w w w . S t r a y d o g. o r g U p d a t e
POSTED EVERY DAY AT NOON CENTRAL TIME U.S.A.
Straydog Inc., The Late Pat Arnold's Happy Home for Strays, a No-Kill Dog Shelter
P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, Texas 75147 * (903) 479-3497 * EMAIL: straydog@straydog.org

Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

WEDNESDAY MAY 12 2004

NOON UPDATE

Erin's report on Tuesday's vet visit to Dr. Reeves' clinic in Tyler (including an update on Rocky)

    Rocky

      Rocky was having a good day today! He ate some food for both my brother, Joey, and Straydog caregiver, Tina, today at Dr. Reeves' clinic, and he was awake during the two to three hours we were at the clinic. Rocky went for a couple of walks while we were there, and he hung out in his kennel at the clinic with his cage door open, watching us and listening to our talks with the doctor. Rocky seemed very interested in his Straydog doggie friends as they came in one by one for treatment. The doctor is trying different things for Rocky. Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day too for old Rocky-Boy.

[Photos to come of Rocky and Joey with Rocky eating, and of Rocky and Tina walking]

    Toby, Rudy and Julie's hormone treatment

      Toby, Rudy and Julie had blood drawn again today for a check on how the hormone treatment they began six weeks ago is working. Dr. Reeves talked with Dr. Plechner about our dogs, and Dr. Plechner suggested we just check the estrogen levels this time, as it is a little less expensive and will show us a lot about where we are with the other factors.

    Julie

      "Julie has become aggressive toward her former pals," we told the doctor as he was examining her. "Yes, that is normal," he said. "She's coming back to life; her adrenal glands are kicking in (the flight or fight hormones). Once she establishes that she's alpha dog with the other dogs, everything will be all right." (Well, we aren't going to let there be a fight for her to assert herself, so she can just be alpha dog during walks by herself in the park. Until just lately she'd been going to the park together with the other hospital dogs, but then she got into a skirmish with Foxy, and as Toby, whom she's been pals with for quite a while, has had more and more trouble using his hind legs, Julie's begun barking and growling at Toby whenever he slips and falls due to his weakening legs.)

    Rudy

      Rudy has lost 10 pounds again, and he has not wanted to eat for the last couple of days. We'll lower his thyroid medicine and hormone medicine, the doctor said.

    Toby

      Toby's skin allergies have completely cleared up and have not started again this spring. "Wouldn't it have been nice to have done this treatment a few years ago," the doctor said.

    Toby and Angel

      The doctor did acupuncture treatments and networking on Toby and Angel for the stiffness in their joint and for Toby's dysfunction of his hind legs. Every day he seems to be having more and more trouble making his hind legs do what he wants them to do. It's too bad we didn't start these treatments a few years ago too. Dr. Reeves showed Tina how to do some of the treatment and wants to see Toby and Angel again on Friday.

      [In Angel's medical file we saw some notes that Mom (Pat Arnold) wrote about when she found Angel and how Angel got her name. In one of my mother's notes she was telling my sister, Stacey, about her conversation with the angels and how she asked them to help guide the strays to her (or another caring person) so the dogs could get the care they needed. The exact notes mom wrote were really touching, but they are at Straydog, I forgot to bring them home where I'm preparing this update for Dad to put in his noon posting.]

[Photo to come of Angel and Dr. Reeves]

[Photo of Toby getting acupuncture, and Jasper (not one of our dogs) getting his acupuncture too]

    Katie

      Last the doctor saw Katie. Katie has been doing okay, walking with little old lady steps, but she's still walking. She eats well, and is still very sassy. But the doctor was concerned as he examined her and said that he didn't know how long we could 'recharge' Katie. She may just give out one of these days soon, he warned us.

[Photo of Katie and Tina]


Rocky ate this morning (Wednesday) and seems perkier per phone call from Dr. Reeves

      The doctor also said that Rocky's blood looked thinner this morning, which is a bad sign. If Rocky cannot continue producing his own blood, he's in deep, deep trouble.

 

The 73-year-old rescuer needs help with spay/neuter transportation and with adoptions

      I talked to 73 year-old Jessie yesterday. (See our first report on Jessie in our Saturday Update via the link below.) Jessie lives in Oak Cliff and has been in the 'rescue business' for 20 to 25 years. She has a heart condition now and must not take in any more animals, and she'd like to find good homes for some of the many animals she has--a total of 20 dogs and 14 cats.

      "Do you have them separated somehow?" I asked.

      "I have three dogs in the living room," Jessie said, "two in the front bedroom, and two in the dining room. I have a very nice basement with many windows, and I keep fans going in the summer and there are two stoves for the winter. I rotate the dogs in and out of the back yard, a few at a time, throughout the day. I have to keep them quiet or the neighbors will complain. I sold the adjacent lot awhile back thinking it would remain vacant, but someone soon will start building a house, so I'm worried about those future neighbors. My husband died three years ago. We were going to move to Lancaster, more in the country, but that didn't work out."

      I asked Jessie to send us pictures and bios on the dogs and told her we'd put these in our Dogs for Adoption book that we take to Petsmart. She thanked me very much and then told me she also had 14 cats! "Oh my," I said. (I'd thought my seven was a lot!)

      Do you need help with spaying or neutering? I asked.

      Well, actually, yes. I let this feral cat in the house and couldn't catch him, and I have two females that aren't spayed. ... Oh no!

      I have a friend who has helped me in the past get the cats to the SPCA, but neither of us have transportation right now. I also have to watch my coins, she said apologetically.

      "I'm sure we could help you get these cats to the SPCA to be fixed," I told her. Why don't you call and see when their openings are and what the cost will be, and we'll see what we can do to help! Maybe I could help you on a Thursday," I said, wondering if I could fit the drive to South Dallas in. (I will be teaching my classical guitar students Thursday afternoon, so I will need to find help in picking up the fixed cats.)

      "Thursday would be fine. Any day will be fine!" she said. Usually it's a two-week wait for appointments, but I'll let you know. Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Jessie said.

      Jessie has five 10-week old kittens ready to go to new homes, and a few more that will be ready soon. I told her I would ask the Frisco Humane Society if they would be able to take the kittens in.

Erin rescued another dog last night on the highway

      Story with photos to come tomorrow.