This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
So today (or rather yesterday) Saturday February 3rd, 2024, 1:00PM – 3:00PM I was participating in a book signing in Southlake Texas. It was an independent author’s book sale at “Your CBD Store, Sunmed” in South Lake. It was a friend of mine from another independent author’s book sale event at a library who invited. It was well done but a little slow. However, I still sold a few books, and I donated one to the very nice store manager Julia. Above all it was fun. I also bought a book from the woman sitting across from me (Tanya Taylor Morris) and it turned out to be a very poignant and eye-opening book that I am really glad that I came across. More on that later.
To check out and maybe buy my book visit the Amazon or Barnes and Noble location for the book. You can do that by clicking on the book cover images to the right if you are on a computer or at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile. As you know if you’ve followed my blog the proceeds from my book sales are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.
First, check out my Leonberger book and consider purchasing it. It features amusing and amazing stories about our truly remarkable Leonberger Bronco, as well as information about Leonbergers. It is a great book for all dog lovers. All royalties/proceeds from sales are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International. To check out my book click on the book cover images on the right.
This post has 25 photos and illustrations. Most of the photos are of our late Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) but there are also Leonberger photos by friends as well as a few Shutterstock photos. The illustrations are from my book. The illustrations for my book were made by Naomi Rosenblatt (I don’t know how to draw).
On the left our Leonberger Bronco three months old. On the right Bronco as an unusually old Leonberger at almost 13.Bronco our Leonberger is giving me a kiss. He is about one year old and not yet fully grown.Bronco’s direct ancestor on the male side Leo von der Sagmuhle in Germany about 100 years ago (18 generations).Our Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife’s lap. He was 167 pounds at the time.Hachi a one-year-old Canadian Leonberger with my book. The owner and photographer is Brenda Saito and her husband.A majestic Leonberger. Shutterstock-ID: 731020957 by Peter Josto.Bronco is chasing off a peeping Tom who was terrorizing the women in the neighborhood including my wife. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Bronco’s puffy cheeks hold two hamsters he probably was trying to save. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Bronco accidentally pushed our German Shepherd Baby into a storm drain. I am trying to drag Baby out of the storm drain while holding Bronco as he is very excited about a dog across the street. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Leonberger puppy. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo is biting Bronco’s tail. He even swung it in as if it was a swing.Bronco got into the kitchen, and he grabbed a gingerbread house. He and our pug Daisy are sharing the gingerbread house.Bronco is getting a bath in the kiddie pool.Leonberger standing in snow. Shutterstock-ID: 705193912 by Eric Isselee.Amie a Leonberger in Sweden who was at the top of a mountain that we hiked up to (Skule Berget). She must have been very athletic.Seven Leonbergers by the beach. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Digory and Obi two Leonbergers. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Five Leonbergers including Digory on 4th of July 2023. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Bronco and Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd.Close up of Bronco about 12 years old. Leonbergers typically live 8-9 years.Bronco our Leonberger kept following me around while he was recovering from a couple of sores that took a long time to heal. They get a very attached when they are not feeling well. Here he is barging into the bathroom. Rollo was terrified of the huge cone.Six Leonbergers and a birthday celebration. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Sitting Leonberger. Shutterstock-ID:1333669760 by Britta Paasch.Leonberger and pug running in the snow. Shutterstock- ID:1659034960 by AnetaZabranska.Overview of the physical aspects of the Leonberger breed standard.
Here is an interesting video about a Leonberger called Scout by CBC news in Canada. This Leonberger is helping residents at Hamilton mental health hospital. He was bred by Concorde Ridge Leonbergers. They have a website and a blog which I follow. The 8-minute video is shown on the website below.
This post features ten Leonberger photos. First there are two photos of our Leonberger Bronco from when he was three months old. Then there are three shutter stock photos of Leonberger puppies, who are probably about two months old. We did not take many photos of Bronco when he was a little puppy so that’s why I am including three puppy photos from shutter stock. Then there are five photos of our Leonberger Bronco between the ages 4-5 months to around one year old. He is bigger in those photos but still not an adult.
