Shamrock Circle Fund

Tessa update

2012-02-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Tessa is doing great and today had her stitches removed. A really good bath is now in store before putting her up as available for adoption. Please check the Available Dogs site for her information.

Roo learning to use his cart

2012-02-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

We worked with Roo this morning for a while. For the most part, we are still holding the cart from the back while he walks, keeping the main rods parallel to the ground, and using a collar and leash to guide him and get him to move forward. We were able to let go of his cart in short bursts and have him walk on his own, and we'll be working on increasing the length of time he's using his cart all by himself. His enthusiasm to just act like a normal doggie is amazing. For once, I was glad to see him go into a barking frenzy when another dog walked by, because he engaged all of his muscles and tried to move towards the dog. He'll be going for his physical therapy evaluation next week.

Christian has been taking him out and it seems to have helped get a lot of muscle tone in his back legs. Renee commented yesterday that Roo's back legs had developed a lot since she'd seen him. It's really good to know that he can make such progress so fast. Despite his challenges, he seems to be pretty robust and healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing his progress with his chair, and I'm glad we have such great donors!

Roo's New Wheels!

2012-02-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

The big day arrived yesterday - Roo's cart came in and he had his fitting and first lesson in how to use it. We're so proud of this resilient young pup! And thank you to everyone who helped him get his new charriot. The next step for Roo is physical therapy and training to use his cart. His back leg muscles are not used to supporting him in the position he needs to be in to use the cart. Thank you to Eddie's Wheels www.eddieswheels.com for building such a great mode of transportation for Roo, to Renee Wallis of PAWSitive Rehabilitation www.pawsrehab.com in San Diego for her help in getting Roo measured and fitted for his cart, to John J. for getting the process started, and to Corrina M. and Jo Anne D. for driving Roo from Los Angeles to San Diego and back for his fitting. We'll keep you updated on his progress and let you know more when we have a physical therapy plan.

Tessa looking for a foster home

2012-01-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today I went to visit with Tessa and see how her wounds are healing. She is a very happy girl, loves attention, getting belly rubs and just interacting with her visitors. Her injuries will take a while to heal and right now the drains are still in place and will be there for another couple days. We will be looking for a foster home when the doctors say she is ready to go.

Tessa update

2012-01-26T20:19:00.001-08:00

Today we observed that the wound had opened up pretty far and considerable draining was happening. The doctor at the facility felt it was time to sedate her, clean up the major wound, which meant removing the dead skin and tissue and getting clean margins to close the wound, put a drain in and let her heal naturally. Amazingly, this girl was up and walking around almost immediately after this was done and wagging her tail the whole time. She will require more time to recuperate in the hospital and then will be ready to go into a foster home to totally heal. She is doing well and currently has many people checking on her to make sure she gets exercise, lots of love and a good veterinary staff watching over her.

Tessa abandoned at emergency clinic

2012-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Tessa arrived in rescue today from a local shelter. She is a 5-6 year old girl that had been dropped off at an emergency clinic with multiple infected and old wounds. The owners never came for her and she was transferred to the shelter. The skin had started to die and had to be cut away, drains put into place and the whole area cleaned up. This was not only on her neck multiple injuries, but on her ears, back and head and several other areas of her body. Tessa is so sweet and when brought into our own vet sat patiently while they cleaned her up, checked her wounds and gave her lots of love. We will have to remove the drains because they have been in place for 5 days and we don't want more infection to set in. She is safe and comfortable now. Currently being walked with a harness so that it does not touch the injuries.

Roo Needs a Wheelchair

2012-01-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

Kanga & Roo are doing great. They both love to play outside, and one of Roo's favorite activities is to chase the rake and play in the leaves. Kanga enjoys chasing the vaccum cleaner. They are both loving and affectionate boys!

We have found a wheelchair/cart for Roo through Eddie's Wheels (www.eddieswheels.com). He'd also like a special harness that will help quickly move him to another location when he's not in his cart, called the Help Em Up Harness (www.helpemup.com). The cart is about $500 and the harness is about $100.

To make a donation to help Roo get his new gear, please click here. Roo thanks you!

Additional videos: 1 | 2

A holiday request for two very special boys...

2011-12-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Meet Kanga and Roo...these sweet boys are looking for some special assistance this holiday season. They are between 9 months and 1 year old, both are blind, Kanga has a slight disability with his front paws and Roo is missing most of his front legs. But please don’t feel sorry for these pups – they don’t let their disabilities slow them down one bit!

