Here are the top 6 reasons that Grady is…..well, Grady:

1.  He spends an eternity searching for just the right spot of grass to pee on….

Looking for a place to pee; Still looking; STILL looking...

(15 minutes elapse….)

….then overshoots it by about 2 feet and ends up peeing all over the sidewalk, himself, and whatever else is in his way.

THIS is the spot he chooses?!?!?!

2.  Although he doesn’t bark much, when he does it is frequently directed at inanimate objects, including trees, walls, or trash cans.

3.  He is a firm believer that it is better to walk through something than around it.  He has attempted this with walls, car doors, poles, and me, among other things.  To my knowledge he has not yet succeeded.

4.  Need I say more?

Courtesy of Teena Patel/University of Doglando

5.  He often scratches his ear so violently that he makes himself yelp in pain.  And then continues doing it.

6.  He has the ability to tune everything out around him.  My favorite example?  He was sniffing around the backyard and I was calling for him to come for about five minutes with no response.  I walked out to him, calling his name the whole way, and when I touched his back I swear he jumped a foot in the air.  And I’m pretty sure he even looked in my direction as I was heading toward him. 

Sometimes I think I need to give him an IQ test.   Then I think I’m better off not knowing.

UPDATE!!!

I now have a #7 to add to the list as my Wonder Dog amazed even me last night!  Unfortunately, no photos yet although I hope to recreate the scene and add some later…

7.  As we were going for a walk yesterday, Grady had a full on meltdown at the turtle shaped boot cleaner thingy at someone’s front door.  I probably looked like a crazy person laughing hysterically at my 100 + lb dog alternately staring down and running from the inanimate object parked in the breezeway.  Hackles up, he would approach ready for battle only to spook at some imaginary movement on the “turtle’s” part, at which point he would jump a foot in the air and scurry backwards.  Like I said, he’s special……

Animals in my household tend to have allergies and the resulting skin eruptions that go along with them.  I’m not sure if it’s the muggy Florida summers that breed mold and invite bugs or if I’m just unlucky with my animals.  Either way, Florida summers are increasingly becoming the bane of my existence.  Grady has been my biggest problem child over the past couple of summers (although Tiny gives him a run for his money!).  Last summer, his allergies kicked in around May and didn’t abate until late September.  The only way to keep him healthy was an almost continuous round of antibiotics and prescription strength antihistamines during that time.  He suffered from numerous bacterial and fungal infections and scratched incessantly.  It was heartbreaking to watch and to have nothing further to offer to relieve him, aside from the dreaded steroid shot.  So, I stepped outside the realm of modern medicine and began doing some research into herbal remedies for skin afflictions.

Clockwise from top left: Closeup of the raw, pus filled sores on his legs; Grady's rear leg; Severely affected in groin area; Looking spotty and miserable.

This summer I was ready when the itching started.  I had thoroughly researched my options and chose to try herbs to relieve Grady’s symptoms.  I used several resources to learn about herbs, including herb shoppes and reliable websites.  However, the best resource I used was a book titled All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets by Mary L. Wulff-Tilford and Gregory L. Tilford.  This book has become my herbal bible and I highly recommend adding it to your bookshelf.

The recipes I used for Grady over the past month have worked amazingly well and thankfully I took some photos to document the remarkable improvement.  Grady suffered from hives and hot spots over his entire body and had severe itching.  Within a week of using the herbal rinses, the skin dried out and the infection cleared up.  Within a week of using the herbs orally, the hives were gone and the itching relieved a great deal.  The only additional medication he received was a prescription antihistamine when he first got the hives.  Initially, it did provide some relief but I soon discontinued it when it stopped helping him.  I attribute the dramatic improvement in his condition to the herbs, because he has been off the antihistamines for over a month now. 

Grady after one week of treatment with herbs

It is important to do your research when using herbs for medical purposes.  While they are natural, they can be overused or misused like any other remedy.  In addition, some animals may have conditions that preclude them from using a specific herb.  Please research your information well and understand what you are giving your animal and the potential side effects.  With that being said, herbs are a fantastic alternative to traditional medicines:  they are generally cheaper and safer than their counterparts and offer an alternative when prescriptions just don’t work.

