My name is Ryder and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be the new voice of The Black Dog Chronicles! I’ve been a Delameter for nearly two years already, you know that’s nearly 14 years in dog years, but have delayed in beginning my writing career for a long time because I just wasn’t feeling so well. More about that soon.
You all know that mom & dad lost their beloved Aspen in August 2020. Well, only two weeks later they found ME! Mom said she was still deeply mourning her sweet girl but absolutely couldn’t resist my smiling face on my profile at Three Little Pitties rescue. I’ve been told they specialize in bringing doggies in need of homes from Texas to the PNW but that wasn’t the case for me.
You see, I spent my days at doggie daycare because my mom had some mobility issues and wasn’t able to get me enough exercise. After some time she made the tough decision to have the rescue find me a new home with someone with a bit more energy. That’s how I got lucky enough to get my new mom & dad.
Although a rescue, as were my predecessors before me, a bit more is known about me. They know my birthday is November 26 and this year I”ll be nine years old so in human years even older than my new parents. I’m not sure what breed I am. Mom calls me a “designer dog” because I’m made up of a bit of all the best dogs, black labrador, maybe a shepherd of sorts, and my coloring suggests a bit of border collie. Other than that we’ll see if we ever get my DNA results back.
I’m a big boy with long legs and weighing in at nearly 100lbs. That is a big addition to mom & dad’s bed where I love to spend at least some of the night because I am a cuddle master!
I hadn’t been to the beach before becoming a Delameter and wow, am I ever a lucky pup. I LOVE the beach and try to convince mom & dad to take me there at least once a day but a really, really good day means I get to go twice.
When I first moved to the beach mom & dad fed me the same way they’d fed Aspen. Let me tell you, that girl ate well! What they discovered quickly is that I had a much more sensitive tummy than she did; her nickname was rock gut after all. I am, most assuredly, not the same.
Mom & dad don’t know if I’ve always had tummy issues but most of the last two years have involved a lot of vet visits due to often-repeated bouts of diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes becoming so severe that I had to go to the vet for anti-nausea, anti-diarrheal shots. NOT FUN for any of us.
After changing my food multiple times, trying elimination diets, and doing a lot of research a full blood panel looked like the diagnosis was IBD; irritable bowel disease.
What is IBD? Well, it’s different than IBS. IBS, irritable bowel syndrome is most often caused by stress, change of diet, or infection and normally affects the large intestine. IBD on the other hand is an overgrowth of chronic abnormal inflammatory cells and is an actual disease. As the lining of the intestines becomes more inflamed the body loses its ability to process food and water properly and it can lead to serious malnutrition. Some doggies even have to be euthanized if their systems are too impacted!
Luckily, in my case, what finally worked is a VERY strict diet and, believe me, mom & dad are STRICT. I get no food or treats of any kind except my RV dog food. The vet thinks my IBD is an allergic reaction of sorts so I now get to enjoy Royal Canin Selected Protein PR. The PR means it’s rabbit and potato. Because of supply issues I haven’t been getting the PR wet food, for that, I get Hill’s RX Diet Z/D which does have some chicken in it but the hydrolyzed protein is so small that my tummy is okay.
In addition, every morning I get my “magic pill” Mom gives it to me in a bit of my canned food and makes lots of yum yum noises and I just love it! It’s called Budesonide and they say it’s a steroid. I don’t care what it’s called as long as I feel this good.
I’ve had so many adventures since I became a Delameter and camp ambassador and I can’t wait to start sharing my stories with you here!