Sunday, April 6, 2008

From A Pauper To A Princess - The Journey of a Puppy Mill Dog (Entry 5)

Karen, one of CPCRN's foster mentors, has graciously allowed us access to her diary documenting the journey of Flopsy, also known as Rusty, from the puppy mill to her forever home. The diary will be broken up into short sections and posted. Check back for new entries in the series entitled "From A Pauper To A Princess - The Journey of a Puppy Mill Dog". (Previous Journal Entries: Entry One, Entry Two, Entry Three, Entry Four)

4/29/07
Rusty has been with us for 2 weeks now. To an outsider, she probably looks like a terrified dog, but I am seeing a few subtle changes. Rusty isn’t pacing around the kitchen/yard nearly as much now. Her eyes don’t look like saucers of fear, they are a little more settled. She seems to be relaxing just a bit more. I also got a D.A.P. refill and I believe this has helped.


We got out the plastic kiddy pool, since the temps are rising and Starry and McDuffy enjoy soaking after a walk. This morning, I let the dogs outside for about 10 minutes. I heard someone rubbing/rolling outside the slider door and thought is was Starry or McDuffy, but no it was Rusty! She had gotten in the pool! I don’t know if she got in on purpose or not; I’m hoping it was on purpose.

4/30/07
We took Rusty to the vet this afternoon to have her ears checked for infection. It turns out she has yeast and bacteria in both ears. She also has some “cauliflower” in her ears from repeated infections, while in the mill. Rusty will be on prednisone, antibiotics, and an ear ointment for 10 days. We will take her back for a re-check to see if some of the swelling has gone down. Dr. Stack also cleaned her ears really well, as they were quite filthy.

Rusty did really well in the truck on the ride there and back. I think she will be a great traveler.

5/3/07
Rusty continues to enjoy her walkies. She is afraid if she sees another person on the walk, but she perseveres.

Today, a new stuffed toy came in the mail with a couple of things I ordered. Holly had been playing with it outside and left it on the patio. Tony and I were laying on the grass with our pups. I happened to sneak a glance over on the patio when I heard a toy squeak. It was Rusty! She suddenly picked up the toy Holly had and shook it around. I wanted to scream, I was so excited! As soon as Rusty saw me looking at her, she dropped it. That was the first time she has picked up a toy! She is really watching and learning from our crew, how to act like a dog. It is really awesome to be a part of her transformation, as slow as it may be. I think Rusty’s ears are starting to feel better. She’s been on meds for four days now and been such a good girl for her ear drops.

Rusty still likes the kiddy pool. She has gotten in it several times. I think it’s neat she has found something, I believe, she likes. Rusty gave a couple of wags of the tail to Holly today when they were sniffing around in the grass. She is really starting to connect with our fur kids.



To Be Continued ...

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