Straydog UPDATE posted TUESDAY 3/11/03 at ~9:11 p.m. CT

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

TUESDAY MARCH 11 2003

Snowflake sees the doctor again

      This morning was Snowflake's scheduled appointment for another blood test to try to find out why she cannot hold her food down. Employee Tina went with me this morning so she could hold Snowflake on our 16-mile ride to the vet clinic, because Snowflake becomes petrified riding in the car, and she takes the trip much better if she is being held.

      Blood was taken, and after looking at the results of the test the doctor ruled out several things that could have been wrong with her, and he now thinks the problem has something to do with her pancreas. I thought maybe it could be pancreatitis, but Dr. Morton seems to think the problem more than likely could be a pancreatic tumor, but he isn't sure, which is why he'd like us to get in touch with the diagnostic specialist at the Animal Diagnostic Clinic in Dallas. This is going to cost money ... again, but if Billy Lawson hadn't found Snowflake in the median of a four-lane divided highway, rescuing her and giving her more than another year of pretty decent life, she would have died way back in November of 2001.

      Dr. Morton put in a call to the diagnostic center and explained to the specialist what's going on with Snowflake. The diagnostic specialist would like to see Snowflake, so now it's up to us to make the appointment. I'll call him first thing tomorrow morning.

New arrivals, Sally and Allie, come home with us too

      These are the dogs that were rescued from Tenison Golf Course this past Sunday, and they have been at our clinic since Sunday night being well fed, well cared for and also spayed. Today they were ready to come home. We put Sally and Allie in the van and home we came. Snow was snuggled in Tina's lap, shaking like a leaf all the way back home.

Sally and Allie like their new home at our shelter

      These two young dogs will share a kennel together here at our Happy Home for Strays, and they seemed as if they liked their new quarters a lot as they walked around their big kennel yard and checked out their hay-filled dog houses inside their shelter and the toys we had scattered about for them.

      These once starving two-year-old stray dogs, who must have been living a horribly rough life for a long time--the life all stray animals have to endure--, now seemed to feel safe and secure in their new surroundings. They certainly have been really well fed since their rescue Sunday evening, and their tummies are bulging! It must be a strange, new, safe feeling for them to have enough good food given to them, to experience the kindness and gentleness of people who are helping them rather than shooing them away and kicking them and throwing stones at them. They will soon discover a whole new world here as they are loved and well cared for until they are adopted.

      We know this is true for Jesse-Bear and his Mama Dog Laura. They are very happy dogs now.