Xavier left on transport this morning. Plenty of tears, but no regrets.
They are beyond ready for him to join their family and I will anxiously await the news that he has arrived, safe and sound, in his new life.
I always feel a little guilty leaving the house with one of my fosters for the last time. Dixie and Jax have no idea that their friend will not return with me this afternoon. Our house will be sad for a while, as usual, but we will move on. Somebody else will need us soon.
Good bye, boy. You and I will walk separate paths through our lives from now on, but you will always be a part of my pack and have a place in my heart.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Once again, I have been neglectful with updating the blog. It is the very busiest time of the year for us at work and in balancing all the extra stress of work with the dogs, I am fully consumed.
Xavier has been being treated for a bladder infection of some sort. It got really bad for a while. He couldn't even hold it for a couple of hours and he even peed himself in his sleep a few times. Because it's not fair to leave a dog to sit in his own urine, it put our crate anxiety training on hold. Instead he came with me to work every day and even road along with me during my sales leads. I had to pull over every hour or so, but we made it work. It's situations like these that make me realize how fortunate I am to be able to have my dogs at work when need be.
The urinalysis revealed something very odd. "One for the books" according to the doctor. I will spare the details, as people who are not fascinated with medical oddities, like I am, might find them a bit disgusting. The puzzling test results caused us some concern that there may be some remaining damage to the bladder, which was repaired during one of his surgeries. We got opinions from several different doctors, none of whom could give an explanation. Everyone had ideas, but none too confident. The starting point was a strong course of antibiotics, because the ultrasound that was done the day before I got him was perfectly normal. He seems to be making good progress. He can do three hour stretches in the crate now and he can control the urge a bit more. I'm hopeful that there is no hidden damage. There is a chance that he may always be prone to bladder infections because of his medical history. His adopter aware of this and it doesn't deter him in the least.
Oh, and by the way, he has an adoption pending! And, it is far, far way from the people who did this to him in the first place. Just like Rheagan and Enzo, Xavier will be heading to the D.C. area. His future "dad" is a chef and his fiance, who is from Italy, is just finishing up her final year in law school. The two of them will be getting married this summer. It sounds like they are very active, just like X, and are surrounded by walking trails and dog parks. They have been preparing their home with all of the things that he needs. They are aware of his separation anxiety and want his transition to be as smooth as possible. They got him the same crate, same food, his favorite kinds of toys, and a Thundershirt. They are also setting him up with dog medical insurance, because of his history. He has had dogs all of his life, but X will be her very first. She is excited, but nervous about the whole adoption process. I think they will provide a wonderful home for X. They are going to London next week, so he will be with us for a couple more weeks, which will give us time for follow up lab work. We want to be sure that everything is figured out before he goes on transport, which, by the way, I am dreading already!
Xavier has been being treated for a bladder infection of some sort. It got really bad for a while. He couldn't even hold it for a couple of hours and he even peed himself in his sleep a few times. Because it's not fair to leave a dog to sit in his own urine, it put our crate anxiety training on hold. Instead he came with me to work every day and even road along with me during my sales leads. I had to pull over every hour or so, but we made it work. It's situations like these that make me realize how fortunate I am to be able to have my dogs at work when need be.
The urinalysis revealed something very odd. "One for the books" according to the doctor. I will spare the details, as people who are not fascinated with medical oddities, like I am, might find them a bit disgusting. The puzzling test results caused us some concern that there may be some remaining damage to the bladder, which was repaired during one of his surgeries. We got opinions from several different doctors, none of whom could give an explanation. Everyone had ideas, but none too confident. The starting point was a strong course of antibiotics, because the ultrasound that was done the day before I got him was perfectly normal. He seems to be making good progress. He can do three hour stretches in the crate now and he can control the urge a bit more. I'm hopeful that there is no hidden damage. There is a chance that he may always be prone to bladder infections because of his medical history. His adopter aware of this and it doesn't deter him in the least.
