I've been on my new medication for over a month now and WOW am I a different dog.
I am much more settled and I like to spend most of my time in my favorite dog bed napping or chewing on a good rawhide. I don't run all over the house anymore, my foster mom says I am a different dog since we upped my meds to 3.25mg twice a day. My shadow watching and fly snapping are 75-85% improved. It's a HUGE change compared to how I was. I am still pretty busy outside, but hey, that's where I can really stretch my legs. It is getting pretty cold, so I don't hang out there much these days except to do my business. I am getting much better at that too. Rarely do I have an accident in the house and if I do, it's on the kitchen floor and it's poop. I have a hard time telling my foster mom when I have to go out. I never bark in the house, so I never bark at the door either. She might try and find me some Christmas bells to see if she can get me to ring those. I sit like a nice girl too when mom feeds me. I don't knock the food out of her hand anymore, I wait nice for her to put it in my dish.
I'm still looking for my home. It's been hard to find someone who wants a very, very sweet girl with a small medical problem. I know someone has to be out there. I've asked Santa Paws to help find someone who might like a rattie for Christmas or the New Year.
- Gracie
Gracie
Friday, November 26, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Banished....sort of....
No more bed for me. Not that mom doesn't want me up there, she does, but Darby, the alpha of the house is also now sleeping up there and she scares me. So even though mom asks me up, I take one look at Darby and I go the other way.
See Darby is the boss of the dogs and she has cleaned me up more than once when I have gotten a bit out of line. But mom says Darby is very sick. She has a tumor, a big tumor. Mom said it's the size of a tangerine and while I have no idea what that is, mom said it's pretty big for a dog our size.
Darby started losing weight when she kind of stopped eating. We thought it was my fault when I ran her over one day while she was eating, but even though she is eating again, she is still losing weight. Mom took her in and an x-ray, which is where they take a picture of your insides, showed something bad. So the next day, they did an ultrasound, which is a different kind of picture of your insides. There it showed this big thing, the tumor.
Mom has decided not to do anything. She said that Darby has been a loyal and loving companion for 11 1/2 years and it would be unfair to do surgery that will not really extend her life, but for a few months, and be very painful for Darby. Mom says the best thing she can do, it love Darby and make her remaining months happy ones.
I'm glad mom doesn't want to make her suffer with surgery. I don't like the vets office and neither does Darby. Darby said it smells funny, the tables are cold and they poke at her and prod at her. Even though they are very nice to her, it makes her afraid and she just wants to get out of there as soon as she can.
I'm very sad for Darby, even though she's been mean to me, it makes me feel bad when any dog is sick, especially ones I live with. I'm going to try very hard not to make Darby mad at me for the next couple months.
- Gracie
See Darby is the boss of the dogs and she has cleaned me up more than once when I have gotten a bit out of line. But mom says Darby is very sick. She has a tumor, a big tumor. Mom said it's the size of a tangerine and while I have no idea what that is, mom said it's pretty big for a dog our size.
Darby started losing weight when she kind of stopped eating. We thought it was my fault when I ran her over one day while she was eating, but even though she is eating again, she is still losing weight. Mom took her in and an x-ray, which is where they take a picture of your insides, showed something bad. So the next day, they did an ultrasound, which is a different kind of picture of your insides. There it showed this big thing, the tumor.
Mom has decided not to do anything. She said that Darby has been a loyal and loving companion for 11 1/2 years and it would be unfair to do surgery that will not really extend her life, but for a few months, and be very painful for Darby. Mom says the best thing she can do, it love Darby and make her remaining months happy ones.
I'm glad mom doesn't want to make her suffer with surgery. I don't like the vets office and neither does Darby. Darby said it smells funny, the tables are cold and they poke at her and prod at her. Even though they are very nice to her, it makes her afraid and she just wants to get out of there as soon as she can.
I'm very sad for Darby, even though she's been mean to me, it makes me feel bad when any dog is sick, especially ones I live with. I'm going to try very hard not to make Darby mad at me for the next couple months.
