the two of us. 

Edited August 2, 2020 by lindaler

[Mavis and Me]

Just gorgeous - she looks so content! Thank you for sharing!!

[wizard-of-roz]

5 hours ago, lindaler said:

Well we can’t go on an ocean cruise but Chavela and I went on a kayak cruise this morning on the river. Just the two of us. 

Looks like so much fun!  But, I think I'll wait for that cruise ship!!!!!!!

[S.S. Cruisers]

Ha ha Roz, I can just see you and the big boy Horty in a kayak!  Think I'll way for a cruise ship, too.

 

Mz. Jezz y Lou was dropped off at Vet at 8:15 this morning.  The Vet called me and said her liver and kidney levels were elevated when they did the blood test.  2 options.  Have her eat, wait a while then re-elected test.  Wait on those test results and go from there.  2nd option to ahead with surgery knowing it is a risk.  Big risk is not waking up from anesthesia.  Knowing she is going to be 12 in February and loosing a dog this way as a kid, we are going with 1 st option.  Will no more when I pick her up this afternoon.  

[rpclmc]

On 8/2/2020 at 11:09 AM, lindaler said:

Well we can’t go on an ocean cruise but Chavela and I went on a kayak cruise this morning on the river. Just the two of us. 

I want to learn to kayak and to take Halo with.  I wouldn't be as brave as you, I would want someone to go with me.

 

Linda and Halo

[S.S. Cruisers]

Jezz y Lou is home.  Did the blood test, now must wait for results.  About a week maybe sooner.  They had to feed her since she had fastest the night before.  She got puppy food and they sent home the rest of the can with her.  She was on cloud 9.  I fed her her cry  food and a little more of the puppy food.  The Vet Tech said they only had to feed her a couple of table spoons so she was still hungry.  She drank a good drink of water went out and pottied and is back in resting.  In the mean time hubby called me into our room to ask me a question, when I turned around to come back out there was a ginormous wet spot on my bed!  I guess she had to go out again and we weren't paying attention!  I'm not having a good year.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by S.S. Cruisers
Spelling

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, S.S. Cruisers said:

Jezz y Lou is home.  Did the blood test, now must wait for results.  About a week maybe sooner.  They had to feed her since she had fastest the night before.  She got puppy food and they sent home the rest of the can with her.  She was on cloud 9.  I fed her her cry  food and a little more of the puppy food.  The Vet Tech said they only had to feed her a couple of table spoons so she was still hungry.  She drank a good drink of water went out and pottied and is back in resting.  In the mean time hubby called me into our room to ask me a question, when I turned around to come back out there was a ginormous wet spot on my bed!  I guess she had to go out again and we weren't paying attention!  I'm not having a good year.  

Oh!  No!  Poor little Jezzy, she's not having much fun either.  I hope all tests come back O.K.  These dogs are really keeping us on our toes these days!

 

What ever happened to "normal?"  I'll take the good old days back again.  Just boring and normal!!!!  😉

[FolksOfMeans - ByNoMeans]

[wizard-of-roz]

5 hours ago, FolksOfMeans - ByNoMeans said:

How sweet is this!!!!!!   Never fails to bring tears to my eyes!

[lindaler]

So I have a question about where the relief stations are on different ships. Has anyone compiled a list?  It is always so confusing. I was told on Zaandam it will be on the promenade deck at the rear. But on the other three ships(ones just leaving HAL) it has always been on that hidden deck in back on deck two(main). I don’t do good with stairs and especially before I’ve had my morning coffee so want to be fairly near the relief station and on the same level. It’s taken weeks for HAL to tell my PCC that it should be on the promenade deck according to the special service department. 

[springredheadsdd]

I am flying to Yellowstone in September with Bella. I was told somewhere to bring something for her to chew on, on the flight. Her favorite things to chew on are antlers. Am I allowed to bring an antler chunk on the flight in my carry on? Not sure where to look to see if this is even legal. 

 

lindaler- I am also curious about this. I have not sailed since getting a SD but have seen several while on other ships. 

[lindaler]

I bring snacks for Chavela to chew and swallow. It helps to pop her ears. I’m not sure I would want a dog chewing on a bone under my feet or seat. It might be scary for other passengers. Water or a treat does the same but is less threatening. 