Oh, and by the way, he has an adoption pending! And, it is far, far way from the people who did this to him in the first place. Just like Rheagan and Enzo, Xavier will be heading to the D.C. area. His future "dad" is a chef and his fiance, who is from Italy, is just finishing up her final year in law school. The two of them will be getting married this summer. It sounds like they are very active, just like X, and are surrounded by walking trails and dog parks. They have been preparing their home with all of the things that he needs. They are aware of his separation anxiety and want his transition to be as smooth as possible. They got him the same crate, same food, his favorite kinds of toys, and a Thundershirt. They are also setting him up with dog medical insurance, because of his history. He has had dogs all of his life, but X will be her very first. She is excited, but nervous about the whole adoption process. I think they will provide a wonderful home for X. They are going to London next week, so he will be with us for a couple more weeks, which will give us time for follow up lab work. We want to be sure that everything is figured out before he goes on transport, which, by the way, I am dreading already!
Please, Stop!
When Asia died, it about destroyed me. The only thing worse for me, concerning my dogs, would be for one of them to get lost. I just couldn't take not knowing if they were dead or alive, suffering on the side of the road somewhere, or, God forbid, had fallen into the wrong hands. That is why I never hesitate to stop what I'm doing to assist a loose dog. I understand that not everyone is capable of handling a "stray" dog. It isn't necessarily safe if you don't know what you are doing. But if a dog has a collar on, he isn't a "stray," he has simply lost his way. He likely has a home and he may just have somebody, like me, worried sick and broken hearted at his absence. So I ask of you all, dog lovers or not, the next time you see somebody's four legged family member running at large, please don't ignore him. Please stop. The five minutes that you take to check the tags and call the owner, the vet, or even animal control (for those of you fortunate enough to have animal control in your area) could make a world of difference to somebody.
I did just that on Thursday afternoon while I was driving around doing sales leads for work. I shuddered as a stout little beagle narrowly avoided getting hit by a car. He clearly had no clue as he padded down the middle of a well-traveled street. He had a red harness on and I could see the id tags from my car. Beagles are usually pretty friendly to strangers so I'd no doubt that I could catch him. I got out and called to him and he came scampering over, tail wagging. He was clean and well fed. His name, "Chance," was printed on his collar. It was strange because the phone number on the tag was from a town 25 miles away. I called the number and got no answer but I left a message. It was during work hours, so I wasn't surprised. I put Chance in my car and he accompanied me the rest of the day. Later, back at the office, I got the phone call from Chances very relieved owner. He and his wife were staying in Little Rock preparing for an estate sale at his recently deceased mother's house and the back door had been left open. They had been searching and worrying all day. The house wasn't far from my own, so I told them I'd bring Chance back to them. When I pulled up with him, an older couple met me in the yard. There were instant tears and big hugs for me. They were so thankful. The woman told me that she had been praying to God to bring him home safely. She said "and God sent you. You are Chance's guardian angel." We talked for a while and the husband gave me $50, which I promptly refused. They both insisted and I could see that it meant a lot to them that I take the money, so I gratefully accepted it. The happy ending was enough for me though. I told them that I only hope that somebody would do the same for me. They promised that they would always remember this and pass it on if the situation ever presented itself.
It was a good day.
I did just that on Thursday afternoon while I was driving around doing sales leads for work. I shuddered as a stout little beagle narrowly avoided getting hit by a car. He clearly had no clue as he padded down the middle of a well-traveled street. He had a red harness on and I could see the id tags from my car. Beagles are usually pretty friendly to strangers so I'd no doubt that I could catch him. I got out and called to him and he came scampering over, tail wagging. He was clean and well fed. His name, "Chance," was printed on his collar. It was strange because the phone number on the tag was from a town 25 miles away. I called the number and got no answer but I left a message. It was during work hours, so I wasn't surprised. I put Chance in my car and he accompanied me the rest of the day. Later, back at the office, I got the phone call from Chances very relieved owner. He and his wife were staying in Little Rock preparing for an estate sale at his recently deceased mother's house and the back door had been left open. They had been searching and worrying all day. The house wasn't far from my own, so I told them I'd bring Chance back to them. When I pulled up with him, an older couple met me in the yard. There were instant tears and big hugs for me. They were so thankful. The woman told me that she had been praying to God to bring him home safely. She said "and God sent you. You are Chance's guardian angel." We talked for a while and the husband gave me $50, which I promptly refused. They both insisted and I could see that it meant a lot to them that I take the money, so I gratefully accepted it. The happy ending was enough for me though. I told them that I only hope that somebody would do the same for me. They promised that they would always remember this and pass it on if the situation ever presented itself.
