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AnaplasHUH??

8/7/2012

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When I tell people that we are living in the woods and hiking everyday for 5 months, I often hear "aren't you scared of bears?"

My answer is always the same...I'm much more afraid of ticks and mosquitos.  The tiniest little buggers can truly do the most damage.  They can carry things like West Nile or Lymes Disease.  Or Anaplasmosis. 

Yep, Anaplasmosis.  It's a bacterial disease that's transmitted through ticks and is very similar to Lymes in terms of symptoms.  And my good buddy Rooney is currently being treated for it. 

Last week we were camped at a shelter in NJ and enjoying a night like so many we've had before.  We made dinner and Rooney played with other campers before we turned in.  He seemed like his normal self that night, but the next morning we woke up and his paw was twice its normal size.  He had trouble standing on it and we knew hiking was out of the question that day. 

Before that moment, we really hadn't seen any symptoms and this seemed to come on pretty suddenly.  Thankfully Serial's parents were at a campground an hour away AND the shelter had a road directly it.  That hardly ever happens and we were so lucky that Steve and Lauren were able to pick us up without making Rooney walk on his paw. 

A trip to the vet ruled out any broken bones and introduced us to Anaplasmosis.  The great news is that it's completely treatable and Rooney is already on the mend.  He had a splint on his leg for 3 days while his paw healed and he will be on medication for about a month.  Today his paw is fully healed and the meds are doing their thing.  He's a little tired and his appetite is a bit off, but mostly he's his old self.  And we are so grateful.

So that's the latest on our little grey monster.  Thanks for all of the care and concern! 

~Minutes
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Rooney's splint, he was too cute!
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Rooney-isms

7/21/2012

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Anyone who has met Rooney knows that he is pretty energetic.  Anyone who has spent more than a day with Rooney and just read that sentence laughed a little and probably muttered something like, "that's an understatement!"  Weimaraners, in general, are quirky and high-strung so we knew what we were getting in to, but sometimes he is so inexplicably crazy that Serial and I just look at each other and shake our heads.

So, with that in mind, I'd like to share a story about Rooney.  A "Rooney-ism" if you will.  When we arrived in Duncannon, PA we decided to spend a night at the well-known hiker hotel, The Doyle.  It's an old historic building that has a bar/restaurant on the first floor and hotel rooms on the top two floors.  There is no air conditioning and the windows don't have screens so you basically just sweat it out with the windows closed or accept bugs into your room in exchange for a breeze.  We chose to keep the windows open and hope for the best.

Right away we knew it was going to be a rough night.  The flies seemed to be pouring into our room and settling in for the long haul.  Rooney is tortured by bugs of all kinds, but flies are his nemesis.  He snaps at them, chases them and ultimately tries to eat them just to be rid of their buzzing.  When he sees one, there is no getting through to him.  He blocks out everything around him and only hears the fly. 

So when no less than 216 flies invaded our room that day, Rooney went into full blown panic attack.  He was actually stressed out.  You could see the panic and helplessness on his face and no matter what we did he didn't hear our voices. 

So, we did the only thing we could think of... we set up our tent in our tiny hotel room.  Rooney views the tent as a safe place and his home.  The bug netting keeps him safe from pests, but it's also the place he has come to trust as a constant in his life while our surroundings are changing every day.  As soon as it was up, he jumped in the tent and promptly took a nap. 

So there you have it... a snapshot at life with a Weim and just one of the many Rooney-isms we have come to know and love!
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Our tent set up in the hotel room
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The fire keeps bugs away and is one of Rooney's favorite spots to be
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1,000 Miles with Rooney

7/8/2012

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Now that we have done over a thousand miles on the trail with Rooney, people are always asking us how he is holding up.  I thought I would do a quick rundown of what has been working and what hasn't, when it comes to our pupper.  There are a few main things that we pay attention to regularly.

Diet - this is obviously very important since Rooney is exerting so much energy.  In normal life we focus on nutrition and healthy choices, but out he on the trail we focus on calories and fat.  The more the better.  When we leave town we take a 6 lb bag of dry food and 12 ounces of olive oil with us.  The oil is added to the dry food to provide extra fat and calories and all of this typically lasts 3 nights on the trail.  Rooney carries some in his pack and we carry some for him.    In town, he continues to eat dry food but we also give him raw meat and eggs (not at the same time).  We really try to load him up on food when we're in town.  So far he has maintained his weight, but his muscles have really bulked up.  He looks like a true work dog and is quite the strong little beast.

Paws - one thing we were warned about consistently before thru-hiking was Rooney's paws.  We started out carrying boots for him, but it was clear that he wasn't having it.  When we put the boots on he refused to move and looked miserable.  Plus it felt a little risky to change up his agile footing when the terrain was at times very rocky.  He has massive, very strong paws and it's one of their reasons that he can climb and hike so well.  We didn't want to mess with that.  So instead, we did some research on paw wax and found a product called Mushers Secret. We have been using it since Damascus, about 600 miles, and Rooney's paws are in great shape.

