Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

WEDNESDAY August 17 2005

5:00 P.M. UPDATE

     When I arrived at the Richardson Regional Hospital this morning my older brother, Pete, who lives in Dallas, was already there, and a couple of physical therapists were trying to get Dad to do some exercises, but all he wanted to do was to get up and go to the bathroom on his own, and he wasn't very happy about his new situation. I noticed immediately Dad's inability to say what he wanted to say, and after a few attempts at an utterance, he would look down in despair and shake his head.

     When Dad saw me, he opened his right hand--his entire right side is not functioning properly--and when I put my hand in his, he squeezed my hand gently and tried to tell me what he'd been trying to tell the therapists. Pete right away told me that Dad was trying to tell us that he wanted to go to the bathroom on his own.

     Just before noon he was scheduled for an MRI. (They'd done a CAT Scan last night, which did not show that Dad had had a stroke.) I left the hospital to come and do this update before the results of the MRI were known.

     I'll be staying at Dad's house, which is less than a mile from the hospital, so that I can spend as much time with him as possible. More later.

Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 10:02

From: Jamie Lee (Ramona's mom)

Subject: Comment on no-kill shelters

To: straydog147@yahoo.com

Dear Bill,

The person who made the comment about no-kill shelters does make an interesting point (which is probably true in some ways). However, what this person does not realize is the big picture. There is no way that a few no-kill shelters can solve the pet overpopulation problem single-handedly. What they DO strive for is education of the public about spay/neuter, and provision of good homes to the dogs/cats that are fortunate enough to find a place in the shelter.

It is exactly what your philosophy is: to provide good homes for unwanted dogs and to adopt out as many as possible to good homes to free up a seat in your "lifeboat" for the next rescue. It is the same philosophy that is echoed in Pat's comment of "What about THIS dog?" The truth is that you cannot rescue them all. If you did, then the lifeboat would sink, as you have gone beyond your means. What you ARE doing is contributing to the overall battle of solving the pet overpopulation problem and saving the dogs that do make it onto your lifeboat. That accomplishment, along with the accomplishments of other no-kill shelters, though it may seem small, is what will eventually lead to "all stray dogs to lucky dogs."

And there is already evidence of some success in this battle: have you noticed that only a few years ago every shopping mall had a pet shop? These pet shops rarely exist anymore, indicating that the public is already better educated about adopting an animal rather than purchasing a puppy or kitten. Law enforcement agencies now strictly enforce animal cruelty laws. These are the little successes. The next major one will be educating EVERY pet owner about spay/neuter.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that what you are doing is "not enough." You are doing what you can within your means and logically this is the ONLY way to do it right. The dogs (and cats) that you have found homes for or are caring for now are your triumphs in this battle.

With thanks,

Jamie, Robert & Ramona

Thank you, Jamie, Robert and Ramona!

Juana reports ...

   Patch

     Patch is doing okay now. He feels wonderful it seems! (He wants to run and get toys in the park, so we realize we have to always keep him on a leash so he won't overextend himself too soon after his stomach operation! And we don't want him to get into more trouble with toys!)

     Patch has some medicines to take, and he's on a soft diet (canned food) for another week. His stitches are looking great and he's enjoying the air-conditioning inside the hospital trailer!

   Colby

     Donna took Colby's stitches out while I gave him treats. Colby was a real good boy. "Remember the first time you brought him here, Juana, and he was so protective of you we thought he was going to eat everybody up!"

     Now Colby knows everyone at the clinic and wags his stub of a tail at everybody, and they know now that instead of being ferocious, he's just a big, gentle baby!

   Big Boy

     It was time to re-order Big Boy's phenobarbital (sp?) (anti-seizure drugs). Big Boy once lived in an abandoned warehouse and was somewhat feral before he was rescued and brought to us by Billy Lawson. Big Boy was very good boy at the clinic yesterday. He jumped right out of the van and when asked to, he jumped right onto the lowered exam table! I told Donna to be careful, though, while drawing blood, and so Donna used a muzzle.

     The doctor came in and gave Big Boy a thorough look-over. He checked his eyes, ears and skin. Everything looked very, very good.

     "At least for two years, all the time I've been back at Straydog, he hasn't had a seizure," I told the doctor.

     "This medicine could damage his liver in the long run," the doctor said. "If I were you I would reduce the amount of phenobarb by one half the amount for two months. Then reduce it again. Then, stop it completely. If he has a seizure, we can always up the medicine again.

     Big Boy had some blood work done which showed a normal profile. The doctor sent another blood work test off that will show more details.

     We'll half the medicine as the doctor suggested. Big Boy is on some natural supplements for the brain too.

   Skynard

     Skynard acted like he was ready to bite, raising his lip whenever the techs or doctor had to work with him. Skynard was very scared and the clinic staff used an extra person while dealing with him.

     He was given a bath and needs antibiotics for 10 days so that his skin sores will heal. We reported yesterday that we were happy to hear that he does not have mange, hooks or heartworms!

     I was a little afraid to pick Skynard up for his ride back home to Straydog. I talked to him over and over, telling him everything would be all right and that I needed to carry him and put him inside the van. He listened to me and let me do this.

     When I got back to the shelter, Skynard wanted to lick my hands, and he wagged his tail a lot. He is a good dog, a very good dog and will be adopted I hope.