Straydog UPDATE posted FRIDAY 4/25/03 at ~9:30 p.m. CT

Pat's Daily Dog Log

FRIDAY APRIL 25 2003

Nikki, the timid Pit Bull, is rushed to the vet

      Two-year-old Nicki began treatment for heartworm disease on April 16th. Because Nikki has advanced heartworm disease the doctor wanted to treat her using the "slow method" of treatment: one dose now, and the second in two months, or when the doctor thinks she is ready for it. Even this slow method of treatment is risky for Nikki, but the infestation of heartworms if left untreated is definitely fatal.

      Nikki appeared to be recovering nicely from her first treatment nine days ago until this morning when she began coughing, and then she coughed up blood. She needed to be rushed to see the doctor, and by 9:00 I had Nik at our vet clinic.

      Dr. Morton examined her and I went with him when he took her to have x-rays done on her chest to see the condition of her lungs. After the radiographs were taken, Nikki began coughing up much more blood. It was a very serious few minutes for us all, and the doctor suddenly left the room and came back with a syringe and quickly injected the contents beneath the skin of the back of Nikki's neck. He did it so fast I hardly noticed where the needle was being injected, and he said this hopefully would calm her cough. Within minutes the cough subsided. It was amazing to me.

      We looked at the x-rays, and Dr. Morton said Nikki's lungs actually looked better than he thought they would.

      He said Nikki could come home with me, because he will be out of town this weekend. (Wouldn't you know, a sick dog and the doctor is away?!) But, he assured me that we will get through this together. He will call me several times Saturday and Sunday to check on Nikki and just said, "We will get through this together."

      It's been 10 hours since Nikki has been back at our shelter, and we've all been watching her like a hawk! She has been fine so far. No more coughing and she's resting comfortably.

Rosie's six little puppies go to the park for the very first time!

      This was the Big Day for Rosie's six little rolly-poly pups to go to the big play yard for the very first time. They had a ball running around, all over the place! The pups were having such a grand time playing we hated to take them back to their kennel. Now that they've had a taste of the Big Yard, they will be looking forward to their turn (along with their mommy) every day!

First visit to the Big Play Yard for Rosie's pups, who immediately begin running after their mother as she shows them around this gigantic new world.

Another of Rosie's puppies coming back??? Looks like Rex's little brother, Ricky, may come back tomorrow too

      It seems that Rex's mom is returning Rex because he looks like a Pit Bull puppy (per our phone conversation yesterday). (Rex's biological mom, Rosie, is a Black Lab mix, and she and her other six pups are, of course, still with us--see photos above.) Rex's new mom saw the picture of a Pit Bull on the internet and thinks now that Rex looks just like a purebred Pit Bull. And because little Puppy Rex plays rough with her adult dog, and because Rex looks like the Pit Bull puppy, the woman feels this is the "Pit meanness" showing up at an early age. She wants to return the little 10-week-old puppy, and I said fine.

      Then the first woman calls the woman who adopted Rex's brother, Ricky. They talk about the "mean, aggressive" behavior of Pit Bulls, and now the second woman wants to return her little 10-week-old puppy, the twin of Rex and litter mate of Rosie's other six puppies.

      These woman have every right their opinions. We gladly accept both puppies back.

      All I will say is that we have many breeds of dogs here who have been labeled as "mean and aggressive," such as Chows, Pits, Rottweilers, Dobermans, even German Shepherds," and these dogs are just as sweet as the Collies and Labs and Australian Shepherds we have rescued.

Wow! Good News arrives: A Happy email message from Billy the Border Collie's Dad!!

      After hearing about the return of Sally and Alice, then Rex and now possibly Ricky, when I saw there was a message from Billy's dad I expected the worst from him too. But what a pleasant surprise! Billy's dad wrote that Billy is an absolute blessing. He is the most intelligent, loving, smartest and most protective dog he has ever had. Billy is house-trained and very well mannered and loves working the cattle with his new dad.
This happy news really makes our day!