They are playful, affectionate Goldens who don’t realize they aren’t quite like other dogs. Their wishes for the holiday are to find a foster home and Roo would love to get a wheelchair or cart to help him get around better. If you’d like to provide a temporary home for these guys please contact Sandy at diamondawgs@gmail.com. If you’d like to make a donation towards Roo’s wheels and their care please use the button below.

Additional videos: 1 | 2

Margaux adopted!

2011-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Today was a very happy day for Margaux and her new parents. She has been adopted and is doing great in her recovery and healing. She's a happy, friendly girl that will have a great life. Thank you everyone for all your help and interest in her hospitalization, surgery and recovery.

Margaux doing well with water therapy

2011-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Margaux is doing so well in her water therapy. She's a true water dog and just loves retrieving her rubber chicken. They are working on the leg extension now and soon she will be ready to be put up for adoption. Thanks to The Total Dog Canine Swim and Fitness facility, she is receiving wonderful help with her water therapy. She goes there twice a week and as you can see from this video she is enjoying it. She will soon be ready for adoption. We have one more review in 2 weeks to make sure the bones are healed well. Then she will be on the Available Page. Thanks for caring and checking in to see how she is progressing in her rehab.

Update on Margaux's rehab

2011-10-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today Margaux went for her second water therapy and is doing very good. We are all so proud of her and she is healing quite well. As soon as she is cleared for adoption, I will post and then start looking for her forever home.

Margaux in water therapy

2011-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day for Margaux. She started her water therapy and did wonderfully. This girl is a swimmer and will soon be ready to be put on the adoption page as available for adoption to a home that will care for her and love her.

Margaux ready for rehab

2011-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Margaux is doing terrific and will be starting her water therapy this week. She has been going for walks with our volunteers and is such a happy, well-mannered girl. As you can see she is ready for rehab. She will then be ready for adoption.

Margaux update

2011-09-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

Marguax is doing great after her surgery. As you can see from this video she is now ready for her rehab part and then on to being made available for adoption. She is still in search of a foster home. Marguax is great with other dogs, cats and loves everyone. Rehab begins with water therapy the first week of October. Thanks for caring about this little girl and continuing to follow her Shamrock updates.

Mariel ready for adoption

2011-09-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mariel is doing well in her recovery and as you can see she is now doing some water therapy at her foster home. She's a great girl, loves other dogs and everyone she meets. She will now be placed put on the available dog site. Thank you everyone for your support and for caring about both Mariel and her sister Margaux during their surgery and recovery.

Margaux 3 weeks post-op

2011-09-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Margaux, is now 3 weeks from her surgery and doing wonderful. She has had her stitches removed and, as you can see on this video, walking well without any assistance. She is an active, happy girl and still currently looking for a foster home to help her totally recover and do her rehab exercises. After this is completed, she will be available for adoption.

Margaux needs a foster home

2011-09-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today I went to visit Margaux and this little girl has grown up before my eyes. She is such a beautiful girl and it's hard to keep her quiet to heal properly. She is doing wonderfully and the stitches have been removed from her surgery. She still has to be kept confined and has limited walks. I took her for a nice walk today and she did very well, sniffing at everything all along the way. She's a happy, spirited, friendly girl and will make a nice companion when she is available for adoption. Currently she is still looking for a foster home to get her thru her recuperation and start her rehab. Her muscle tone is excellent and she has had very little down time.

Margaux update

2011-09-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today I went to see Margaux and take some photos after her surgery. She had the TPO surgery this past Tuesday, August 30, and is doing well. She is being restricted and when I went in they were applying cold compresses to reduce the swelling. A TPO surgery breaks the pelvis in several places and with the assistance of a plate, the surgeon is able to form a hip socket to help with her walking. I reviewed the x-rays and she looks so much better on them. Now will she be a dog that goes running and jogging, I don't think so because of her hips but she certainly will be able to go for a nice walk, play around and enjoy life with none of the pain she had previously. She will still require restricted movement and crate rest for some time now. They will recheck her xrays in several weeks to see how the bone is healing. After it has healed well and is strong again, then she will able to start her rehab to build up the muscles.

Thank you for caring. Both girls, Mariel and Margaux, are healing well and Mariel is in a foster home currently. We are still looking for a foster home to help Margaux when she is ready to leave the vet's office.

Rita's Summer coming soon!

2011-08-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

Olive adopted!

2011-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Olive, who has found her forever home with the Dauber family.

