This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://drake.michaelmarkel.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://drake.michaelmarkel.com/feeds/posts/default.

Dog Days of Winter

So after a month of coughing and vet. trips, I decided to try a new approach with Drake. I installed a whole house humidifier because the house was dry and I was also getting sick because of it. That seemed to help a little but he was still coughing more than he should be.

So I bought a HEPA filter (I also have allergies, so it wasn't just for Drake). Since that has been running it seems to keep him from coughing. I noticed that he still scratches sometimes and that he has been shedding more than normal. So I am keeping an eye on him to see if the allergies get any better as spring approaches or what else could be casing the shedding.

The good news is, he is back to his normal playful self and he seems to be getting better about letting me know when he needs to go outside.

The Good, The Bad, and the Coughing

About a week after I adopted Drake, I took him to a vet to have him looked over and make sure he was healthy. He had been coughing and I had done some research on Google and was pretty sure it was kennel cough since he can from an adoption shelter. When I got the the vet, of course, Drake didn't cough at all. The vet looked him over and said he was healthy and just to watch over his cough to make sure it didn't get worse. He seemed to be doing better, so I went home for a week for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve Eve, he started shivering and not eating, so I made sure he laid down and I gave him a little Robitussin for his cough. On Christmas Eve he was back to his old self. Well the day after Christmas he was shivering again so I decided to take him to the emergency vet and after 200 bucks later he was all medicated up and ready to play again.

If only that were the end of the story. He has been coughing (though not nearly as much) for over a month. The vet said these things take time, so I am making sure the house is warm and humid enough and let him fight it off. Now it is only when he wakes up and plays too much. I am hoping he stops pretty soon as the coughing gets nerve wracking.

Who is Drake?

Drake is the newest member of my family. He is a dachshund dog that I rescued from the local SPCA. He is estimated at two years old and is definitely a cuddler. This blog is about his life of luxury as a dog.

Here are some pictures from December when I got him:

What? I didn't do anything.

Looking up at the camera.


Master of the house.