Sunday, October 30, 2016

Dixie update

This morning I went to visit with Dixie and, wow, did I see a different pup!  Dixie received excellent care and management to help her survive this terrible disease. Many pups with parvo do not survive. She is one of the lucky ones. Thanks to Dr. Scibelli and his staff for taking such good care of her. She is active, perky, eating well, and she is almost ready to go to her foster home. She will be moved some time this week once we get everything in place. Dixie is now 2-1/2 months old and ready to start her new life. Thanks for caring.


Thursday, October 27, 2016

Meet Dixie

Dixie came to us this past weekend from a local shelter after testing positive for Parvo. She needed help immediately and was brought in to rescue. I've been in touch with the vet several times daily and today I received a positive report on how she is doing. It was touch and go the last couple days, but today she seemed better and was actually eating on her own. Dixie is only 2 months old and needs lots of support and good thoughts to help her get thru this terrible disease. I will continue to update her status. These are the first pictures that we have of her, thanks to the staff at Pacific Coast Veterinary Hospital.



Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Maura's biopsy results...

I have some wonderful news on Maura’s biopsy report. The large hanging mass was a lipoma which was benign. The smaller one on her hip was a benign hemangioma with good margins. We were so happy to read this report. Now Maura will heal up, grow some hair back and be ready for her forever home. She is just the sweetest, well mannered, happy girl.


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Carissa Anne update

Having come through her surgery successfully, Carissa Anne has started on the long healing process. She has endeared herself to all the walkers at Culver Palms Animal Hospital – this is one of the best stories that they told. The walker was sitting in the fenced grassy area petting her and tossing a tennis ball that she could catch while still lying down. A man walked outside the fence, and leaned over to say hello to Carissa. To the walker’s surprise, while still lying down Carissa picked up the ball and threw it over the 3 ½ foot fence. He tossed it back and she caught it, still without moving. She loves tennis balls, needs one to always be in her mouth, and is eager for the day when she can play ball for real.

And here is the picture that we have been waiting for. Our sweet loving Carissa Anne is in the car (Darwin is riding shotgun) heading for a wonderful foster home, with a couple who recently lost their very much loved Golden Retriever. They weren’t quite ready to adopt yet, but wanted to help by fostering one of our Goldens. They met Carissa, and couldn’t wait to move her into their home and welcome her with lots of love and two soft fluffy beds. They have been instructed on exactly what she needs during her rehab, and will see to it that all the rules are carefully followed. They said that it is so good to have Golden love again, and to fill their days with the care that Carissa needs. And who knows – perhaps one day they will join the failed foster club!




Thursday, September 15, 2016

Maura's mass removal

Maura had her surgery on Tuesday.  The mass was removed and weighed 3-1/4 pounds!  We are awaiting results of the biopsy. Maura is doing well after her surgery to remove the mass.  While she was under anesthesia she had another lump removed on her side.   As you can see, she also is being treated for ear infections in both ears.  She's back with her foster home and we are now awaiting the biopsy results.  She is the sweetest girl and when her incisions heal, she will finally be comfortable.





Saturday, September 10, 2016

Maura update

Today I went to visit Maura and take some more recent photos.    The doctor ordered her to be shaved down - got rid of all the mats, had a good bath, and we can only imagine how gorgeous she will be when this mass is removed and her hair grows back.   I was amazed at how well she is getting around dragging this "thing".   She is friendly, interested in things, comes over for attention, and just a wonderful, sweet girl.   Her bloodwork came back great with no concerns, and so far all tests that have been run are looking good.   Surgery is still scheduled for Tuesday.   I'll update after the surgery on how she is doing.



Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Meet Maura

Maura came in to our rescue from a local shelter that I cover. She is a very sweet, dark red girl, estimated to be 10 year old, with this enormous lump attached to her stomach area. This photo is of her laying down when she first entered the vets for her checkup and to run some tests. We will be running tests on her and her surgery for removal is set for next Tuesday.


Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Baldwin ready for adoption very soon

Baldwin has been neutered and doing well. His real hair is growing in now and we are starting to see what color he really will be. He's gaining weight and is not up to 58 pounds. He's still skinny but certainly not what he looked like when he came in to rescue. He's a happy boy, loves to play with his tennis ball, and is gaining his strength back. Initially he could barely walk, now he's playing ball. We will be making him available officially once he has healed from his neutering and we feel he is ready for his forever home.


Monday, August 8, 2016

Carissa Anne update

On July 28 our sweet Carissa Anne underwent surgery to repair the old cruciate ligament tear that had never been treated. She came through with flying colors, and is now ready for a long, six week recovery. Her exercise is very limited right now, out for potty and then right back to her kennel. She is being treated at Culver Palms Pet Hospital, and they have fenced in a wonderful grassy area in the side yard at the hospital. This makes a perfect spot for the walkers to take Carissa several times a day. She can do what she has to do, and then can lie in the sun and be easily available for her favorite pastime, being petted. The picture shows a bare spot on the side of her face. There was a growth there which was removed during her surgery. It was benign, so Carissa only has to worry about getting better, getting some strength back in that leg, losing quite a few pounds, and finding herself a forever home to make up for the years of neglect. Not a difficult job for a beautiful six year old girl.



