Day 7 - One step forward

Hi everybody!
I"m having a good day so far today. I was hungry this morning and ate breakfast heartily!! In fact I was begging dad to feed me when I woke up. I was hanging around the kitchen giving him my "sad eye" look so he would feed me early. I couldn't wait for dinner time. I like the wet food but I don't care much for the kibble. I'm much more perky. I've been walking around the house on my own and sleeping with the people. I'm good with the antibiotics and have been drinking water.

So today is my one week anniversary here. It's been an eventful week and I'm hoping that next week will be better.

Foster mom & dad got more info on me today. I did live in a small chicken-wire enclosure where I could not stand up all the way and that makes me stand a little funny now. It's like I'm crouching down a little. Dr. Mead said that my hip joints are O.K. though. I have callouses and scars on my back legs from being in the cage as well. I was filthy dirty when Wendy got me but I was so scared she could only wipe me down with a washcloth. I was so, so scared. I would bite, and kick, and poop, and pee whenever someone tried to pick me up. I bet the foster parents are happy that I'm not like that anymore.

Day 6 - Trip to the emergency vet!

Things went from O.K. to worse this morning. I had a blood and mucous in my stool again and I didn't eat any breakfast. I really haven't eaten much for the last 4 days and foster mom and dad were getting worried. They know that a dog will rarely go beyond three days without eating unless something is wrong. Also I didn't want to drink any water this morning. Foster mom had a quick telephone consultation with the wise Kim B. and then she decided to take me to the vet. Well going to the vet isn't a 5 minute car ride, no, not here in the U.P. Going to the vet on a Saturday means calling the vet in Marquette (2 hours away) to arrange an emergency visit then packing up foster dad, Dinky, foster mom, and me. It's a shame that out of the three vets that are closer, none do after hours call or Saturday office hours.

We saw Dr. Mead at the Animal Medical Center who was very nice. She was very thorough in her exam. Maybe tooo thorough. I didn't expect to have that LARGE plastic scoop put in my "you know where". Dr. Mead says I have roundworm and she put me on medicine for that. She also gave me an antibiotic that I have to be on for a week in case I have colitis. She also gave me IV fluids under the skin of my back because I was a little dehydrated. She said my teeth are real bad so I'll have to be on a different antibiotic for 3 days before my dental and for 7 days after. Dr. Mead also commented that my left front leg is deviated and it looks like it was broken at one time and I wasn't taken to a doctor for proper care so it healed wrong.

The great news is that when I got home mom gave me some special, low-residue, food that Dr. Mead gave us and I ate it all!! I think the fluids really helped me alot.

Day 5 - Baby steps

Well Thanksgiving is over and I did GREAT! I was very excited to see foster grandma & grandpa's West Highland Terrier - Molly. I wagged my tail more when she was around then at any time since I've been out of the mill. The foster grandparents thought I was very cute and they fawned over me for quite awhile. I let them pet me too!

My diarrhea has stopped and I'm starting to eat again. I didn't eat much but I am eating. I do like the rawhide and I enjoyed one for awhile this morning - kinda of a pre-breakfast snack.

I'm still very timid and I cower when foster mom comes to get me but I do like it when she picks me up and I can sleep on her lap. Which I did most of the afternoon today. This morning I went and laid on the big dog pillow all by myself. I do need to go back to my safe zone as I feel comfortable there. I can check out all the action in the house without feeling threatened.

It's Friday so that means I get to be with foster dad all weekend. I wonder when they are going to let me sleep in bed in the mornings like the other iggys do after they potty.

Day 4 - Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! This is my first thanksgiving that's going to be happy and I'm looking forward to many more!!

I'm feeling somewhat better. My diarrhea has stopped but I still don't feel much like eating. I slept good and I've been a little more active today.

I have so much to be thankful for and so many wonderful people to to thank, so here goes...

First of all I am thankful for Wendy K. of Spencer Animal Rescue who was the first to get me and took such wonderful care of me. Thanks to all the volunteers of SAR who work tirelessly and selflessly to care for animals in need.

Next I would like to thank (again) Cari B. and Sue H. who took time out their weekend to drive around Illinois and Wisconsin (at your own expense) to transport me so I could go home with my foster family. Thank you for your all your kindness and dedication.

I also want to thank Kim B. who helped to cooridnate the transport and who first told Glenn & Lisa about me. Kim has been a neverending source of both inspiration and assistance for Glenn & Lisa. I have to also thank all of the volunteers with Italian Greyhound Rescue. They give generously of their time (and money) to help all the iggys that need help. Thank you to all the IG rescue supporters that have donated time, money, and supplies over the years. It's these simple acts of generosity that allows the rescue volunteers to keep doing what they do.