It was a good day.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Xavier (Bones) Update
Bones is doing really well here. His name isn't going to fit him for much longer. The weight is coming on easily, as I expected. I started adding puppy food into the regular dog food. He is responding well to the extra calories that it provides. He is still pretty boney, but definitely looking much better.
Jonathon thinks we should have called him B.J. for Buddy (Jax) Junior because he reminds us so much of young Jax. He is all legs and totally clumsy. He runs into things and slips and slides across the floor. During chase, his long legs often outrun the rest of him which sometimes results in total wipe out. He is just a hoot.
Despite his not so intelligent antics, he has wonderful attention and is very eager to please so leash training has been easy. His loose-lead walking, sitting, and watch me are near perfect in this short time. He is also learning to read the dogs more and is playing a little more respectfully with them. He spent an entire day at the office wearing out Derby (Yes, Derby my previous foster) last week and joined in on a play date with the neighbor dog as well. He loves everyone.
We are still struggling with separation anxiety. Although he is safe in the new crate, he is obviously still very stressed out about it. He chews and salivates so much that his blanket is completely soaked when I return, which makes me feel horrible. Therefore, he comes to work with me every day. Yesterday, Jonathon and I were over in the neighbor's backyard helping her fix her fence and our dogs were in our backyard. Bones knew we were there, but couldn't see us. Within minutes, he scaled the fence to get to us. He just hates being away from us. I have ordered the famous "Thundershirt" to help alleviate some of the anxiety. I am skeptical, but some of the rescuers I know, as well as big-time animal behaviorists, swear by it. The idea is the same as the pressure wraps and weighted vests used by doctors to treat people with autism, etc. Fingers crossed. I am at a loss on how else to help him overcome this issue.
If I was unsure before, it has become clear to me that the poor puppy was surely beaten in his old life. We have seen him absolutely melt down, flattening to the ground and whimpering, just waiting to get hit when he thought he was in trouble. This reaction is not normal of a dog that has been merely "spanked" (I personally don't believe any physical punishment is appropriate for dogs because that is not how they learn, it's just a human way of releasing anger or frustration) but the reaction of a dog that is expecting serious physical pain. It's enough to break any decent person's heart. Being shot in the gut was awful for him, but it may have been his one and only ticket out of an unfortunate life. Perhaps a blessing in deep disguise.
Jonathon thinks we should have called him B.J. for Buddy (Jax) Junior because he reminds us so much of young Jax. He is all legs and totally clumsy. He runs into things and slips and slides across the floor. During chase, his long legs often outrun the rest of him which sometimes results in total wipe out. He is just a hoot.
 |
| My buddy and me! |
Despite his not so intelligent antics, he has wonderful attention and is very eager to please so leash training has been easy. His loose-lead walking, sitting, and watch me are near perfect in this short time. He is also learning to read the dogs more and is playing a little more respectfully with them. He spent an entire day at the office wearing out Derby (Yes, Derby my previous foster) last week and joined in on a play date with the neighbor dog as well. He loves everyone.
We are still struggling with separation anxiety. Although he is safe in the new crate, he is obviously still very stressed out about it. He chews and salivates so much that his blanket is completely soaked when I return, which makes me feel horrible. Therefore, he comes to work with me every day. Yesterday, Jonathon and I were over in the neighbor's backyard helping her fix her fence and our dogs were in our backyard. Bones knew we were there, but couldn't see us. Within minutes, he scaled the fence to get to us. He just hates being away from us. I have ordered the famous "Thundershirt" to help alleviate some of the anxiety. I am skeptical, but some of the rescuers I know, as well as big-time animal behaviorists, swear by it. The idea is the same as the pressure wraps and weighted vests used by doctors to treat people with autism, etc. Fingers crossed. I am at a loss on how else to help him overcome this issue.
If I was unsure before, it has become clear to me that the poor puppy was surely beaten in his old life. We have seen him absolutely melt down, flattening to the ground and whimpering, just waiting to get hit when he thought he was in trouble. This reaction is not normal of a dog that has been merely "spanked" (I personally don't believe any physical punishment is appropriate for dogs because that is not how they learn, it's just a human way of releasing anger or frustration) but the reaction of a dog that is expecting serious physical pain. It's enough to break any decent person's heart. Being shot in the gut was awful for him, but it may have been his one and only ticket out of an unfortunate life. Perhaps a blessing in deep disguise.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Meet Xavier.
First of all, I did not name this dog. I find it to be a rather awkward name for a dog. Imagine me at the dog park "Here Xavier!" Right? We call him "Bones" because he is so boney.
Bones is a 15 month old male dark brindle boxer. He comes to us from Hot Springs, AR. His story is one of irresponsibility and neglect. He was very sick and vomiting for at least two weeks before his former family decided to bring him to a vet. By then, he was weak and frail from malnourishment and extremely ill. His prognosis was poor. With the approval of the owner, the doctor did an emergency exploratory surgery. The poor dog was septic because he had been shot and there was a bullet sitting in his abdomen (we have the bullet). The owners claimed that they had no idea. It had been inside of him for so long, that the doctor couldn't even find the entry wound. "Who shoots a dog?" is the obvious question. More importantly, I ask "How in the hell does someone not notice that their own dog has been shot?" Obviously they paid him very little attention. But even when they knew something was wrong, they chose to ignore it. He suffered for a long time because of their indifference.
After the surgery, the owner decided that he was not going to pay the bill. It was too much money to spend on "just a dog." Keep in mind, the doctor had already given them an estimate and had gotten approval to perform the surgery. This put her into a tough situation. She just spent hours trying to save this dog's life and now they were refusing to pay the bill and wanted her to put him to sleep. She stuck her neck out for this dog. Kudos to her. She told them that she would not put the dog to sleep, but she would nurse him back to health and find him a good home. They did not like that. Their response was something like "If you'll do a free surgery and give the dog to someone else, why don't you just give it back to us?" To which she responded "It doesn't work like that. This dog got into this situation because of your lack of care and now you don't want to pay for him to get better." She knew that he had a long way to go to recover and wasn't comfortable giving him back, money or not. Legally, she didn't have a leg to stand on. Had they insisted that she put him to sleep, she would have either had to do it, or try to get animal cruelty charges filed against them and turn the dog over to animal control and let them sort things out. Lucky for her, they didn't fight her too much, but they were clearly angry. We have these people's names and have been told that they may be watching for their dog to resurface. He will not be eligible for adoption in Hot Springs. My preference would be to get him as far away from here as possible.
Bones is a hand full. At barely over a year old, his energy seems limitless. His dog play is extremely rough, especially with Jax. I don't think he had ever really played with other dogs before. No aggression at all, but he doesn't pick up on the signs that he is driving the others insane. My guess is that he was probably taken from his mother too early as well. That would explain his lack of social skills and bite inhibition when it comes to dog play. He is lucky that Dixie and Jax are about as tolerant as dogs get. He would get his skinny little ass kicked by most dogs. We are trying to work on his dog to dog manners, but he will learn most of that from them.
He destroyed my wire crate day one, literally chewing through three metal bars! I feared for his safety in the crate, but he is not potty trained, nor did I trust him loose in the house with the others yet. Every dog has their limits, and he definitely tests theirs. For the next couple of days, he came to the office with me and spent much of the time in the crate there for supervised practice. I got him a solid-sided plastic crate in place of the metal one (safer if he does try to break out again). He also now wears a pheromone collar to (supposedly) help with his crate anxiety. I throw in a knuckle bone and a peanut butter stuffed frozen Kong to keep him busy. I have also been putting Dixie in a crate right next to him so he has a support system. She has helped me crate train several of the fosters. I think she understands why she is suddenly being kenneled because she never complains. This combination of things seems to be working for him so far. Knock on wood.
Besides those little issues, he is wonderful. When he isn't crated, he shows no signs of anxiety at all. His personality couldn't be sweeter. He loves to cuddle, with us and with the dogs. He does pretty well out and about, being very social and friendly to everyone he encounters. He is good in the car and fine on leash. He is quite submissive to people and he hates being scolded. I think his former owners were harsh with him. He practically melts when you tell him "No!" He barks at the door like any good guard dog does, but it never goes too far. He will be a great family dog.
What they say about horizontal stripes adding pounds is true! His coloring really hides how skinny he is. He has put on a couple of pounds already, but you can feel every bone in his body. I would like to get him about 10lbs heavier. He eats like a horse, and plays like crazy, so both fat and muscle should come quickly. With a little meat on his "bones", he will be even more gorgeous.
Bones is a 15 month old male dark brindle boxer. He comes to us from Hot Springs, AR. His story is one of irresponsibility and neglect. He was very sick and vomiting for at least two weeks before his former family decided to bring him to a vet. By then, he was weak and frail from malnourishment and extremely ill. His prognosis was poor. With the approval of the owner, the doctor did an emergency exploratory surgery. The poor dog was septic because he had been shot and there was a bullet sitting in his abdomen (we have the bullet). The owners claimed that they had no idea. It had been inside of him for so long, that the doctor couldn't even find the entry wound. "Who shoots a dog?" is the obvious question. More importantly, I ask "How in the hell does someone not notice that their own dog has been shot?" Obviously they paid him very little attention. But even when they knew something was wrong, they chose to ignore it. He suffered for a long time because of their indifference.
After the surgery, the owner decided that he was not going to pay the bill. It was too much money to spend on "just a dog." Keep in mind, the doctor had already given them an estimate and had gotten approval to perform the surgery. This put her into a tough situation. She just spent hours trying to save this dog's life and now they were refusing to pay the bill and wanted her to put him to sleep. She stuck her neck out for this dog. Kudos to her. She told them that she would not put the dog to sleep, but she would nurse him back to health and find him a good home. They did not like that. Their response was something like "If you'll do a free surgery and give the dog to someone else, why don't you just give it back to us?" To which she responded "It doesn't work like that. This dog got into this situation because of your lack of care and now you don't want to pay for him to get better." She knew that he had a long way to go to recover and wasn't comfortable giving him back, money or not. Legally, she didn't have a leg to stand on. Had they insisted that she put him to sleep, she would have either had to do it, or try to get animal cruelty charges filed against them and turn the dog over to animal control and let them sort things out. Lucky for her, they didn't fight her too much, but they were clearly angry. We have these people's names and have been told that they may be watching for their dog to resurface. He will not be eligible for adoption in Hot Springs. My preference would be to get him as far away from here as possible.
Bones is a hand full. At barely over a year old, his energy seems limitless. His dog play is extremely rough, especially with Jax. I don't think he had ever really played with other dogs before. No aggression at all, but he doesn't pick up on the signs that he is driving the others insane. My guess is that he was probably taken from his mother too early as well. That would explain his lack of social skills and bite inhibition when it comes to dog play. He is lucky that Dixie and Jax are about as tolerant as dogs get. He would get his skinny little ass kicked by most dogs. We are trying to work on his dog to dog manners, but he will learn most of that from them.
He destroyed my wire crate day one, literally chewing through three metal bars! I feared for his safety in the crate, but he is not potty trained, nor did I trust him loose in the house with the others yet. Every dog has their limits, and he definitely tests theirs. For the next couple of days, he came to the office with me and spent much of the time in the crate there for supervised practice. I got him a solid-sided plastic crate in place of the metal one (safer if he does try to break out again). He also now wears a pheromone collar to (supposedly) help with his crate anxiety. I throw in a knuckle bone and a peanut butter stuffed frozen Kong to keep him busy. I have also been putting Dixie in a crate right next to him so he has a support system. She has helped me crate train several of the fosters. I think she understands why she is suddenly being kenneled because she never complains. This combination of things seems to be working for him so far. Knock on wood.
Besides those little issues, he is wonderful. When he isn't crated, he shows no signs of anxiety at all. His personality couldn't be sweeter. He loves to cuddle, with us and with the dogs. He does pretty well out and about, being very social and friendly to everyone he encounters. He is good in the car and fine on leash. He is quite submissive to people and he hates being scolded. I think his former owners were harsh with him. He practically melts when you tell him "No!" He barks at the door like any good guard dog does, but it never goes too far. He will be a great family dog.
What they say about horizontal stripes adding pounds is true! His coloring really hides how skinny he is. He has put on a couple of pounds already, but you can feel every bone in his body. I would like to get him about 10lbs heavier. He eats like a horse, and plays like crazy, so both fat and muscle should come quickly. With a little meat on his "bones", he will be even more gorgeous.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
D.C....meet Enzo.
Friday morning:
This morning I have a heavy heart. Yesterday I put sweet Enzo, who I had fallen in love with, on a bus to his new home. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more pleased with his new home, but out of state adoptions are harder for me to deal with and Enzo and I were extremely attached to one another.
He is going to be a big city dog, living it up in our nation's capital. His new home is right in the heart of downtown D.C. A very dog-friendly area, his apartment building even has it's own dog park where residents gather each night to socialize and let their dogs play together. The lobby has a supply of treats sitting out for it's four legged tenants. He will have the best of both worlds, being a spoiled "only child" yet getting to play with his friends every day. He is such a character, I'm sure he will win everyone over and become popular quickly. I have a vision in my head of a well dressed doorman opening the big fancy door with a cheerful "Good morning, Enzo!" as they head out at the start of each day. Perhaps I watch too much tv, but it makes me smile, so that is how I picture his future.
He will get picked up in Hagerstown, Maryland (about 3 hours from his new home) between 3:30 and 5:30a.m. tomorrow morning. Until then, when I get that phone call from his adopter, Chana, that he has safely arrived, I will continue to be a nervous wreck.
Saturday evening :
Enzo arrived in all of his glory! Apparently, he was not "broken" by the transport. He bounced back quickly and on day one, has already embraced city life. Their first day together included a six mile walk, stopping in at not one, but two doggy boutique/bakeries and even dropping by to meet her dry cleaner, who always has yummy treats on hand. I am impressed, as is Chana, at his ability to adapt to such an enormous change so quickly. Her original plan was to bring Enzo home to rest and recover from the stress that is transport. She expected him to show up exhausted and a bit scared. Not so. He was ready to explore his new world right away.
The person who did our home visit for us (pre-adoption) adopted from our rescue about two years ago and lives only a mile from Chana and Enzo. At the time of the inspection, they hit it off so well that they actually set up a play date. Perhaps it is the champagne that I have been drinking (judge me if you will, it's been a rough week),but it just blows my mind when I think that two dumped dogs from central Arkansas are now neighbors across the country, in Washington D.C. of all places! And it's an area where dogs are treated with a great level of respect and welcomed, wholeheartedly, by the community. This is success in it's highest form.
There is someone new in my life who's arrival has been over shadowed by Enzo's departure. Their stays here overlapped by a few days and they bonded immediately. Stay tuned...
This morning I have a heavy heart. Yesterday I put sweet Enzo, who I had fallen in love with, on a bus to his new home. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more pleased with his new home, but out of state adoptions are harder for me to deal with and Enzo and I were extremely attached to one another.
He is going to be a big city dog, living it up in our nation's capital. His new home is right in the heart of downtown D.C. A very dog-friendly area, his apartment building even has it's own dog park where residents gather each night to socialize and let their dogs play together. The lobby has a supply of treats sitting out for it's four legged tenants. He will have the best of both worlds, being a spoiled "only child" yet getting to play with his friends every day. He is such a character, I'm sure he will win everyone over and become popular quickly. I have a vision in my head of a well dressed doorman opening the big fancy door with a cheerful "Good morning, Enzo!" as they head out at the start of each day. Perhaps I watch too much tv, but it makes me smile, so that is how I picture his future.
He will get picked up in Hagerstown, Maryland (about 3 hours from his new home) between 3:30 and 5:30a.m. tomorrow morning. Until then, when I get that phone call from his adopter, Chana, that he has safely arrived, I will continue to be a nervous wreck.
Saturday evening :
Enzo arrived in all of his glory! Apparently, he was not "broken" by the transport. He bounced back quickly and on day one, has already embraced city life. Their first day together included a six mile walk, stopping in at not one, but two doggy boutique/bakeries and even dropping by to meet her dry cleaner, who always has yummy treats on hand. I am impressed, as is Chana, at his ability to adapt to such an enormous change so quickly. Her original plan was to bring Enzo home to rest and recover from the stress that is transport. She expected him to show up exhausted and a bit scared. Not so. He was ready to explore his new world right away.
The person who did our home visit for us (pre-adoption) adopted from our rescue about two years ago and lives only a mile from Chana and Enzo. At the time of the inspection, they hit it off so well that they actually set up a play date. Perhaps it is the champagne that I have been drinking (judge me if you will, it's been a rough week),but it just blows my mind when I think that two dumped dogs from central Arkansas are now neighbors across the country, in Washington D.C. of all places! And it's an area where dogs are treated with a great level of respect and welcomed, wholeheartedly, by the community. This is success in it's highest form.
 |
| Good Bye, sweet friend. I will never forget you. |
There is someone new in my life who's arrival has been over shadowed by Enzo's departure. Their stays here overlapped by a few days and they bonded immediately. Stay tuned...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Ouchy!
