Make sure they test for Coccidia...sometimes they don't check for that and just look for worms... Yes we will indeed have his stools checked for Coccidia, thanks :o) You know usually stress isn't the cause the diarrhea, it is usually something that was already there and the stress has lowered the immune system just enough to set it loose.... Does that make sense?? yes, totally, the same thing happens with hamsters but mostly Syrians. Syrians get wet tail because something shocks their immune systems when they are moved long distances. The bacteria are there but it doesn't strike them hard until they are stressed. Are his eyes clear and sparkly (no gunk)? his eyes get gooky when he goes out in the bitter cold but otherwise they are clear and no sign of infection, scleras are white throughout Is his nose runny at all...dripping?? No,no drips at all, dry most of the time and cold and damp when he comes in from the cold but dries up again What color are his gums? Should be a nice pink, not too pale.. very nice pink and well hydrated...been checking for that Does he feel extra warm? (normal is around 101º) no, normal How many rounds of shots has he gotten? one round of shots on December 19th In consideration of his breed mix, I would make sure to time his last distemper/parvo vaccination to be given after his 16th week of age (at the same time as his rabies vac). ok...what is the rationalle for that, just curious Did he get a vaccination immediately before you took him home? no, almost a month ago How old did you say he was?? 9 weeks Do keep me posted...I certainly get anxious when I hear the words "sick puppy"...aak! well, I really don't think he's sick with a fever or anything but he could still have something in his stools, so we'll have that checked. He's playing like a kitten, pouncing on sticks and leaves and chasing after toys and generally either getting into trouble or looking for attention...typical puppy stuff. He is napping much better now. He'll nap for a full hour now whereas he was only taking 10 minute cat naps before and crying a lot. Today there was no crying at all and he is back on his food eating about 50/50 steamed rice and dry chow. One thing I thought of was that darn oil tablet the lady gave him at the rescue. I don't know how long she'd been giving it to him but those things are big and I'm sure it was like giving him cod liver oil twice a day. I've discontinued that entirely and today he is having better formed poos and not feeling the urgency to get outside. Ugh! It's a horrid day today... freezing rain so the deck where I was letting him out is thick with ice and the poor thing is terrified. I am too...afraid of falling that is so now I have to trapse him through the garage and out the back garage door onto MORE ice but at least if he falls he will fall only the ground and not off the edge of the deck. I'll pop back in with at "Pupdate" later and let you know what a second slide of his stools shows. Thanks so much, Barb & "Lake" When I foster puppies, I always have my vet tech/or vet if necessary on speed dial!! LOL!! I have the whole routine down...

Rose Group, Please add the following roses posted on 10-31-05 on the IRAR web site, to your October 2005 “AEN” supplement Rose List of 10-29-05. BRIGHT DREAM F, yb ST. CLARE S, ab SLEEPING BEAUTY pb IISE HT, pb ERIN ELISE F, or MARILYN WELLAN HT, mr MARY ANN HT, m MARY’S PRIDE LCl, rb PATTY CAKES Min, dy ELEGANT PINK Min, lp RACHEL Min, dp ZACH F, or Thank You. Ron Schwerdt

Maybe this is overly simplistic, but if he seems to enjoy the attention he gets when he misbehaves, perhaps he is misbehaving to get more attention. It's a classic, common problem for young children, and while you sound very pleased (and indeed, fortunate) to have an experienced and capable foster mom for your son, she may not be giving him quite the same level of attention he would get from you. Honestly, that would be a lot to expect... The programs you are asking about seem to be "fix him" type programs. "Just play the tape while he's asleep and it'll all get better." or "Have him watch the video about how to be good." Yeah - right. I'd expect that only a very 'hands-on' program with a high degree of parental involvement would be really effective pretty quickly. On the bright side though, getting him back seems like a good and natural time to start implementing an effective program. 1-2-3 Magic is a great program. There's a video you can watch about implementing it that is 100% worth your time to see. Don't let anyone convince you that a 'quickie verbal 'how-to' is all you need. There are pieces of the system, such as being sure you have his attention, maintaining eye contact, tone of voice, making it 100% clear that you expect compliance and waiting until you get it -- SO many things that the video illustrates and explains that a 'here's how it works' talk will miss. So get your hands on that video. 'Natural Consequences' is a discipline philosophy that may or may not have it's own 'program video', but it's very effective with strong-willed children. The whole idea is that misbehavior causes bad things to happen, and that the bad things are a direct result of the bad behavior. Touch a hot stove - you burn your finger. So for the car-seat incident, a good natural consequence would be that the trip (if it's a fun one) immediately gets cancelled. "We can't go if you can't stay buckled in your car seat - sorry." Or if it's not a fun trip, stop now, but go again later, cancelling another fun activity because you have to run that errand. Or sit by the side of the road until he buckles up (however long it takes), then sadly have to miss a fun activity because of the time wasted sitting at the side of the road. You get the idea -- The bad behavior causes an unpleasant consequence. The flip side of this strategy is positioning a positive for right after an unpleasant chore. "We'll have our snack right after we pick up these toys." Another strategy that might work is called 'social stories' -- It's used mainly for autistic children to teach them appropriate social interractions and what to expect in situations that might cause anxiety, but basically, they're stories that explain in explicit and concrete terms how certain situations work and what the 'good' or 'appropriate' behavior for that situation is. For example, a trip to the dentist might include getting into the car seat and staying buckled, waiting patiently in the waiting room and playing quietly until it's our turn, sitting calmly in the chair and opening his mouth when the dentist asks and not biting the dentist! It would explain that the dentist uses a lot of funny-looking tools that sometimes make loud or strange sounds, and that the sounds, while strange, won't hurt, and that these tools are used to keep his teeth healthy and strong. Again - the basic idea is to explain about the situation, in advance, in enough detail to remove the anxiety-provoking 'unknown' and give the child a model of behavior to follow. It's amazing how effective these stories can be. And last but certainly not least -- One of my favorites is to catch him being good and offer explicit praise. "That was really nice when you shared your truck with Johnny!" or "You did a great job brushing your teeth tonight - thank you!" Praise and success are the best kinds of attention there is -- Best of luck to you --

"The White House isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of powers, war and peace, and the economical future of the next generation". Right on.