Ticks - this year is reportedly a bad year for ticks because of the mild winter.  We find a LOT of ticks on Rooney and ourselves.  We apply a monthly tick treatment to Rooney and we do checks on his body multiple times a day.  It's not unusual to find 10 ticks in one day.  Thankfully his hair is short so it's pretty easy to spot the little buggers.  We carry a tick key and tweezers and we are now experts at removing them.  If you would like to learn more on ticks, associated diseases and tick removal. Dale & Stacy from 3 Dogs and a Tent discussed it in length on their June 28th Paw Prints Live radio show with their co-host Dr. John Rowe DVM from Aid Animal Hospital. Click here to listen.

Energy
- Weimaraners are known for their high energy and athletic ability which makes Rooney great for hiking.  Since we've been out here we have noticed that he has calmed down, in a good way.  He still has plenty of energy to hike, but he doesn't pull as much on the leash and he stays closer to us when he is off leash.  When we are in town or when the tent is set up, he takes advantage and sleeps.  He has realized that this is down time and he takes advantage of it.  

Gear - we are still really happy with the gear we chose for Rooney.  His pack is in great shape and the leash is perfect.  We ditched the boots, but everything else is still with us.

So that's it.  The basics of hiking with a dog and the things webareasked most frequently.  Of course, there is a lot more to it (shelter etiquette, trail commands, etc), but we will save that for another post.  Happy summer!  Remember to keep your dogs cool and give them plenty of water :)

~Minutes, Serial and Rooney
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Sleepy pupper!
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Rooney loves a good vista.
2 Comments

Hiking with a Dog

2/8/2012

4 Comments

 
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The day we brought Rooney home.
Tomorrow is our dog’s birthday so I thought it would be a good day to post his gear list and some general thoughts/tips on hiking with a dog. 

But first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROONEY!!






Quick disclaimer before we get going: I am neither a veterinarian nor an expert on dogs.  My thoughts and opinions stem from my own experiences with my Weimaraner and from research I have done on the subject.  I encourage you to explore other sources of information and determine what works best for you and your dog – everyone is different.

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After Trail Days in 2010
When planning for our thru-hike, we always knew we would be bringing Rooney with us.  Hiking was a big part of our lifestyle when we decided to get a dog and as we were learning about different breeds, the Weimaraner stood out to us as a dog that would love being outdoors.  They’re known for their high energy and prefer a lot of exercise, plus they are hunting dogs so they feel comfortable in the woods. 

(Side note – if you’re interested in adopting a Weimaraner, there is a fantastic rescue organization nearby and I definitely suggest you check them out.  You don’t need to go to a breeder to get a full-bred dog!)  

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He used to fit in a messenger bag!
Rooney’s first hike was on the AT.  He was such a tiny puppy and we took him on a day hike to Abingdon Gap shelter.  He was so little that we had to carry him part of the way (it’s harmful for puppies to walk too many miles while they are still growing), but getting him familiar with trails and shelters at a young age has served us well over the years. 

Bringing a dog on a thru-hike is one of those topics that stir up strong emotions in some folks.  Some have had bad experiences with an aggressive dog or maybe they had to share a campsite with a dog that was allowed to run loose and disturb other hikers.  Some think it’s cruel and selfish to force a dog to hike that many miles.  Whatever the reason, there are a large number of folks who do not welcome dogs on the trail.  And that’s fine.  I’m not here to tell them they are wrong.

But I’m also not in agreement with them.  I think some dogs do have a place on the trail, BUT I also think there are very important factors that need to be considered before you take your dog on a hike, whatever the distance.  Most importantly, you need to be in control of your dog.  I say this for the safety of the dog most of all.  Yes, it is also to be considerate of your fellow hikers, but your dog relies on you to know what is acceptable and safe.  So for your dog’s sake, make sure you have reliable verbal commands and can call your dog to your side no matter what the circumstance. 

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Rooney on the trail.
Also consider what your dog is truly capable of and whether you are willing to adjust your hike to your dogs needs (i.e. skip a hostel with a shower and bed because they don’t allow pets).  Be realistic about your dog’s body type and endurance.  Make sure that your dog actually enjoys hiking and camping for more than a day at a time.  Dogs rely on us to do what’s best for them and while it may be hard to separate from your dog for six months, it might be what’s best for him.

All of that said, if you still believe that your dog is ready for a thru-hike then head over to this checklist on WhiteBlaze and give it a thorough read.  It’s a bit of a harsh stance on trail dogs and you may not agree with every word of it, but it does provide some very important questions to consider.  

Serial and I have spent a good amount of time preparing & planning for Rooney to accompany us on our hike so I wanted to share his gear list with you all.  If anyone has suggestions or feedback on what worked or didn’t work for their dog, I would love to hear it.
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    Update!  Life has become busy in a great way, so we don't have a lot of time for blogging these days.  We've left the site up as a reference, and we do check our blog emails whenever we can, but we are no longer actively posting or commenting.  Thanks for understanding and have a wonderful day! 

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    I'm a Chicago girl who loves the outdoors and everything DIY.  He's an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and addicted to nature.  Follow us as we share our experiences with home projects, recipes and hiking with our energetic Weimaraner, Rooney.

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