Bronco our Leonberger three months old.Bronco our Leonberger three months old.Ten Leonberger puppies. My guess is that they are about two months old. Shutterstock-ID:561107710 by Akbudak Rimma.Leonberger puppy running in the grass. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.Two light colored Leonberger puppies playing. My guess is that they are three months old. Shutterstock-ID: 2141564415 by AnetaZabranska.Our German Shepherd Baby is playing with young Bronco. Bronco is perhaps 4-5 months old in this photo. He is getting bigger, but he has not yet filled out and does not have a lot of fur.Bronco less than one years old. He is a Leonberger teenager. He fell asleep on the floor.Young Bronco at the dog park. Our Labrador Baylor is in the background. Bronco does not yet look like an adult Leonberger. He will fill out and get more hair.Bronco is still young, but he is getting close to being an adult. In the photo he just gave me a kiss and he loved to dance on his back legs.Bronco, our Leonberger, is young but not yet an adult, which we can see from his swanky back. Leonberger sometimes have a swanky back before they are done growing. We had a gate to the kitchen to prevent Bronco from raiding the kitchen. The gate lever had a lock on it because he knew how to lift levers with his nose and open gate doors. The hat he is wearing is a pilgrim hat, the kind of hats the pilgrims wore. Well at least that’s what the pilgrims looked like in our children’s books.
It was a rainy day today, but we didn’t just sit here all day. In the morning my wife Claudia and I had a French lesson. It was over zoom. We discussed tourism including tourism to cities. I spoke about my visits to Paris and Aix-En-Provence. Daisy, our Pug sat and slept under the computer desk during the class. Her snoring was audible to the rest of the class. Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd is very afraid of the sound that rain makes on the roof and on our skylights, so he was very nervous.
Falling in mud
After the class it was no longer pouring, but it was still raining. However, Rollo still wanted to go for a walk so I took them for a walk. Daisy is old, 15+ years old, and she has a problem walking. Therefore, I put her in our pet stroller and raised the hood of the stroller over her. It was wet and muddy and after walking a quarter mile I slipped badly, feet straight up, and landed on my behind and back in a muddy puddle. Daisy’s stroller fell over but luckily, she did not fall out. I was not so lucky though. I was soaking wet; it was cold and my back and behind was covered in mud. I tried to nudge Rollo to go home, but he insisted on continuing. I was worried about what people who saw me would think but we took a long walk.
My muddy jacket and jeans after the walkWet pup at the doorRollo after the walkDaisy in her stroller
A little video of Rollo by the door.
Behold, the vaccine is killing us all
When I came home, I had a text from one of my Swedish aunts. She thanked me for a Holiday Card I had sent, and that she had just gotten. What’s wrong with the post office? She also warned me about the covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer)s, which she claimed have killed 17 million people and given 567 million people injuries for life. In other words, one in ten people who received the vaccine worldwide was injured for life. I know about people in my circle who died from Covid-19, but I don’t know of anyone who died from the covid-19 vaccine. I don’t even know anyone who was injured by it. How is that statistically possible? In addition, my family doctor, who is an extremely good and caring doctor, recommends it, and thinking about it, so does every doctor I know. Most importantly, there are no reliable sources backing up her claim. Her claim was bunk of course.
So, I told her that her information was false and not to worry. When I was young, I did not want to contradict people, but I’ve come to realize that we are drowning in misinformation, and it is very common that people blindly believe whatever seems to support their preexisting beliefs. Therefore, it is important to contradict misinformation when we know that it is false. It is a public service.
Daisy after an exhausting day of doing nothing.
We don’t pick up dead animals
After doing the laundry I noticed that the city had picked up our recycling, finally. They are supposed to pick it up once a week, but it took them three weeks. Last week I tried to file a report about the missed pick up. I was not able to do that using the city’s cryptic website, and search yielded nothing useful. I know you can file a report because I’ve done it before. Therefore, I started the chat, and I got a chatbot.
The bot: How can I help you?
Me: The recycling has not been picked up and I would like to make a report.
The bot: We don’t pick up dead animals.
End of chat……
So, the chatbot was useless. It seems like they are always useless. I’ve gotten restricted on Facebook several times, for selling beer outside the marketplace and without stating the price, when all I did was write a beer review in a beer review Facebook group. When Facebook still employed people for those tasks I could complain, get the restriction revoked and an apology. Once all that remained were bots that ended.