I am thankful for all the rescue groups, Humane Societys, the ASPCA, shelters, and individuals that rescue, care for, and adopt out dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, turtles, etc.. What wonderful work you all do. As someone once said "Saving the life of one animal won't change theworld, but the world will certainly change for that one animal."

Thank you to my foster brothers and sisters; Maxie, Lucy, Sidney, & Dinky. My foster parents do alot but it's you guys that will really do the work of teaching me to be an iggy.

And to my foster parents, Lisa & Glenn, I may act timid and shellshocked but I appreciate your neverending patience and love.

Happy Thanksgiving all....if you have a pet give him or her a big hug and kiss for me.

Day 3 - Still feeling poopy!!

I'm still not 100%. I'm not hungry and haven't eaten today. I had more diarrhea with mucus last night and this morning. Maybe I have colitis like foster mom and dad say. They gave me medicine and are going to put me on a bland diet. If I get worse they are going to try to get me into the doctor sooner.

Even though I don't feel great I am exploring the house a little more. I have a crate with an ex-pen around it so I can go back to this "safe zone" if I get too anxious. I spent the afternoon on mom and dad's lap. I love to lay by them and let them scratch my ears. I fell asleep on mom for awhile and I enjoyed my nap in her arms. My foster brothers and sisters love the rawhide and I did lick one for awhile. I never had treats of my own.

I lived the first 5 years of my life in a wire crate and now I have something they call "splay toes". My toes spread out when I walk because that was how I had to walk around in the small wire crate I was confined in. Hopefully that will go away.

Day 2 - One step back

I don't think I feel all that well today. They took my temperature before bed last night because I felt warm but it was normal - no fever. In the middle of the night I had diarrhea and foster mom had to come clean out my crate. I was very embarassed as I don't like to mess my crate but I couldn't help it. Maybe it's all the different foods I've been getting over the past weeks. I ate breakfast but I don't want to eat any treats. I don't feel very social today and I'm spending alot of the day by myself in a crate with the door open. My foster brother Dinky stops by to sniff me from time to time. I think he likes me as he doesn't tease me. I hope that I'm not getting any sicker. I've been good with pottying outside and now I've learned to climb the 4 steps up into the kitchen from the garage. I'm very proud of that.

I ate most of my dinner tonight but I had another bout of diarrhea..sorry mom..I hope you weren't all that partial to that rug :( Mom gave me a dose of Pepto-Bismol so hopefully I'll stop pooping in the house.

I did sit with my foster dad this morning before he went to work as I like to snuggle up close and let the people scratch my ears.

Maybe I'll feel better this evening.

Day 1 - First day home.

My name is Violet, actually I don't think I really had a name but Violet is the name that my new foster parents gave me. Two weeks ago I was in a puppy mill in Missouri. I was rescued by an all-breed rescue group in Illinois who cared for me for two weeks while they worked to find a place for me in Italian Greyhound Rescue. I have been very scared and bewildered. I was taken out of the only enviroment I knew and was brought to a strange house with strange smells and strange people and strange dogs. Wendy took very good care of me there even though I don't know what's going on. Thank you Wendy for taking me in and saving my life.

A very nice lady named Cari came and got me and I spent Saturday night at her house with her iggys. Cari gave me chicken and it was delicious!!! The next day Cari brought me to another nice lady named Sue who drove me to Fond du lac, Wisconsin where my foster parents picked me up. Thank you Cari and Sue for helping me when I could not help myself.

My foster parents house is full of iggys. I have two new foster brothers; Sidney and Dinky and two foster sisters; Maxie and Lucy. They don't pay much attention to me yet. I spent the few hours before bedtime exploring the house and sitting in foster mom's lap - I love to be held! I didn't get any human attention in Missouri and it sometimes feels strange but I love to have my ears scratched!! I saw my reflection today for the first time and I thought it was another dog and foster mom laughed when I bumped my head against the glass because I didn't know it was me. I have never lived in a house so I don't know how to use the stairs, how to jump up onto and off stuff, or all the other stuff iggys do.

Foster mom put me into a nice warm, comfy crate and I slept all night.

Foster mom gave me a bath this morning and I didn't care much for that all :( I've never been in in a bathtub but foster mom kept me calm and cleaned me up real good. She also clipped my very long nails. The ones in the back were so long that it hurt for me to walk on them. It feels much better now. I still feel very uncomfortable with all the new stuff here but I do like my foster mom and I'll wag may tail at her once in awhile. They have good food here and I ate all of my breakfast. My foster brothers and sisters go potty outside, even if it's snowing, and if they can do it then I can do it too.

I have to see the doctor next Monday :(