Saturday, August 6, 2016

Baldwin update

Just an update on Baldwin's progress. He is now 58 pounds - wow, and is he starting to look good. He was neutered yesterday and we did a recheck of his bloodwork and heartworm. The bloodwork looked very good and the heartworm, which he had been diagnosed with and then tests showed he was negative, verified yesterday that he is negative. The doctor has ordered another recheck in December but hopefully, he is adopted by then and we would recommend his new home do the recheck. His fur is starting to come in with the color that he really is. The yellow, straw colored hair is coming out and underneath is a light Golden Retriever. Once he recovers from his neutering surgery, he will be officially ready for adoption.


Monday, July 25, 2016

Meet Carissa Anne

Welcome to Rescue, Carissa Anne. Carissa is a Greek word meaning “beloved”, which she has become to everyone who has met her. She was a back yard dog with a beautiful red coat that had not seen a brush for the 6 years of her life. There were mats the size of a fist, so close to the skin they had caused irritation.

When she came in from a local shelter to Culver Palms Animal Hospital, we noticed she was favoring her right rear leg. X-rays showed an old cruciate ligament tear that had never been repaired. The pain of this tear was made even more intense by the fact that Carissa weighs 104 pounds, about 30 pounds more than she should.

Carissa Anne is a sweet, loving girl. Her mobility is so limited now, that the walkers take her to a fenced grassy area just outside Culver Palms, for fresh air and petting. She will sit between their legs, facing them, with her paw on their knee asking for petting. If her paw comes down, and they stop petting, the paw is immediately back on their knee for more petting. She smiles into their eyes the entire time.

Her surgery is scheduled for July 28. There will be updates as Carissa Anne begins her recovery.



Baldwin doing very well in foster care

Baldwin continues to gain weight and is now at 53 pounds. The photo of the top of his head shows what color his hair really is. His hair when he came in had been bleached out from laying in the sun for a long time. He is having fun at his foster home, playing ball, and just hanging out with his friends. Baldwin is a great dog and really enjoys human contact. We are currently planning his neuter for the first week of August.





Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Baldwin's 2nd heartworm test is negative

Baldwin is doing much better and is now in a foster home. He is very slowly gaining weight after being fed 3 times a day at the vets. We have run the initial tests again and now find out that the heartworm positive is now negative, and the Ehrlichia positive is now negative. I am so happy about these results. We also tested him for EPI which is a problem with the dog absorbing the nutrients from their food. That came back negative, also. He is currently receiving Vitamin B12 shots weekly and being fed 3 times a day. He eats very rapidly so is now using a special bowl to slow him down. Baldwin is a wonderful, sweet, great with all size dogs, boy. He still needs work on his house breaking, and still needs to be neutered when he has gained enough weight.



Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Baldwin tests positive for heartworm

This morning I drove to visit with Baldwin.  These pictures were taken that morning.  What a sweet, dear boy and oh so happy in spite of the physical condition he is in.  He is now walking - not distances, but at least walking outside to go potty and sniff the bushes.  His tail wags all the time and he is so thankful for the good care that he is getting and all the food - wow 3 big meals a day, every day.  We got some of his tests back and while he is not positive for Ehrlichia, he is Heartworm positive.  The reports said to do a retest again in a week or so to see if it still comes back positive before starting treatment.  This is very hard on the dog and he has to be kept very quiet and calm during the initial treatments.   We still need to get weight on him before this can be started.




Saturday, June 18, 2016

Baldwin update

Last night I received a call from the veterinary clinic where Baldwin was taken with their findings. The X-rays showed that nothing was broken and there was a slight limp on his right front leg but nothing was broken. I was very happy to hear that. We sent out bloodwork to verify the diagnosis of Ehrlichia and start treatment. He was able to walk on his own to go out and go potty but laid down several times before coming back in to the clinic. He is very weak but thankfully is eating well and drinking on his own. I will be going to visit with him this week and get updates plus more photos. Hopefully, he will start putting on weight which we will monitor.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Meet Baldwin

Baldwin, estimated age 4 years, came in to rescue today. He was terribly underweight at 43.6 pounds, covered with fleas and ticks, and had trouble walking. Baldwin is a very sweet boy, good with other dogs, and so lucky to now be in rescue where we can take care of him.





Monday, June 6, 2016

Merry is adopted!

This is a very BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Merry has officially been adopted by Alexis, Don and Deborah of Laguna Niguel. This girl has come a long, long way. I want to first thank everyone who donated generously to her medical care and rehab. She came to us with a very guarded prognosis and thru her determination, lots of help from her foster mom, Katie, and fabulous personality, she is walking again and enjoying life.