It was Daisy’s birthday (pug in the middle). Rollo is growling at Oslo sitting at the end of the table. It is an old photo.
After I gave the dogs dinner Rollo came to sit next to me on the sofa. He loves sitting next to me and pushing his back towards my side. It seems very cozy, but there’s a problem. Rollo is very possessive and jealous, and he gets aggressive towards others he thinks may threaten his position. Yesterday, he started showing his teeth and growling at Daisy as he was snuggling with me, and I immediately put him down on the floor. He screamed like a choleric two-year-old as I did that. This is one major reason we are hesitating to get another Leonberger. We don’t know how that would play out with Rollo. We have a behavior problem with Rollo that we need to solve. We also set up another baby jail for Rollo.
Rollo’s Baby JailPhoto from the past. Our Leonberger Bronco is sharing the sofa with Daisy.
Towards the end of the day Rollo and I played with his duck, and then he asked for a belly rub. When Rollo wants a belly rub, he lays down on the floor on his side , a couple of legs up, and then he barks one time and then he waits. If no one comes he loudly barks one time and then he waits. Eventually he gets his belly-rub.
The books I review in this blog are normally Leonberger books but sometimes I review other kinds of books that I love and that I want to promote. In this post I will review the fifth and sixth book of an incredible series of books called the Harbor Point series. To see my reviews for books one and two click here and for books three and four click here. Below are the books I am reviewing in this post.
The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and I read the paperback edition.
Paperback – November 28, 2023, ISBN-10 : 1732973962, ISBN-13 : 978-1732973961, 126 pages, Item Weight : 6.9 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.29 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – November 28, 2023, ASIN : B0CCQ1QB9X, 108 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes. (Picture was a scan of the book).
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
What’s the point of having it all when you have no one to share it with?
Brandon Miller has his dream job, financial security, and he’s madly in love. Only one thing is missing—a commitment.
Angela Cooper’s ex-husband left her with deep scars, souring her on the concept of marriage. She’s not interested in a do-over. Not with Brandon or anyone. Her heart is locked securely away behind a thick wall.
With a ring in his pocket and hope in his heart, Brandon arranges a romantic getaway to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn, where he plans to pop the question.
Before they reach the inn, Angela’s got her camera in hand and ghosts on her mind. But they arrive to find a much more tangible horror.
Accident or foul play?
Someone is up to no good, and Angela is the next target. When suspects can be worldly or otherworldly, danger and secrets lurk everywhere.
Poised at the perilous edge of too late, Angela and Brandon face the fight of their lives.
This is my five-star Amazon Review of The Edge of Too Late
A Most Eventful Weekend
Brandon Miller is a successful video game creator who wants to propose to his girlfriend Angela Cooper. His plan is to do so during a weekend getaway at the Harbor Pointe Inn, which is located next to a lighthouse. Angela loves Brandon but is reluctant to get married again because of her bad experiences in her first marriage. What they didn’t expect is that Harbor Pointe Inn and the lighthouse is haunted, by ghosts as well as dark souls of the human sort. There are mysterious and paranormal events, and danger is awaiting them.
This story is both romantic and a bit scary but above all else suspenseful and full of intriguing plot twists, both dark and happy ones. The character development is excellent, and you care for the characters. The relationship between Brandon and Angela is described beautifully and the dialogues are believable and interesting. The descriptions of nature, the oceanside, apparitions, the inn and the lighthouse are vivid and atmospheric. I can add that even though this book is part of a series, it can be read standalone. It was a pleasure to read, and it is certainly a page turner. I highly recommend it.
The back cover of The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes
About the Author
I’ve been an avid reader all my life. I can still remember the excitement that surged through me the first time I realized I could decipher words. There’s nothing I love more than losing myself in a story.
Oddly enough, I never had any ambition to be a writer. But I wound up in mid-life with a story that begged to be told. Not just any story, but a true story that rivaled any fiction creation. Through fictitious characters, the tale came to life in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books. Not satisfied to stop with the books, I released music CDs of original music to match the time period of each story segment. In conclusion, to bring the story full circle, I published a book of poetry and art. I was done.
Wrong!
The story ideas keep coming, and I don’t intend to turn off the creative fountain.
