My Pretty Little Dinosaur

Day 10, August 4

Unfortunately, I have searched my ENTIRE home for the cord that connects my camera to my computer. It will turn up, but I don't want to withhold an update just because I don't have pictures.

Puppy (whom I sometimes call Jellybean, but name is still not official) is doing well. She still pretty much sleeps all of the time but when she is awake (eating, following me around, going outside for the bathroom), she seems to have more life in her. Her head isn't as droopy and she has a little more pep.

She has been dewormed again and is now taking Metronidozole, which is an anti-diareah medicine. She poops alot, aways outside, but has little piddles of pee inside. They are so small though, it is kind of cute.

She no longer has blood crusties all over her face, just a patch on the left side. She is just really flaky right now. I gave her the second bath; overbathing isn't good because the body's natural oil production is helpful.

She gets fed 3 times a day, total of 3 cups. I took her in to the clinic today and she only gained an ounce: 16.6 lbs. That is disappointing because she has been cared for very well since she has been here and I was hoping she had gained weight, so her ivermectin dose can increase for more mange-fighting power. Well, dosage remains the same at .16 cc's a day. It is believed that she hasn't gained weight because her body is using all of the nutrients/calories to fight off the infection and heal itself. It was recommended that I give her peanut butter, because it is high in calories and a "good" fat. I am also going to refer to Linsday from the Chic Petique for some advice on how to help her put on more weight.

Puppy has begun showing more interest in marrow bones that are laying around the house. She also had her first bully stick. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it but by watching Maya and Rufus (foster dog available for adoption) devour theirs, she soon caught on. She loves to snuggle and has gained enough strength to pull herself onto the couch without help so she has just been a couch potato. No more "invite-only" rule.

Oh- when I was leaving the shelter, three older women were going into the shelter. They stopped me, did the whole "ooh" and "ahh" thing. I told them her story and one of the ladies just kept saying "she's beautiful!" I am awed by the fact that people can see her beauty, despite her outward appearance.

I will post pics and videos as soon as I find my cord…I promise. She def looks better =)

ps. the pic here was taken today by my good friend, Stacey. You can see her face is no longer blood-crusty everywhere.

Days 2/3 "Mom, the sad dog is outside", says my 7 yr old neighbor

Days 2 and 3 were pretty much filled with the same activities: eating and sleeping.

Puppy is getting three small meals a day and she eats like there won't be food anymore. Nevertheless, she lets me put my hand in the bowl, stick my hands in her mouth, and take the bowl away while she is eating. So far, no food possession issues from this skinny minny.

When Puppy isn't eating, she is sleeping. I realized that she no longer wants to sleep with the panda. While I was sitting on the couch, she came over, sat on the ground near me, look up at me with her crusty, boogery eyes, and wagged her tail. Ugh, how could I resist.

So, I took two of the clean towels and covered the couch (and me). This is necessary because every time she moves her face, she gets crusty blood everywhere.

We had some snuggle time, of which I think she was appreciative. I am betting she wasn't shown this kind of love at her previous home. She is a good snuggler, except the blood crusties and disgusting mange smell (which you become accustomed to after a little while).

Now she tries to go onto the couch all the time, but she is only allowed up when she is invited. I showed her the "dog chair" and helped her get up there. Hopefully, she will learn that is the place to go unless invited onto the couch.

A 4 month old puppy should be much more active but because of her condition, she is exhausted and has no energy to actually be a puppy. Once her little body doesn't have to work so hard to help itself get healthy, she will be a silly puppy in no time =)

Some medical news: She still has intestinal worms, even after being dewormed at the shelter 3 days ago. They should have all been dead by now, but they are still alive. I'm not delving further into this. Just know that she is getting dewormed again tomorrow. Hopefully, the nutrients in the food will begin going to her instead of the worms. She is just a skeleton; it is quite sad watching her walk around with absolutely no muscle mass.

Day 1: Mange Puppy Comes Home

July 26, 2011.

I was walking through the lobby of the shelter where I volunteer (ACCT, Philly's only public intake shelter which takes in over 33,000 animals a year) and saw a pathetic looking thing sitting in a towel on a chair. The more pathetic they look, the harder it is to walk away. So, naturally, I stopped. Her paws are swollen from infection. Her nails are white from malnourishment. Her eyes are wide open because she is a cutie.

I talked with "Chloe's" owner, a young man and he said he brought her to a vet (on two different occasions after it didn't get better) and was able to describe what the meds looked like but didn't remember the names. He has two other dogs, he said neither of which have mange. He was slightly open to the offer for free spay surgeries for his two other resident dogs. Not sure why she is so skinny, although the owner seemed like he genuinely cared and said "I didn't know what else to do for her". So while he never should have let it get this far, I think it is, in this case, a lack of education about pet care/needs, rather than a case of deliberate animal cruelty. PS. The shelter is following up with him.

I stood by like an anxious mother waiting/hoping/fingers crossing that her skin scrape came back positive for Demodex mange (known, in the shelter world, as the "good kind") and not Sarcoptic mange (the kind that is contagious to other animals and people). I stood. I paced. I watched 4 other dogs be checked in that came in as strays. Every time the office door opened, I was hopeful it would be D with the results. FINALLY D came out and gave a thumbs up. It was the "good kind". I could take her home. 

D gave me a medicated shampoo for her and it was off to the the bath room. She was not overjoyed about being bathed but I imagine the cool water felt good on her hot, infected body. If you have ever fostered a mange puppy before, you know the first bath is usually the worst. They come out bleeding everywhere because all of the scabs that were washed off. Mange Puppy (whom I wanted to call Jellybean, but now I'm not sure) happily stood while I dried her off, the towel probably relieving the itch caused by mange. This is a picture of puppy after her bath. 

After "borrowing" lots of dye-free linens for her, waiting for her meds to be filled (she is taking LOTS of medications), and carrying her out to my car, I drove to the back of the parking lot where J was giving me free, donated dog food for foster parents and low-income residents. She made sure to give me food of the highest quality to ensure that this pup was getting THE BEST THERE WAS. No more crappy life for this little girl =)

She slept on the ride home and then we hung out in the backyard with my dog, Maya. Puppy flopped her inflamed paws around and tried to chase a tennis ball. Then she just sat, looked at me, and wagged her tail. You can see in this picture how excruciatingly underweight she is.

Puppy ate her dinner (Petra, you'll notice that is your dog bowl you gave me when I took Fuller and never gave you back), got her meds, and then I placed her on the dog bed for a nap…likely the first time this dog had been on a dog bed engulfed by a stuffed panda bear. After scratching (or itching?) her face, shaking, getting blood everywhere, she fell asleep, puppy twitches and sleep-barking included. 

After another bathroom break, she quietly went into her crate for bedtime. She has yet to bark. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

Although I know fostering older dogs is much easier than puppies, there is something so special about watching the transformation of a mange dog into a healthy dog. I hope to share this transformation with you. Enjoy.