- Gracie
Monday, November 8, 2010
It's getting cold.
It's no secret, I'm an outside kind of gal. I hate the thought that I might miss something. Mom says I'm like a cat, always on the wrong side of the door. I'm not sure what she really means by that, I've never seen a cat on either side of our door and if I did, I am sure I would have chased it.
I love running, not in a circle, just around the yard. I like to watch things, like the neighbor kids. One of them chases with me up and down the fence. I am way faster than Nelson is, but I do have four legs compared to his two. The weather is getting pretty chilly especially at night. When mom takes us out at bed time, I hate to get off the deck. The grass is a little crunchy and it prickles my feet, so I would rather just stand on the deck and pretend like I don't have to go. Mom know better. She stands out there for a long time waiting for me and if I still refuse to go, there are no cookies when we go in and I have to sleep in the crate for the night. I don't mind the crate, but I would rather sleep in the big bed.
I have dog coats to help keep me warm. Mom sews. She has racks and racks of them downstairs and she has a table full of ones she is still working on upstairs. I think she works too hard, but she still makes time for me, so I guess it's alright.
I am doing pretty good with my medication. I'm still not perfect, but I am so far from what I once was. In fact, I can't even see where I was way back then. I have been with mom now for seven months. I worry that I may never find a home. I know mom worries too; I've heard her on the phone, but she says she won't panic until it's been a year. I've heard her tell some others that the longest time she has had a dog was 504 days. I guess that dog was very badly injured and had lots of surgery. But mom said she found her home and they love her so much, so I hold out hope.
- Gracie
I love running, not in a circle, just around the yard. I like to watch things, like the neighbor kids. One of them chases with me up and down the fence. I am way faster than Nelson is, but I do have four legs compared to his two. The weather is getting pretty chilly especially at night. When mom takes us out at bed time, I hate to get off the deck. The grass is a little crunchy and it prickles my feet, so I would rather just stand on the deck and pretend like I don't have to go. Mom know better. She stands out there for a long time waiting for me and if I still refuse to go, there are no cookies when we go in and I have to sleep in the crate for the night. I don't mind the crate, but I would rather sleep in the big bed.
I have dog coats to help keep me warm. Mom sews. She has racks and racks of them downstairs and she has a table full of ones she is still working on upstairs. I think she works too hard, but she still makes time for me, so I guess it's alright.
I am doing pretty good with my medication. I'm still not perfect, but I am so far from what I once was. In fact, I can't even see where I was way back then. I have been with mom now for seven months. I worry that I may never find a home. I know mom worries too; I've heard her on the phone, but she says she won't panic until it's been a year. I've heard her tell some others that the longest time she has had a dog was 504 days. I guess that dog was very badly injured and had lots of surgery. But mom said she found her home and they love her so much, so I hold out hope.
- Gracie
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Santa Paws
I know I just blogged yesterday, but I want to tell you about a special holiday program in our rescue group called "SANTA PAWS." This is a special program for dogs in foster care who are still waiting for a home over the holidays.
As fosters, we have to share everything with the other dogs in our house, because we are just a guest for a while (some longer than others) and this program ensures that we get our very own things at Christmas. We even get to make a list of our favorite things! So here is the info from Santa Paws head elf, I think his name is Norman.
Ho ho ho, all!
It's time for some good ol' fashioned Holiday Spirit! Rat Terrier ResQ has wonderful dogs in foster care that can't wait for you to bring them some Winter Cheer. Won't you consider becoming a Santa's helper to a ResQ dog?
Here's how it works:
1) Email santapawsresq@ gmail.com (remove the space) to join! In your email, you can indicate a preference for a particular foster dog, if you'd like. To see some of our foster dogs, please visit the website: http://www.RatTerrierResQ.com -- There are also *quite a few* dogs that are too new to be on the website yet, so check often.