Little Olive came to us last October as one of the Parvo puppies. Thankfully she never contracted the disease like some of her siblings! She found a new home and was placed as a foster until she could be spayed. While she was waiting for her surgery her dad started to notice she seemed to be having trouble seeing. As the problem got worse, we brought her to an eye specialist for an exam and it was discovered she had bilateal cataracts. The eye doc felt she had a good chance of being able to see with cataract surgery which would be done when she was older, and her dad said he would be able to do this for her. She then developed some intestinal difficulties which delayed her spay surgery. Then, we were notified by her dad that he was very ill and wasn't going to be able to care for her any longer. So Olive came back to us. We got her spayed, and then decided we needed to go ahead with her eye surgery. And once she had her surgery, the change was immediate - Olive could see! It's been a long road for this little girl, but she's been a trooper through the whole thing!

The Daubers have a senior golden named Rosie, and they wanted to find a companion for Rosie and a more active pup for their son Gregory to play with. They had everything Olive was looking for - kids, someone home during the day, a doggy friend and lots of activity. And a big plus is that they live near her eye doctor so she can have continuity in her follow up care. And of course this little girl with a huge personality turned on her charm to 100 watts when she met the Daubers. She is doing great, and they are in love with her, although they are asking if there is a way to stop her from jumping up on the bed to wake them up at 5:30am. She and Rosie are getting along and playing and training lessons have been started. She learned to use the doggy door and is also providing great entertainment to the family. They had left the water on to soak near a tree, which ended up creating a mud puddle. The little imp found it and came running into the house with mud up to her elbows, all over her muzzle and ears. We laughed that they will never be bored with her! They have decided to keep the name her first dad gave her, which is Bootsy.

Olive thanks Denise B. for bringing her in to rescue, and to the team who helped her through her first major medical problems with exposure to Parvo. She thanks Eva for picking her up from her former foster dad when he could no longer keep her. She thanks Kriss and her family for fostering her through her spay and her eye surgery, carting her around to vet appointments, giving lots of pills and eye drops and over all just taking such great care of her. She thanks Joan and Ed for doing the home visit for her new family. And she thanks the placement team and PA Eva for matching her up with her new perfect family.

Mariel doing well after surgery

2011-08-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I went to visit little Mariel this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find this happy comfortable little girl. I had expected to have to use a sling with her walking but she did remarkably well on her walks both in grass and on the sidewalk. She will be going to a foster home tomorrow to heal and then return to the vets for her stitches to be removed 10-12 days after surgery. Then her rehab will start. We will assess her to see if another surgery is needed on the other hip in the future. She is a happy little girl now and ready to leave the vets offices. Thanks for all your support and for caring.

Mariel after surgery

2011-08-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I spoke to the surgeon last night and he said our little girl came thru the surgery quite well. They were going to get her up as soon as she came out of the anesthetic. I called again late this afternoon and spoke to one of the vet techs who sent me this photo of Mariel after she had had her surgery. She is looking quite sad but they told me she was doing very well and had been outside several times today. Currently she will be ready to come to her foster home this weekend to recuperate and when the stitches are removed start her rehabilitation. Thanks for all your support and for caring about this wonderful, sweet, little girl. She is just a pup and deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life.

Mariel on her way for her surgery

2011-08-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Mariel is on her way today for her surgery which is scheduled tomorrow, August 16. I'll update as soon as I've talked to the doctor tomorrow evening.

Margaux & Mariel update

2011-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

They have been doing well but definitely need surgical help. Mariel “bunny hops” around in her play time and Margaux will cry when her hip hurts her. It’s time to help them. We have surgical dates set for both girls. Mariel is scheduled for FHO (femoral head ostectomy) surgery this coming Tuesday and Margaux is schedule for TPO (triple pelvic osteotomy) surgery on August 30.

Sisters enter rescue with hip problems

2011-07-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Margaux is a 6 month little girl who came to us along with her sister, Mariel, in need of hip surgery. As you can see, they are both beautiful, and are happy little girls, love other dogs and just fun to be with. We are currently evaluating options for treatment and estimates. We'll update the site as information becomes available.

Larry The Lion King available for adoption

2011-07-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

I went to visit with Larry yesterday at his foster home. He has turned into a magnificent boy now that his hair is growing back. This boy is such a sweet, mellow, happy boy. He is doing great now and ready for his forever home.

Olive gets cataract surgery!

2011-07-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Olive's cataract surgeries were successful. She is recovering extremely well. A little hiccup in surgery though. Both her eyes were to be done at the same time but because of the "stickiness" of her cataract, the first eye took longer than anticipated. Dr. Farhrar, at the Eye Care for Animals Center in Culver City, also felt that with a different surgical tool, the operation on the other eye would be faster and easier. So, Olive had one eye completed with the second eye done the next week, after the doctor received the new instrument. This added a week longer for recovery but Olive was a trouper. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loves this girl at the surgical center. No one could believe that she is only 10 months old. She was so well behaved and loving. They never even crated her, they just tethered her to whoever was near and she hung out with them until her foster mother could pick her up. She was behind the desk in the reception area when she was ready to go home.

