Day 19

DAY 19! Yay! We're quickly making it to a month..I really can't wait until the month milestone. Go,  Dos, go!

Today, Dos got another Sebolux bath. This stuff is the stuff of miracles..I'm going to start looking online to see if I can get it without spending a million dollars, because this stuff is seriously working wonders for her. It's clearing up the scaly, crusted skin that's still left over, and it's taking away from the infected skin smell. (come on, antibiotics, kick it up a notch!)

She was very patient today for her bath. I spent a good forty five minutes scrubbing her and scrubbing her again. She really likes the attention, and even lifted up her back legs on her own so I could get to her belly.

As I was drying her, paying close attention to all her little wrinkles, I thought, this is like washing a fat baby.

And then it hit me...baby powder. I quickly researched using baby powder on dogs, and when I saw that I was in the clear, i carefully, as to not get any powder dust where she could breathe it in, I applied thel powder in all of her wrinkles, to absorb any dampness left over after drying. Hopefully, it will help prevent any more yeast infections while she's taking the antibiotics, at least on her skin.


I washed her bedding with bleach and Odoban that I got from work. I'm really trying to keep her and her environment clean and free of anything that could potentially breed any bacteria.

Dos had a little dinner date with Francis, our eldest furchild, who also benefits from taking fish oil and having a homemade meal at night. He's 13, and his joints are aching...so Omega filled dinner for two it was. Salmon, flax seeds, and fish oil (fish fish and more fish..my house smells like a shipmate from The Deadliest Catch) over brown rice.


Dos also seems to really like Francis because he is a very laid back dog, who doesn't 'over sniff' her. She's still getting used to the other dogs, who are all under 2.  Though she has been interested a bit in playing chase with them, she can only take so much activity. Francis, however, is chill. He is her companion and she seems relaxed with him.

Dos, right now, is in her bed, with her paws stuck out directly in front of her, crossed, like a lady.

Day 19 Dos-and so many more to go!

Day 18-Super awesome news!

I've been waiting to post this all day!

 

Dos isn't deaf!!!!!!! Perhaps the antibiotics cleared something up? Perhaps she has the energy to respond now? When I took her to the vet, she was totally nonresponsive to sound. Now...she can hear!

Other than that, nothing much else to report...Dos lounged around, watched me do some work, slept, snored like a trucker, and followed me around every time I moved from room to room. She has become my little shadow..I actually couldn't remove her from my lap for a good part of the afternoon.

She has become an incredibly cuddly, tail wagging, happy little girl.

This was about forty five minutes in to her on my lap.

 

 

 

Day 18! Time is flying. The antibiotics are dwindling, as are the rest of the medications, and with each day, small changes happen.  It seems that Dos was a whole other Dog 18 days ago, barely walking, dehydrated, red and irritated, and living a totally pained existence-and now...now she's wiggly (most of the time, she still sleeps a lot...but, dogs do...) happy, excited, very food motivated..and probably the most stubborn dog I've ever met...

But, that stubbornness, I think, is what kept her going for so long...I'm grateful for it.

Day 17

Day 17 has been stable for Dos. She has maintained her same level of energy the past couple of days..adding little hops and bops to her step. She definitely has a    little trot to her gait. 

She spent most of the day back and forth between curling up in her bed and following me around the house, stretching her neck up with her little ears flopping backwards to get pet. 

She has been REALLY eager about eating the past three or four days.She  doesn't seem to be the kind to eat and eat and eat-I've left food in her bowl between meals, and she doesn't stuff herself. . But she has been extremely anxious to eat this week. She was medicated for intestinal worms so it can't be that that's making her so hungry..hmm.

For doggy dinner tonight, I made a "family meal" for all of them-brown rice, carrots, chicken, salmon, flax seeds. They all five stared at me, never losing eye contact during the whole process. ..Dos especially..every time I would turn to reach for something, she would bop back on her back legs for a second with super wide eyes. I wish I could have snapped a picture of it..it was both hilarious and adorable.

Making dog food is actually fun. .and unlike making food for people, even if it smells horrible, they'll still eat it and appreciate it.

All five bowls- Dos' bowl is the one with the antibiotic, fish oil pill, kennel cough medicine, and cough suppressant in it..

The pack is ready to eat. 

And eat they did.. Enough to give them all full happy doggy bellies and make them tired.  .and all of them are spread out in the house asleep. 

Dos crawled up onto her spot on the couch-looking so, so. so at home.

Day 16

Dos had an eventful and happy day. Today was probably the most "doggy" she's been since she started her recovery. 

Dos slept curled up in her blanket on the couch all night. It was too cute and she was too cozy for us to usher her back to her bed..so we let her sleep there. When I woke up this morning she yawned a big yawn and wiggled down from the couch-going immediately to the front door. I don't think we will have to worry about any accidents with her or adult house training at all. 

Dos went potty and trotted back to the front door ready to eat breakfast-which she ate with gusto. 

She was having a happy, cuddly day until she realized it was bath time today-with her new medicated soap. She saw me bring out the hose and she put on the breaks. She is definitely over baths.  After a bit of coercing (by that I mean carrying her) she ended up getting one of the most productive baths so far. This shampoo took, I would say, seventy percent of the smell out of her. The APA vet prescribed it to clear out her hair follicles-"sebolux" shampoo I believe it is called..and I will be researching its wonders tonight. After her reluctant bath, and the 10 minute contact time the soap needed to work, Dos was ready for a nap..or to sort of sulk in her crate for an hour, upset about yet another bath taking away from her doggy naps on the porch. Her dog personality is starting to come through now that she is getting better-she's sweet, yet stubborn..and we found out today, playful,  yet on her own terms..