I love all things metaphysical and often include those aspects in my stories.
I am a member of the Author’s Marketing Guild, The Writer’s League of Texas, Story Empire, and the Paranormal Writer’s Guild. I am an avid fan of Texas music and grandmother of five beautiful souls. I reside in North Texas.
The sixth book A Fathomless Affair by Staci Troilo also comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and in this case, I read the kindle version.
Paperback – December 5, 2023, ASIN : B0CKPBBVHH, ISBN-13 : 979-8863386881, 132 pages, Item Weight : 7 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.3 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – December 5, 2023 : ASIN : B0CCQLDX47, 115 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of A Fathomless Affair
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
A narcissistic patriarch. A mystical legend. A fathomless affair.
Most people wouldn’t dread a weekend at the historic Harbor Pointe Inn. Lorelei Audley isn’t most people. The fresh sea air, breathtaking vistas, and gourmet meals can’t buoy her spirits. She’s there to coordinate her father’s latest wedding. The bride is a nightmare, yet somehow, the groom is worse. Lorelei steels herself to suffer through a few days of psychological abuse and abject misery.
She’s unprepared for a paranormal encounter, missing persons case, and police investigation.
Not to mention a budding romance.
A lot can happen in a short time, far more if the supernatural is involved. Lorelei has a small window in which to solve some very big problems—problems as numerous as the sands at the foot of the scenic Harbor Pointe cliffs.
This is my five-star Amazon Review of A Fathomless Affaire
Surreal Days at Harbor Pointe Inn
Lorelei Audley is organizing her father’s third wedding, which will take place at the Harbor Pointe Inn, a hotel located next to a lighthouse in northern California. Unfortunately, her father is selfish, ungrateful and rude and appears to be a narcissist and his new bride is equally obnoxious. He is also hiding some things, which leads to unpleasant surprises. Lorelei falls and hurts herself, she does not get enough sleep, and there’s a curse and a ghost ship. All this creates a surreal and stressful situation for Lorelei. Is she going crazy? Will she be able to handle the abuse and the family drama? Luckily, she befriends a clearheaded astronomer who is at the Inn to observe a newly discovered comet that is having a close encounter with earth.
A lot of things happen in this action packed and gripping adventure, but the author takes the time to describe and develop the characters well and you will empathize with and understand the characters, especially Lorelei. The family drama is outrageous and yet it seems familiar and comprehensible. As you read about Lorelei’s troubles and the strange events taking place you feel that you need to find out how things will turn out and you want explanations. In other words, it is a real page turner. If you love mysteries and drama this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
About the Author
Staci Troilo grew up in Western Pennsylvania writing stories and poetry in her free time, so it was no surprise that she studied writing in college. After receiving creative and professional writing degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, she went on to get her Master’s Degree in Professional Writing, and she worked in corporate communications until she had her children.
When they had grown, she went on to become a writing professor, and now she is a freelance writer and editor.
Staci is a multi-genre author. Her fiction is character-driven, and despite their protests, she loves to put them in all kinds of compromising or dangerous situations.
You can find out more about her on her website (stacitroilo.com).
With this post I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and remind everyone that Fireworks is not appreciated by many dogs. Our Leonberger Bronco did not mind fireworks. Our Labrador Baylor did not mind fireworks and our Pug Daisy does not seem to mind either. However, our Japanese Shin Ryu was terrified of fireworks and so was our German Shepherd Baby. Our mini–Australian Shepherd Rollo is more than terrified of fireworks, and he was traumatized by a rouge bottle rocket that was launched in the middle of the neighborhood against the rules. Kids having fun can do a lot of damage to a puppy.
Fireworks are beautiful but not appreciated by all dogs. Photo by Rakicevic Nenad on Pexels.com
Today I received the Leonberger Health Foundation International (LHFI) Calendar for 2024 and I was reminded of this wonderful organization. LHFI supports medical research that improves the health and lives of Leonbergers as well as other large dog breeds, potentially even humans. They have raised nearly half a million dollars for research into conditions that affect canine health, including osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, glaucoma, cardiac diseases, thyroid diseases, and neurological disorders. Its research also supports healthful longevity and aging as well as population diversity. They have had several successes, for example the eradication of Addision’s disease among Leonbergers.