2) You will receive a wish list from the dog you've selected and an address to which you can mail your goodies! Please send your package so that the dogs will receive it by December 13th.
3) Check in for our Rat Terrier ResQ Santa Paws album full of pictures of smiling ResQ dogs!
*Also note: This is not an exchange. It's a bit of warm winter love for homeless Rat Terriers!
Woof, woof!
Head Elf
As fosters, we have to share everything with the other dogs in our house, because we are just a guest for a while (some longer than others) and this program ensures that we get our very own things at Christmas. We even get to make a list of our favorite things! So here is the info from Santa Paws head elf, I think his name is Norman.
Ho ho ho, all!
It's time for some good ol' fashioned Holiday Spirit! Rat Terrier ResQ has wonderful dogs in foster care that can't wait for you to bring them some Winter Cheer. Won't you consider becoming a Santa's helper to a ResQ dog?
Here's how it works:
1) Email santapawsresq@ gmail.com (remove the space) to join! In your email, you can indicate a preference for a particular foster dog, if you'd like. To see some of our foster dogs, please visit the website: http://www.RatTerrierResQ.com -- There are also *quite a few* dogs that are too new to be on the website yet, so check often.
2) You will receive a wish list from the dog you've selected and an address to which you can mail your goodies! Please send your package so that the dogs will receive it by December 13th.
3) Check in for our Rat Terrier ResQ Santa Paws album full of pictures of smiling ResQ dogs!
*Also note: This is not an exchange. It's a bit of warm winter love for homeless Rat Terriers!
Woof, woof!
Head Elf
- Graice
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
What a difference......
Holy cats!! And I don't mean the kind I chase....
Mom upped my medication on Thursday night to 3/4 of a pill twice a day. By Saturday, I had a drastic improvement of my fly snapping and my shadow watching. On Saturday, I didn't have any instances of fly snapping and only minimal shadow watching. I think I was feeling a little "wooky" as I spent a lot of time sleeping in my favorite dog bed. I love that dog bed so much, that if my step-brother, Murphy is laying in it, I will lay next to it to wait for my chance at it.
By Sunday, I was pretty much back to myself, except that my fly snapping and shadow watching was minimal. I got a little crazy when mom put on her shoes, but that was it. I hardly ever fly snap anymore, which is great and it's a lot easier on the teeth too! My shadow watching is also much reduced. It's a real change for me. Mom says she has hope now that someone might want me. My Namenda costs $.66 a day and my Prozac costs $.30 a day, but we are working on getting that cost down a little when we order it from Canada.
I'm really a happy girl, with not a mean cell in her body, so I keep praying my home is out there. If you know of anyone who would like a happy rat terrier with a few problems that aren't her fault, let them know I'm available. I'd really, really like my own home for the holidays 'cause I hear you get presents.
- Gracie
Mom upped my medication on Thursday night to 3/4 of a pill twice a day. By Saturday, I had a drastic improvement of my fly snapping and my shadow watching. On Saturday, I didn't have any instances of fly snapping and only minimal shadow watching. I think I was feeling a little "wooky" as I spent a lot of time sleeping in my favorite dog bed. I love that dog bed so much, that if my step-brother, Murphy is laying in it, I will lay next to it to wait for my chance at it.
By Sunday, I was pretty much back to myself, except that my fly snapping and shadow watching was minimal. I got a little crazy when mom put on her shoes, but that was it. I hardly ever fly snap anymore, which is great and it's a lot easier on the teeth too! My shadow watching is also much reduced. It's a real change for me. Mom says she has hope now that someone might want me. My Namenda costs $.66 a day and my Prozac costs $.30 a day, but we are working on getting that cost down a little when we order it from Canada.
I'm really a happy girl, with not a mean cell in her body, so I keep praying my home is out there. If you know of anyone who would like a happy rat terrier with a few problems that aren't her fault, let them know I'm available. I'd really, really like my own home for the holidays 'cause I hear you get presents.
- Gracie
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