Grady’s treatment consisted of the following:

• Weekly bath with Tropiclean Neem Shampoo.  This product is amazing and really helps to alleviate his itching.  It provides a deep clean and really eliminates his greasy skin.  Neem oil is traditionally used in India to treat skin conditions and may help to repel fleas as well.
• 1 tsp ground Burdock powder in food once daily.  My research indicated that this herb provides best results when given in large doses, but I always introduce new food additives gradually to prevent stomach upset.  The small dose helped him, so I didn’t increase it.  Burdock is known for treating several skin conditions and for cleansing the liver.  I chose this herb for oral use because it was recommended as a treatment for hives. 
• Poultice made from green clay with 10 drops Echinacea and 10 drops Oregon Grape, mixed with water to desired consistency.  This was smeared on the worst abrasions and really soothed and healed the skin.  Warning!  This can be messy!
• Herbal skin rinse, doused after bathing and sprayed onto affected areas multiple times daily.  Recipe is as follows:

Herbs were added to a tea infuser and steeped for 15+ minutes.

1 part Calendula

1 part Comfrey

1 part Yarrow

1 part Peppermint

1 part Sage

1 part Juniper Berries (optional)** See preparation instructions below.

Combine herbs (I used 1 tsp = 1 part) and infuse in approximately 10 oz. boiling water in a tea infuser.  I let the herbs steep for at least 15 minutes before straining and I used the same herbs to steep twice.  Let cool before using and store refrigerated.

**Juniper berries must be decocted before use.  These are prepared separately by simmering the berries for approximately 20 minutes over low heat.  The resulting liquid is strained, diluted by 50%, and stored refrigerated.  I added a volume of this equivalent to approximately 1/5 of total volume to the infused tea.

I chose this series of herbs for my rinse for specific reasons.  Calendula is an antibacterial/antifungal and soothes irritated skin.  Comfrey is somewhat of a miracle worker in treating skin conditions and speeds the healing process.  It is also an anti-inflammatory and analgesic.  Yarrow is a pain and itch reliever and is good for treating allergies.  Peppermint soothes the skin and relieves itching.   Sage is a strong antibacterial/antifungal that is widely effective.  Juniper is a strong antiseptic and astringent and I used this when Grady’s skin was most severely affected, then discontinued it. 

From top left: Juniper berries; Peppermint, Sage, Juniper berries, Yarrow, Comfrey; Comfrey; Calendula; Sage

While this combination of herbs did not entirely alleviate the itching, Grady was much more comfortable after being treated with the spray.  The raw skin and sores were literally healing overnight but the ongoing battle was preventing him from scratching new ones.  When the oral Burdock was added, the combination worked well to resolve the problem.  Incidentally, I sprayed the herbal rinse on myself several times after being bitten by mosquitos and it did relieve the itching and reduce the swelling very rapidly.

Tiny is doing pretty well so far this summer (touch wood) so I have not yet had the opportunity to try this rinse on her wounds.  Hopefully it works as well for her!  I’ll keep you all posted when I get the chance to try it.

This is Grady.

Yeah, yeah.  I know Grady is not a horse, nor does he provide tips, tricks, or tales about horses.  But in my house, he IS an honorary horse because he’s as big as a pony.  And because I share my life with him, he will occasionally appear on these pages.  I’m as much a dog lover as a horse lover, and in my experience horse owners often share their homes with dogs. 

Grady is not a typical “horse show dog.”  He’s not small, cute, or particularly horse savvy.  In fact, he’s pretty much the opposite of all of those things.  In spite of this, he still managed to capture my heart and at the few horse shows he’s been to he’s done exceptionally well.  For a mastiff, which lowers the bar quite a bit from, say, a Lab or a Corgi. 

Let’s face it – Grady is NOT going to be sneaking into a hotel room (not that I would condone such a thing, but it has been known to happen in desperate times in the past).  And horse shows = summer time = major mastiff slobber.  Not for most people, even the dusty horse lovin’ kind. 

Anyway, the point is that I hope to share some tips and tales I’ve gained during my time with Grady in addition to my horsey news.  Maybe you’ll find him as entertaining as I do.  =)