WTF was wrong with Dingle's face?

Okay, so Dingle's face is better... the scabs or whatever it was came off today... through Dingle licking, scratching and some help from me (just getting it off his wiskers).

Any thoughts about what it was?

My possible ideas...

- From chewing a bone... and sticking his face right inside the (femur) bone... did it get raw?

- Licking excessively and irritating the area?

- From licking my boyfriend's dog's ears... mouth gets chapped from having a soggy floppy ear resting on him all the time?

- Allergic reaction?

- Something nasty that dried to his face and wasn't actually a scab?

- WTF?

He's had little patches before, but nothing like this.

Before it started to come off it just looked slightly 'off' - like a dark circle around his mouth/lips. It wasn't bloody or anything. It didn't appear to bother him... not that he indicated at least. But then again dogs can't talk.

Now that the crap has come off it's pink again... but I can't tell if it's pinker than usual... it doesn't look extremely raw, though.

We came back from my mom's place about 3 days before I noticed his muzzle looking weird. No traces of this up there.






In other Dingle news: We're moving. Yes, doing what the opthamologist did not recommend. We're staying in the same building and have had access to the new place for a few weeks, though we don't officially live int he new place until Saturday. I was slightly worried about changing his environment so I took Dingle to the new place often for him to check it out and familiarize himself with the layout. He went when the apartment was empty and now with about 99% of our stuff in. No problems so far. I think he sees a lot better than suggested by the opthamologist... or that he pretends to. I'm only concerned about the first little while of him sleeping there - at night. He doesn't not see well at all, in the dark/low light. Of course this place has scary steps. Our current place has stairs by they curve half way down and have a bit of a landing. The new apartment is 12 steps, straight down. Our bedroom is directly to the right, at the top. Thank goodness for baby gates and being obsessively supervised.

Wow, I sure can update regularly Dingle had a week away from Toronto

So it's been 2 months since I updated. Not that anyone really reads this anyways, so I guess it's okay.

Dingle and I just got back from some vacation time at my mom's. I was looking forward to Dingle getting to swim at the beach, but the weather was crappy so he never got to the beach.

Dingle did get his very own $12 wading pool though:





He stood in it looking pissed off for a few minutes, then jumped out. I put him in, he jumped out... I put him in, out he goes... this process repeated itself several times...

When not outside Dingle spent a lot of time exploring... and eating the random food pieces that were on the floor near my mom's conure's cage. Dingle hated that damn bird. He didn't mind it last year, or near the beginning of last week - until my sister opened its cage and it decided to fly out and land on Dingle's back. It was all down hill from there.

Dingle barely ate any of his food when we were gone. I think it's because he filled up on other stuff. That and he's not a big eater as it is.

One of the things he enjoyed... his first steak bone:




When I went out to a store briefly Dinglehopper did not have to go in his 'camper' (fold up canvas cage thing).

What did he do while I was gone?



He waited for his mommy.

We're back in Toronto now and Dingle is no longer the only dog in the household.

Dingle did not use a pee pad while at my mom's house. I thought "yay maybe he won't ever have an accident in the house again, therefore avoiding the need to put a pad down", but no... he's regressed again. He's like an 8 week old pup sometimes in that department... probably relates back to his puppy mill beginning somehow.

Something weird I also noticed is that Dingle has a disgusting rash/scab/scaly thing all over his muzzle. It's really nasty. He had it a bit before we went away, but it cleared up completely while we were gone. Now it's back. I don't know what's causing it.

While away he used a glass water bowl. Here he has stainless steel.

While away he didn't chew bones. He did since we've been back.

While away he didn't have another dog nearby... with floppy ears that Dingle feels the need to lick the insides of, 24/7.

My other guesses as to what it might be caused from: Dingle's obsessive licking (of other people, himself, etc), dirty Toronto.

Right now the scab/scaly grossness is peeling off. I might see if I can get a picture of it. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't appear to bother him... so I'm just watching it and not taking him to the vet. I always rush to the vet... not this time.

Speaking of which I'm waiting for another reimbursement cheque from Vet Insurance.

$20,000 lifetime coverage... Dingle's not even 4 and has probably used half of that already.

If you or anyone you know chooses Vet Insurance for their pet, say that Dinglehopper's owner referred you - they currently have a promotion which gives us 1 month free for referrals.

I love Vet Insurance - they are so fast at reimbursing you... their plan is easy to understand... they never decrease your coverage/penalize you for making claims... I definitely recommend it. I spent a lot of time looking at the available programs/companies when I first got Dingle and I do not regret my decision to choose Vet Insurance.