[wizard-of-roz]

3 hours ago, lindaler said:

So I have a question about where the relief stations are on different ships. Has anyone compiled a list?  It is always so confusing. I was told on Zaandam it will be on the promenade deck at the rear. But on the other three ships(ones just leaving HAL) it has always been on that hidden deck in back on deck two(main). I don’t do good with stairs and especially before I’ve had my morning coffee so want to be fairly near the relief station and on the same level. It’s taken weeks for HAL to tell my PCC that it should be on the promenade deck according to the special service department. 

There are over 900 pages to this thread and I do believe that every single page could be filled with your good questions and we still would NOT have a clear answer.

 

Carnival:  Will put a metal potty box with wood chips on your very own veranda.

 

Holland America:  Will use a wooden box filled with actual grass sod, placed on a forward deck outside the theatre [that will be washed down every morning and could be slippery when wet.]  We had a suite onboard the Oosterdam and requested a box be placed on our very large veranda and it was.  It all depends on who's in charge!!!!

 

Crystal:  Had a wooden box filled with mulch placed on our veranda.  They offered to walk Brenda and exercise her for me daily.

 

NCL:  Used a crew work closet, near our cabin, with a large wooden box filled with mulch.  This was the best box I've ever seen on a cruise.

 

Celebrity:  Had a wood box filled with wood chips, placed on a deck in the very back of the ship.

 

Princess:  Uses a heavy-cardboard box filled with wood shavings or mulch, placed in a stair well or a crew work area placed on the same deck as your cabin.....sometimes it's close by some times it's at the very end of the hall.

 

I bring a folded-up piece of artificial grass [packs very easily in your carry-on], and I place it over whatever filler the ship may be using.  Sometimes their filler is so rough it actually injures my dogs feet [Labs can have very webbed toes, like a duck.]

 

Always contact the Special Services Dept. of your cruise line and let them know what your needs are for your dog and it never hurts to let them know where you would like the potty box to be placed.

 

You will still have to visit the Pursers Desk [Passenger Services] when you arrive to the ship to let them know what you would like for your dog.  It never hurts to request that the box be placed on your veranda.

 

Also:  Visit the Dining Room, after you board, to let them know about any special seating arrangements that you would prefer for you and your dog.  I ALWAYS like a table that is placed against a wall or divider so that my dog can be place against the wall and not risk being stepped on by either the crew or other guests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, springredheadsdd said:

I am flying to Yellowstone in September with Bella. I was told somewhere to bring something for her to chew on, on the flight. Her favorite things to chew on are antlers. Am I allowed to bring an antler chunk on the flight in my carry on? Not sure where to look to see if this is even legal. 

 

lindaler- I am also curious about this. I have not sailed since getting a SD but have seen several while on other ships. 

My dogs have flown many hours and have never had anything to chew on, except for ice cubes, of which you can always get from the flight crew.  I do bring my fold-up water dish and place the cubes in it.  Horton loves ice cubes, Brenda, not so much!

[springredheadsdd]

36 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

My dogs have flown many hours and have never had anything to chew on, except for ice cubes, of which you can always get from the flight crew.  I do bring my fold-up water dish and place the cubes in it.  Horton loves ice cubes, Brenda, not so much!

I had not thought of ice cubes. Bella loves ice. 🙂

[wizard-of-roz]

Good Weekend to Everyone!  

[springredheadsdd]

Sad to say our trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are having to be canceled. It is just not safe to fly. This is our second vacation to be canceled this year due to Covid. 

 

Hope everyone is having a good day/ week. 

[wizard-of-roz]

17 minutes ago, springredheadsdd said:

Sad to say our trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are having to be canceled. It is just not safe to fly. This is our second vacation to be canceled this year due to Covid. 

 

Hope everyone is having a good day/ week. 

Sorry about this cancellation but not surprised.  Hopefully, by the end of this year we will see many changes in our world and by the beginning of next year we will be able to go back to a more normal life......which will include making some much needed travel plans.  ☺️

[Plant]

23 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Sorry about this cancellation but not surprised.  Hopefully, by the end of this year we will see many changes in our world and by the beginning of next year we will be able to go back to a more normal life......which will include making some much needed travel plans.  ☺️

Really looking forward to those changes... .