During recovery she endured three different eye drops, three times a day along with three different oral medications twice a day. When it was time to administer the drops, her foster mom would show her the drops and ask her to lie down, which she promptly complied. We are now down to one drop twice a day and no oral medication.

Olive now does not hesitate when out walking, no bumping her nose into curbs, cabinets or doors. She is still the very sweet and loving pup but with the added quality of looking more directly at you when called. Our next step will be getting rid of the cone around her neck so she can stop getting stuck between chairs and couches.

Before surgery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Ewi6uYlyg
Going to the eye clinic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEfYUvQRxck
After first surgery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2rKlH1d2ew

No surgery needed for O'Riley!

2011-07-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

O'Riley is doing great and is ready to find his forever home. After a few weeks of immobilization and then limited activity for another few weeks, O'Riley's hip has healed and he won't need surgery. He's very happy to hear this, and he's also happy to be able to go on long walks and even some short jogs.

Adopt Kaplan!

2011-06-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Kaplan is doing great! His fur is growing back in and he's looking much more like a dog - maybe not as Golden as we initially thought, but adorable none-the-less. Our vet (his namesake is Dr Kaplan) is really pleased with his progress. He's got a great personality and loves, loves, loves to play. Kappy has another week or so on his medication and then he'll be ready to be neutered and adopted.

Congratulations to Madeleine!

2011-06-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Maddy came to us from a family who were backyard breeders. At age 6-1/2 weeks Maddy had tried to climb a fence and broke her leg. The leg wasn't set properly which caused her thigh muscles to contract and not allow her to bend her knee. By 4 months old they weren't having any luck in selling her, so called us. Her leg didn't slow her down one bit, but as she grew we knew it would become more of a problem. After several evaluations it was determined that amputation was going to give Maddy the best outcome. Trying to save the leg would have entailed several surgeries, lots of rehab therapy and a low likelihood that her leg would ever be normal. Within a couple of days of her leg being removed, Maddy didn't even miss it. She runs and play with Sherman and Lulu and nothing stops this little pistol. Joan and Ed nursed her through her recovery and every day she wiggled her way more and more into their hearts. She recently was spayed and ready to be adopted - to Joan and Ed! Maddy and Lulu (formerly Rita's Lulu and first foster failure) play constantly, and Sherman loves it because they then leave him alone.

Maddy is so grateful to GRCGLA Rescue for giving her a new life. And she owes so much of it to her foster parents, and all the time and love they put into getting her well. She can't imagine a better life or a more perfect family.

Welcome home Maddy!

Kaplan is ready to find his forever home!

2011-06-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Kaplan is doing great! He's about 4 months old now. He has two weeks left of his medication and most of his fur should be growing back within the next month. He is a happy, spunky boy with tons of energy. He loves everyone and is fearless around his foster brothers and sisters. He's doing great on his house training too! He loves going on walks and can keep up with the rest of the family.

Larry heads to foster home

2011-06-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Larry said goodbye to the staff at Santa Margarita Animal Care Center and happily went off to his foster home. He has healed very well, hair is growing back and soon he will be the gorgeous boy that he should have been when he came into rescue. Thank you to everyone who has been watching his progress and for caring. Look for him on the available dogs soon.

Larry The Lion King lookin' good

2011-06-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

I went to visit with Larry this morning and he's doing great. He now can go out without any sling and actually walked around the block with me at a trot. He doesn't act like anything happened but of course, something did. He's eating and drinking great and recovering so much better than hoped for.

Larry The Lion King update after surgery

2011-06-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This morning we were met by a pleasant surprise - there was Larry, tail wagging and ready for his walk. He is doing so well after surgery which is amazing after seeing the large mass that was removed. It weighed 2.25 pounds. He came thru surgery wonderfully and will spend some days recovering and then on to his foster home for recuperation. He will then be looking for his forever home so keep posted. He's a wonderful, calm, quiet, tail wagging, happy boy, just looking for love. Oh dear, is that a song. As you can see from the photos, he now has a drain in to take care of any built up fluids. That will remain for 4-5 days and then be removed. I didn't count the staples but, as you can see, he has many. Give him a couple weeks and they will be gone. Then the hair will cover that area, and he's be his handsome self again.