Front page of the Leonberger Health Foundation International 2024 Calendar
The Leonberger Health Foundation International (LHFI) was founded in 2000 by Waltraut Zieher and other members of the LCA’s health, education, and research committee to “facilitate the solicitation and distribution of donations given to support health related breed-specific research.” The LHFI also administers a program that collects DNA samples from Leonbergers to share with universities and research institutions.
January page of the Leonberger Health Foundation International 2024 Calendar
All purebred dogs are more or less inbred, which comes with inherent health risks. That is especially true for large breeds. However, Leonbergers, especially those bred in North America, are fortunate compared to other large breeds. The Leonberger breed standard does not call for traits that can be detrimental to health. The precise and restrictive breeding regulations of the Leonberger Club of America (LCA) and other Leonberger clubs, and the work of the Leonberger Health Foundation International or LHFI, have resulted in Leonbergers being relatively free of inherited illnesses compared to other large dog breeds in America. For more information see Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, “Guide to Congenital and Heritable Disorders in Dogs,”
June page of the the Leonberger Health Foundation International 2024 Calendar
One happy event for our family was when Bronco received his Grey Muzzle Award, which is an award given for longevity by LHFI. LHFI bestows the award on any Leonberger who has reached the age of twelve. These Leonbergers are the canine equivalents of centenarians, humans who are at least one hundred years old. The Grey Muzzle Award is also given to breeders, because they are partially responsible for the dogs’ longevity. The Grey Muzzle Award was certainly a happy event in Wikman family. If you have a twelve-year-old Leonberger, simply fill out a form on the LHFI website or send an email to lhfgreymuzzle@gmail.com.
The Grey Muzzle Award from the Leonberger Health Foundation International
The foundation will ask for some information, including the registered name and call name of the dog; the breeder’s name, kennel name, address, and email; the dam’s registered name; the sire’s registered name; the owner’s name, address, and email; the birth date of the dog; and whether the dog is alive or dead. If the latter, they will want to know the cause of death. In addition, they would like you to write a one-paragraph tribute to the dog and send two (preferably high-resolution) photos—one head shot and one favorite photo. To find out more about the Grey Muzzle Award click here. To see the 2019–2020 awardees video featuring Bronco click here.
Grey Muzzle Award certificate from the Leonberger Health Foundation International
I can add that when Bronco passed away, we sent his DNA to the University of Minnesota to be used in research. This was facilitated by the LHFI.
Familiar faces. Time marches on.
The 2019-2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees. Bronco is on the second row from the top and second from left. Click on the picture to visit the YouTube video.
Video showing 33 2019 & 2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees (Leonbergers)
Many of the owners of very old Leonbergers joined the Double Digit Leonberger group on Facebook (Leonberger 10+ years old) and the owners of the extremely old Leonbergers (around 12 or older) started talking to each other a lot. It was a small group from around the world. This is why I said “Familiar faces” above. I knew many of them, including Pling, a Leonberger in Sweden. I and Pling’s owner talked a lot to each other in Swedish. Bronco and Pling reached about the same age and passed not too far from each other in time.
Our Leonberger Bronco from the LHFI Grey Muzzle Awardee Video 2019-2020.Our Leonberger Bronco from the LHFI Grey Muzzle Awardee Video 2019-2020.Pling a Leonberger from Sweden from the LHFI Grey Muzzle Awardee Video 2019-2020.
Note, all royalty earnings from my book (see right) go to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.
I’ve been, or am, a member of several Facebook dog groups. I’ve found that most of them are awful. Take for example the Pug groups. I’ve joined a few Pug groups so that can post about Daisy. What I’ve found is that almost all of the Pug groups have preapproval turned on for all posts. Most other groups (Leonberger groups, beer groups, discussion group, etc..) do not. It would not be a bad thing if it wasn’t for the fact that the administrators/moderators of several of the Pug groups take weeks before they approve a post, all while shamelessly doing constant self-promotion, promoting products, and spamming the group they are supposed to moderate. I am a moderator or administrator in several groups, and I certainly don’t behave that way.