I will start with the phone call that I received from the OC shelter that this girl had been hit by a car, could not walk, had a fractured pelvis and was in pain. She needed help and immediately. I got approval to take her in to rescue and then called two volunteers - Nobuko and Donna to ask if they could help bring her in to rescue. This was not going to be the usual shelter pickup. Nobuko had to drive and Donna had to sit in the back with her to keep her still all the way from the shelter to San Clemente for assessment. I ran up there from my home to be at the vet's when she came in. I am so thankful that Dr. Scibelli, Dr. Gertmenian and Dr. Murray were all there that day to give their input on her care and prognosis. There were heads shaking and worried faces, but her tail was wagging all the time. We said give it a try and then we worked out the plan.  Thank you Nobuko and Donna, first for being there to help transport, and for spending time with her initially.

I would like to next thank Dr. Scibelli, Dr. Gertmenian, and Dr. Murray and all the staff at Pacific Coast Veterinary Care for Merry's treatment, love, and time - 2 months - spent there while recuperating. She had a private room with a baby gate located where she could see the comings and goings all day. No kennel for this girl. She also had people bringing her bones and treats so she knew already how to 'work the crowd.'

I now would like to send a tremendous thanks to Katie and her family for fostering Merry from February until just this month. Katie spend so much time with her, took her to her twice weekly rehab sessions, drove her back and forth from Orange to San Clemente for rechecks, and took her to work daily, as you can see in the photo. With her new family, she has the same routine and goes to work daily with them. Thanks also to Donna for completing the home visit. Thanks also to Bruce and Cindy for going up to Merry's rehab sessions and taking these great photos.

Thanks, again, to everyone who gave of their time, donations and love to help Merry. She truly is our Christmas girl.

Carole









Friday, June 3, 2016

Shamrock Circle Fund turns 15!

The Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles RESCUE celebrates the 15th Year Anniversary of the Shamrock Circle Fund! Click here for a special membership offer.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Merry walking on her own

Sorry for the delay in sending this note out on Merry's progress. She recently came back to the vets for a short stay while her foster mom was on vacation. Everyone was so excited to see Merry again and they had an Easter doggie cake ready for her when she arrived. She is doing great and still attending twice weekly rehab and acupuncture sessions. As you can see, she is walking on her own now, much to our great delight, and her hair is growing back in to show her true Golden coloring and feathering. Merry has a fantastic personality and is such a happy girl. She's a smart girl, with a lot of zest for life. Merry sends her thanks to everyone who helped her in her time of need.


Sunday, March 20, 2016

Merry is doing great!

I am very happy to send over this video of our Merry walking now. She is doing great and continues to improve daily. She is currently in a foster home and is going to rehabilitation twice a week. Merry is also receiving acupuncture at the facility. Her foster mom takes her to work every day and she is enjoying all the attention and socialization. I am so thankful for all the good thoughts and donations to help her with her rehabilitation and aftercare.


Saturday, February 6, 2016

Merry heads to foster home

Today was party day for our sweet Merry! Merry is currently scheduled to go to a foster home tomorrow. She will be starting her rehab work and continues to improve. Here is a photo of the cake the Pacific Coast Veterinary Hospital staff had for her going away party today. I know everyone was in tears today saying goodbye to this sweet, smart, loves everyone girl. She will continue her rehab while staying in her foster home. Thanks for your continued support!


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Growth removed from Beau's tongue

Beau had a biopsy done on the growth on his tongue. It was determined to be a low-grade cancer and would need to be removed. He just underwent the surgery to remove the mass, which included removing part of his tongue. He was given a feeding tube so that he could continue to get enough nutrition while allowing his tongue to heal. The surgeon tells us that the tongue heals quickly and that Beau's surgery went very well. About 20% of the tongue was removed, which isn't bad, and now Beau just looks like he has a shorter tongue. He is actually doing quite well with his recovery. His foster mom is making sure Beau gets his "tube" meals 4 times per day. Each feeding can take up to an hour because the food must be blended to the right consistency and administered slowly. Hopefully, Beau can get his feeding tube removed within the next couple of weeks. One of his foster mom's biggest challenges is keeping Beau quiet. He's so full of energy and has such a zest for life that sitting around quietly is something he prefers not to do.


Saturday, January 2, 2016

Merry chosen "Pet of the Month" by clinic

Merry was happy to see me today and, as you can see, she just loves her tennis ball. Dr. Murray brought her outside for me to see her with her harness on. She still needs help when she goes outside. Her left leg is getting stronger, but she needs her harness for support. She is receiving daily rehab sessions and is such a good girl. Merry always has a happy greetings and tail wag for all her visitors. Please check out the "pet of the month" on the Pacific Coast Veterinary Hospital website. Our Merry is famous now.