Dos has not been interested in toys. I got her a soft squeaky toy, just so she had something of her own..something to chew on if she ever got the notion. 

She hadn't.  She wasnt interested in ropes, bones, in stuffed toys. 

What she is interested in-is chasing  a ball...only if the other dogs are chasing it. Dos is competitive.  

Today was the first time she exhibited any signs of playfulness. The dogs have been introduced, yet before today she hadn't shown any real signs of interest aim them except for a quick sniff. 

But when the tennis ball went flying, along with the other dogs..(with the exception of Francis, who in his thirteen years has chased a ball one time) Dos went trotting after...complete with skidding under the table, lumbering after the ball. She only did this briefly-enough to display a need for a place in the pack with the other dogs. But, being as Dos is still not entirely well, she wore herself out in those few minutes. Those few minutes, however-were important minutes, in learning how to be a regular dog. 

Day 15

Having a bit of computer trouble-so the day 15 post will be in a few hours....so in the meantime, this is what my girl is doing now...

Update: Day 15! 

I'm updating this from my phone because my computer only likes to half cooperate, so the picture quality is going to be phone quality. 

Dos was in good spirits today-and feeling well. I had some friends over to meet her. Part of her rehabilitation process is learning that people are there for ear scratches and belly rubs and not going to hurt her or take her food from her-so a few of my friends (male AND female, as she seems to be wary of males) came over and showered her with love and pets. I had my friend Matty give Dos her dinner for an excersize in male trust.

She at first seemed wary but she soon warmed up after seeing that everything was ok. Then seeing that everyone wanted to pet her and give her love, she wagged her tail and couldn't get enough. 

She went to sleep curled up in a blanket on the couch, feeling full, warm, safe, and loved. .

Day 14....TWO WEEKS!

Today is Dos' two week milestone. I'm still so blown away that this has been two weeks. She's made so much progress thus far...I'm really excited to see where she'll be in two more weeks!

So, Dos appears to be housebroken. I honestly can't tell if she is because she just doesn't go to the bathroom much, and often I have to walk her around in the grass two and three times in the morning before she'll even go..but she hasn't gone in the house even once. I'm wondering if at some point, someone did have her as an 'inside dog'.....
I actually keep having these conflicting arguments in my head. Some part of me really wants to believe that her old owners just found her in the condition she's in, and didn't know any better-maybe they really, really loved her. Maybe the people who dropped her off actually saved her from a neighbor's yard and thought she was too sick to make it...but I know better. I know that every single ailment she has was brought on by long-term neglect-and the disregard they showed her when they dumped her off really does show how little they cared.  I keep making up different scenarios in my head, just so I don't get angry. I don't want Dos to pick up that negative energy, because when she coughs or has a hard time standing up or I see where she has scratched herself raw, I think of the people that dumped her off and how they DID THIS TO HER.
They caused this sickness in this poor, sweet, gentlehearted little baby because they just didn't CARE.

But I think I should put that behind me so Dos can, too. Focusing on getting her well and making her happy is what is important.

Ah, end rant...(sorry, that really all just needed to come out.)

But, on to the happier things of the day:

I went on an 'omega' spree for Dos today. Cans of salmon, flax seeds, and fish oil. I think the most difference I've seen in her the past couple of weeks, now that I look back and compare, has been when she's eaten fish. So-1/2 a can of salmon, 1tbs flax seeds, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, an added 1000 mg of fish oil, overtop of dry dog food...and there you have it...Dos' dinner.(with a dash of all her medicines mixed in, of course).

She recognized that smell the second I opened the can. She bopped on over into the kitchen wide eyed and just wagged her whole body. She licked the bowl clean.

YUM.

With her belly full, she retired to her little bed for the evening. She really, really loves that bed. I can tell she is just loving having her own little space. She looks so happy in her safe,soft, little den.

I'm really excited to see where the NEXT to weeks takes us.:)

Day 13!

Wow. Day 13.  Has all of this really happened in just under two weeks? Wow. I feel like Dos has been here forever with me. Of course, I mean that in a most positive way.

She felt a lot better today. I was a little worried in the morning because she didn't want to get up or even eat-and I had to 'manually' get her to take her medicines this morning. Thankfully, working at the kennel has taught me how to do it fast and efficiently.

Here is a picture of *some* of Dos' medicine. This doesn't include her mange treatment shampoo (which, out of precaution, I'm doing tomorrow. In case there is even a small bit left that went undetected-I want to knock it out. I don't think it's an issue-but it can't hurt to be safe.

This also doesn't include the one-time medicines like the dewormer and the bordatella....and other normal shots.

Also included-Dos' skin & coat treats

I wish I would have kept the camera rolling, as once I sat down on the couch she tried to crawl into my lap. We have a 'no dog on the couch' policy (though that does get broken more often than I'd like to admit) but I wanted to see where she was going with it. She crawled up and looked like she wanted to sit on my chest-but then proceeded to walk on me, across my stomach, half-sit on my legs, and decide it wasn't the comfy spot she'd expected and waddled back to her bed..where she is curled up and snoring.

I still can't believe tomorrow will be two weeks.