Another thing that annoys me is that they copy the photos that members post and then repost them in multiple places and multiple groups without attribution. Look at my photo from Daisy’s birthday below. That photo was copied (not shared) without attribution in lots of groups, multiple times, receiving several thousand reactions and thousands of comments, which is something I only found out about by accident. Who knows how far and wide the photo was spread. Unless someone explained it to you, you would think that it was their pug and that it was they who took the photo. I assume they do this because they want to get attention and be social network influencers. I’ve never complained, that probably would get me banned from the groups in question. However, I don’t think that is the way to run a group. I have not yet found a decent Pug group.
Photo from Daisy’s 15th birthday on October 22. This photo has been spread all over Facebook without attribution.
This brings me to the seven Leonberger groups that I am a member of (there are many more). I’ve listed them below. Only one group does post pre-approval and they typically approve posts within a few hours. None of moderators/administrators of these groups spam their groups, try to push products, or copy members photos/posts without attribution. People have friendly informative discussions, and they get to know each other. The Leonberger community is smaller, and the owners/administrators/moderators of the groups are more mature and responsible. I think it makes a difference that Pug groups tend to be run by attention seeking youngsters. I wish I could find a Pug group that was more like a Leonberger group.
Leonberger’s All Colors Worldwide
LEONBERGER
Leonberger Double Digit Double Club
Leonberger Forum
Global Leonberger Lovers
Leonberger Lovers
Frontier Leonberger Club of the Southwest
I think my favorite Leonberger group is the Leonberger Double Digit Club. It is a group for Leonberger owners with Leonbergers who ten years are old or older. Leonbergers tend not to live very long so that is why this is an exclusive club. It was one of the former administrators (and founder) of this group who suggested to me that I write a book about our Leonberger Bronco.
Below I am posting a few screenshots of my posts from the Leonberger Double Digit Club.
Jacqui pointed out to me in a comment below that you can take action when people are using your stuff without attribution. A photo that took me a second to take may not be a big deal, even though it is bit rude to use it as if it is yours. However, when people copy artwork, as had happened to a few commentors below we have a more serious situation. So anyway, here is the link that Jacqui posted in her comment. (You can also visit the comment).
October 2019 was a tough month for us and especially for our Leonberger Bronco. He had a toe amputation due to a cancer growth on his toe, mysteries sores on his paw that wouldn’t heal for a long time, a tornado destroyed our neighborhood and damaged our house (cost $50,000.00), and then Bronco had a heart failure. All in one month.
Bronco lying in front of our fence, which was damaged by the tornado. His paw is in a bandage and there’s a plastic bag around it. I can add that we only put the plastic bag on while he was outside. If you keep it on longer than 15 minutes you may have problems with condensation.
Our veterinarian’s office had been destroyed by the tornado, so we took Bronco to the veterinary surgical center (where he had his toe amputated) for bandage changes (amputated toe and mysterious sores). After a few visits, the technicians suggested that we do it at home to save time and money. More important, it would be easier on Bronco. So, they gave us instructions, and we started doing it at home.
Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt of Bronco running with a cast.
But changing Bronco’s bandages wasn’t as easy as just rolling out some gauze and tape. First, we had to clean the sores with chlorhexidine, an antiseptic solution. Then we had to apply a healing ointment, such as manuka honey or QuickDerm. This involved spreading it on an Adaptic pad (breathable and nonstick), then wrapping the pad with a Telfa pad (or gauze pad). After that came the soft bandage, then the outer bandage, then something sticky to hold it all together. The latter was necessary because bandages easily slip off dog hair.
Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd on the left. Le Bronco our Leonberger on the right. The outer bandage is purple in this picture but we also used green.
I did most of the bandage changes, but my wife Claudia and the children helped, and even Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd helped. He was very curious: he stood by and watched everything I did as if he were checking to see that I didn’t forget anything. He loved Bronco’s bandage changes and seemed to think that they were very interesting. He followed every move I made with my hands and it seemed like he wanted to help. It was never a problem—except for the time he drank the chlorhexidine.
Rollo carefully inspecting the bandage change.Rollo making sure I don’t forget anything.Rollo thinks the Hypafix tape, chlorhexidine and manuka honey is very interesting.
Therefore, I think that Rollo was a little bit like a dog nurse.
Leonberger Life 