Hot Headed Dogs

not quite a bite

One of my dogs has both friends and mortal enemies. He's very reactive with a lot of behaviors like sleep running, obsessive compulsive licking and wanting to be the alpha dog. He's also anxious so he's not good in the car and needs sedatives to visit the vet. Thunderstorms and fireworks are also bad, but that's normal for a lot of dogs. Except the other dog, the shyer and more skittish, less friendly dog, can sleep through thunder and fireworks. But that one is constantly looking over his shoulder when we go for walks. Normally these two get along okay. 

poor pup

Today, the bigger one was very stressed at not having playmates at the park. After an hour, I was putting them in the car to go home when a dog friend (and owner) arrived and I decided to let my guys go back to the park to play. A terrible mistake! Once inside the fenced area, my bigger guy turned on his "brother" and they got into a horrible fight. I managed to separate them as other dogs/people arrived. I was wearing my thin leather gloves and I could see a spittle of blood on it. Ugh. My hand inadvertently got in the way of some teeth. Although the skin was protected by my gloves, it's still bruised and a bit scabby. 

I got someone to retrieve a spare leash from my car so I could take the big guy home separately from his brother. The big guy has a crate he's okay with. The smaller dog absolutely abhors crates or cages or any sort of close confinement. The bigger dog has inflicted a wound to the smaller dog, a round pink wound devoid of hair atop his head. It's not bleeding but I've never before seen a wound like that. 

Once home, I kept the bigger dog in his crate but fed him with the door open. Afterward, I gave him some "calming chews" and lock him in until I got back from the gym. It's well past 1 pm by then, and I'm surprised to see Wind Breaker on elliptical #1. Machine #2 is occupied by someone I don't recognize but machine #3 is open so that's the one I use. No one uses #4 if there are other options since it doesn't register the incline or the resistance of the program selected. But you can pedal it just fine. 

party time!

My sciatica hasn't improved at all so my foot is numb and the calf feels strangled by an invisible claw. My glute throbs. The only part of the leg that doesn't hurt is my thigh/quad. Weird, right? As if the sciatic nerve skipped that part on the way to the calf, ankle, foot, toes. I manage a decent set of pull-ups but it's painful in all the wrong places. I've spent the past three days trying not to aggravate that big fat nerve bundle. But I did have a great time at the Rocky Horror Picture Show with shadow cast and prop bag. Sitting is okay but walking is reminiscent of that last bout of shingles where I had to stop midway across the hospital parking lot because it was so painful that I actually cried. That's very unusual for me. 

shadow cast players

It's this pain that makes me skip hip bridges and bird dogs in the Aerobics Room. This time the sciatica isn't mollified by walking or exercise the way it used to be. This time is different. Other things are also different. I look at my bare feet and notice that the right foot is even more different than just the mild bunion warping the angle of the big toe. Now the 2nd toe is longer. What? The left foot has a perfectly gentle slope descending from big toe down to the pinky. Perfectly normal for a woman. Men tend to have longer 2nd toes. I don't know why. The 2nd toe on my right foot is now longer than the big toe. It's not as if toes suddenly have a growth spurt when you hit your mid-60s so I can only surmise it's a weird tendon issue. The three hammer toes are also enlarged. It's a good thing I don't wear stylish shoes. 

non symmetrical

Does this have anything to do with my sciatica? Maybe. Meanwhile, I've noticed my eyes seem swollen lately and my eyelids have developed redness with flaky skin. That's a classic symptom of an allergic reaction to eye drops. Mind you, I've been on the same eye drops for years now. I also believe that changes in the tissue surrounding my eyes are due to the Durysta implants running out of bimatoprost. Prior to this, I had been using travaprost eye drops, in the same family as latanoprost, which discolored the skin and dissolved surrounding orbital fat. The skin has lost the discoloration and my eye sockets no longer have that hollow look. But it's the eyelid rash that's disconcerting because what am I suddenly allergic to now? 

Meanwhile, I've taken the dogs for their evening walk and as advised by other families who have adopted from Jindo Love Rescue, am treating them as if everything is normal and fine. The bigger dog gingerly sniffed the wound on the smaller dog's head. I'm apprehensive but the dogs behaved fine. The true test will be tomorrow when I take them to the park.  

28 Oct 2025 1:27-2:44

Tuesday Cardio / dogfight

Bare Basics w Sciatica

Precor elliptical #3

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5286)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 301

Avg Hr: 148. 192-77

New FB: 42-137

(2:06)

HGPU 16 no kipping

right foot numb & throbbing

  Skip 20 Hip Bridges both feet tingly

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

  Skip hip bridge

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

  Skip Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga