Tuesday, October 6, 2009

What a difference a week makes!! :)

Scotlund, aka Scottie: Though he is as sweet as he was on Day 1, he has transformed from a dog that could barely stand/walk, ridden with lice, eyes nearly shut from discharge, skin irritations, and fur that was matted and greasy and sticky and stinky to a pup that has discovered the joy of rolling in the grass, playing with his new foster sister, and playing with TOYS! (see his video from a previous post) Most importantly - he has a light back in his eyes.

Unfortunately Scottie's medical woes continue. After developing a sneeze/cough over the weekend, he went back to the vet to see what was going on.

The vet said he was worse off then she expected. He has a heart murmur but this could be because of the anemia. The lice aren't too much of a concern. He is getting medicated baths twice a week that should take care of those.

She was not concerned about the growth on his chest but slightly concerned about the one near his armpit. She will remove them when he is neutered.

He has a urinary tract infection and has been switched to a stronger antibiotic to help fight that. He also has a respiratory virus or bronchitis and now needs to be quarantined from his foster siblings.

Because of the anemia - caused by the severe infestation of lice and fleas - he is very susceptible to everything.

The good news is that he is settling in and very comfy in his foster home. He has a cushy bed, in a nice warm house, plenty of toys and all the pets and attention he can ask for.

From his foster mom, "...he still remains so very sweet. After a short walk tonight, he is now in his crate, snoring. :-)"

Sugar: Initially the most outgoing of The Lucky 7, she greeted our volunteer Craig the second she stepped out of the HSUS trailer a week ago. Today, she remains as sweet as a BC girl can be ;) She loves her people and can't get enough pets! Her leash-walking skills are improving slightly - wrapping her leash around you once every 10 steps instead of once every 2... and she has taken to clicker training quite quickly.

Spice: A very people-oriented girl, Spice will politely give you her paw to remind you that she is still there and would like a treat, if you please. From one of our volunteers, "I'll be darned if I didn't see her playing fetch by herself (yes, she can throw the ball for herself!)."

She has tried to initiate play with Smokey by play-bowing, twirling and hopping around like a madwoman, but Smokey wasn't sure how to reciprocate at first!

Spice has also had a chance to try her paws at agility and she thinks this is a fun game!

Faith: Though she still darts in/out of her crate, Faith is a lovebug with people, happily wagging her tail as she goes for her walks exploring.

Emily: The sweet little girl is starting to think about shedding her shyness. She is cautiously coming up to sniff new people, coming out of her crate on her own, doing a lot more walking vs. slinking and even ran around a little bit!

Smokey: Little Smokey has probably changed the most of all The Lucky 7. After initially feeling that the only way to walk was scuttling around on his tummy, this little boy has decided that walking is not so bad, and running around is even better!

He has also been a champ at greeting strangers and doG help you once he thinks you're Good People! He will absolutely ensnare you with his frolicking, muppet-head and puppy eyes! Today, he picked up his first toy and played and wrestled with it in the house. :)

Smokey also discover an excellent new game that involves lots of treats from his new friends!

Here's some video of Smokey's first big play session...


Andy: Sweet Andy is still slightly conflicted about meeting new people. He generally prefers to sit from afar and watch the goings on. Once he knows you, though, he will happily come up to greet you with a super-waggy tail for a treat and maybe a quick pat.

Andy feels much more comfortable with other dogs than people - sadly typical of a dog that was raised without much human contact and not socialized out in the world. Luckily Andy has lots of doggie friends to lean on...

We just can't express enough gratitude at all the people that have helped with the daily care of these dogs. It's been a big job, and not at all a glamorous one, but the results of all this good, hard work is already showing! THANK YOU ALL!

1 comment:

Ellen said...

Thank you all so much. They are different dogs ! It is simply amazing how fast they have responded to some
affection, and to some normalcy.
Nice to see the BC traits coming out.