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| Chloe hides when she hears the letters ECT! |
ECT is the acronym that Chloe has come to dislike when she hears it. Even when I whisper those letters, Chloe picks up on it right away and heads for her hideout under the coffee table. Now you're probably wondering what the heck does ECT stand for? I'll give you a hint, …it revolves around the maintenance of your dog. Cocker spaniels are particularly prone to needing ECT work typically on a weekly basis, and If you don't provide ECT work, you'll be visiting and spending money at your Vet.
I should also point out that dogs are pretty smart. In fact, my wife and I first use to say the words associated with the acronym, but Chloe soon connected the words with the ECT deed. I should point out that ECT work on Chloe takes the two of us. One person performs the ECT while the other one keeps her still. So now, you're really wondering what ECT means!
Here it is...
E = ears,
C = crusties
T = teeth
That's right! ...it's doggy hygiene!
Cocker spaniels are especially in need of having their long trademark ears checked for infections that have a tendency to lock in moisture and other nasty things since they flap over. As a result we check and clean Chloe's ears regularly with a specially formulated ear cleaning fluid.
Like most dogs, a cocker spaniel's eye ducts secrete a fluid that creates a staining around their beautiful large eyes. White colored dogs especially show this with the brown discoloring that collects on their fur surrounding the eyes. On Chloe, that staining isn't that visible with her sable color, but the eye fluid hardens and forms a crusted layer that needs to be gently removed with warm water and a soft cotton pad. Our dry desert environment probably adds to the quickness in which this occurs as well.
And finally just like humans, a dog's teeth requires regular brushing to remove tartar buildup that can easily come from being served a diet of soft canned dog food. Chloe eats dry kibble and chews on rawhide, but teeth brushing is still required. My wife has learned to effectively use a soft bristle tooth brush, and when combined with a chicken flavored toothpaste (that's right chicken flavor!) Chloe allows her to stroke her upper and lower teeth. But Chloe will only take brushing for so long before she starts squirming, and moving her head around. Like I said, ECT work, requires the two of us.
So there you have it, the meaning of ECT, and while Chloe doesn't really like having her ears, eyes and teeth cleaned, she actually is pretty good about it, and getting a doggy treat after the deed is performed doesn't seem to hurt her one bit.
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