Friday evening after work, I was outside doing my evening poo pick up (always a highlight of my day) when I looked over at Jax and Enzo, who were wrestling as usual. I could see from across the yard that Jax's neck was covered in blood. I went to examine him but could find no wounds. First instinct is always to check the dog with blood on him, but in my experience, he usually isn't the injured one. The blood was coming from Enzo's mouth. Somehow he had broken his top left canine tooth almost entirely off and it was bleeding like crazy.
5:00 on a Friday usually means emergency clinic, which means big bucks. Not ideal. Still, I knew that this was potentially extremely painful for my little buddy. I only live about a mile from our regular foster vet and the doctor's truck was still in the parking lot when I drove by. I called them and they were still there dealing with another emergency. They told me to come on in, which really impressed me. We waited for quite a while, until the other emergency (acute vomiting) was taken care of. Doc finally came in and took one look and declared what I had already assumed. "No saving that tooth." Enzo needed surgery. To my surprise, Doc offered to do the surgery Saturday morning so we wouldn't have to wait until Monday.
The surgery was more complicated than a simple tooth extraction, which is normally done on rotten or loose teeth that come out pretty easily. This was a young, healthy, growing tooth. In addition, it had broken off so close to the gum line that there wasn't anything to grip with the extractor. Because of that, the gum had to be cut down and the result was a huge hole and tons of sutures. The doctor actually cut a slice of inner lip into a flap and sutured it across the hole to protect it. I had never seen that done before, and was a bit skeptical, honestly. Our instructions...antibiotics, pain meds, and soft food for a week.
He is still on his mange medication and had started treatment for his bladder infection earlier in the week, so the poor dog is now consuming a pharmacy full of drugs everyday! Tonight I was checking his suture site and discovered with frustration that the protective flap of lip tissue that I was worried about coming undone, had indeed come undone. So, back to the vet we go in the morning. I am really hoping that we can avoid putting him back under anesthesia, but we may have no other option. He has been such an easy dog these past two months and suddenly he is a mess. Bless his little heart, though, he is still just as happy as ever.
All of this comes in what may be his final time with us, as we have a new potential adopter. More on this after it's official. I'm hoping that the third time is the charm, although I will be very sad to see him go. Have I mentioned how much I adore him?
5:00 on a Friday usually means emergency clinic, which means big bucks. Not ideal. Still, I knew that this was potentially extremely painful for my little buddy. I only live about a mile from our regular foster vet and the doctor's truck was still in the parking lot when I drove by. I called them and they were still there dealing with another emergency. They told me to come on in, which really impressed me. We waited for quite a while, until the other emergency (acute vomiting) was taken care of. Doc finally came in and took one look and declared what I had already assumed. "No saving that tooth." Enzo needed surgery. To my surprise, Doc offered to do the surgery Saturday morning so we wouldn't have to wait until Monday.
The surgery was more complicated than a simple tooth extraction, which is normally done on rotten or loose teeth that come out pretty easily. This was a young, healthy, growing tooth. In addition, it had broken off so close to the gum line that there wasn't anything to grip with the extractor. Because of that, the gum had to be cut down and the result was a huge hole and tons of sutures. The doctor actually cut a slice of inner lip into a flap and sutured it across the hole to protect it. I had never seen that done before, and was a bit skeptical, honestly. Our instructions...antibiotics, pain meds, and soft food for a week.
He is still on his mange medication and had started treatment for his bladder infection earlier in the week, so the poor dog is now consuming a pharmacy full of drugs everyday! Tonight I was checking his suture site and discovered with frustration that the protective flap of lip tissue that I was worried about coming undone, had indeed come undone. So, back to the vet we go in the morning. I am really hoping that we can avoid putting him back under anesthesia, but we may have no other option. He has been such an easy dog these past two months and suddenly he is a mess. Bless his little heart, though, he is still just as happy as ever.
All of this comes in what may be his final time with us, as we have a new potential adopter. More on this after it's official. I'm hoping that the third time is the charm, although I will be very sad to see him go. Have I mentioned how much I adore him?
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