Relocating O'Riley...and his hip

2011-05-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

O'Riley came to us from the East Valley shelter where he had been found as a stray. He wasn't bearing weight on his left rear leg, so no one adopetd him. We picked him up and the vet quickly diagnosed a luxated (dislocated) hip. We don't know if he was hit by a car or if this happened some other way. The vet was able to get the hip back in its socket and it is now immobilized for the next 14 days. We are hoping this works, but if it doesn't, he will need to undergo hip surgery.

Kaplan video pupdate

2011-05-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

Kaplan update!

2011-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

He's already doing better! He's still got a long ways to go, but we are on the right track.

Puppy found in shelter with strangles

2011-05-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Little Kaplan just joined us from a Los Angeles County shelter. He has a rare case of 'puppy strangles'. With a little medicine and a lot of love, he should recover and go on to live a normal life.

Puppy strangles is a classical disease though fortunately not a very common one. It comes up suddenly manifesting as marked swelling of the muzzle, eyelids, and face in a puppy between the ages of 3 weeks and four months of age. The owner may be inclined to think the puppy was bitten by a stinging insect or a spider.

Soon, the lymph nodes of the throat become spectacularly enlarged giving the puppy the appearance of having the mumps. It doesn’t take long for the swelling to give way to pimples which rupture, bleed, and crust. The inner surface of the ear flaps are commonly involved as well and occasionally lesions in other body areas occur. Lesions are painful more than they are itchy.

Fever, joint swelling, and loss of appetite occur in approximately 25% of patients. If treatment is delayed, permanent hair loss can result in the most severely affected areas. If the puppy is sick enough, the condition can be life-threatening.

Predisposed breeds include: the Golden Retriever, Dachshund, and Gordon Setter.

Despite the extreme inflammation and secondary infections the heart of treatment for this condition is immune-suppression. High doses of corticosteroids such as prednisone are needed as this condition appears to be an immune-mediated disease. In other words, the immune system of the puppy is acting excessively and inappropriately and it must be subdued. Antibiotics may be needed for the secondary infections but antibiotics alone will not treat this condition. Once suppression of the overly active immune system occurs, improvement is usually rapid.

Courtesy of Mar Vista Animal Medical Center

2011-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Larry The Lion King update

2011-05-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

As you can see Larry's hair is starting to grow back and we have all fallen in love with this sweet, gentle, quiet boy. He is such a great dog. The nasal drainage has stopped but there is still that lingering cough occasionally. He enjoys his walks and time out with the volunteers who lovingly come to visit with him. Stay posted for his progress.

Stinky Larry becomes The Lion King

2011-05-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Larry arrived from a local shelter this afternoon and you could smell him before you met him. He was covered in mats that were fixed to his skin and then coated with some kind of black oil. His skin was red and sore and the smell filled the veterinary clinic that was treating him. The vet did an initial exam and noted the large mass on his hip and then they proceeded to try to clean him up. That was impossible so out came the shaver and all the fur, except what you see, came off in a sheet. Then off to be bathed and it's amazing that while his skin was red and inflamed it quieted right down once he was clean. We now affectionately call him Larry The Lion King. He originally was estimated at the shelter to be 10 years old but upon examination and the condition of his teeth he is closer to 8-9, has no trouble walking, in fact walks at a very brisk pace. His major issue is the large mass. Tests were performed which came back inconclusive and a lot of infection in the mass. Unfortunately, he came down with kennel cough before any surgery could be planned. He is now being treated for that and in isolation until he recovers. Fortunately, his lungs are clear and he still has a good appetite and energy.

Video of Anabelle (needs surgery to correct 'cherry eye')

2011-05-10T10:22:00.001-07:00

Anabelle needs surgery to correct 'cherry eye'

2011-05-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

Anabelle is a 10-week-old girl who has canine nictitans gland prolapse, or "cherry eye." She needs surgery as soon as possible to correct this. Although this is not a life-threatening condition, not getting it fixed can cause life long problems with dry eyes.

Video of Olive (in need of surgery to remove cataracts)

2011-05-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Olive needs surgery to remove cataracts

2011-05-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Olive is a 10-month-old girl who has been with us since last year - she is one of the Parvo puppies. She has bilateral cataracts and can only see shadows right now. The doggy eye doctors feel she has a good chance of recovering her vision if we remove the cataracts while she is still young.

Madeleine's video update...see how well she's doing!

2011-04-17T15:23:00.001-07:00

Additional videos: 1 | 2

Tiana adopted!

2011-04-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a very big day for little Tiana. She has gone to her forever home and is in the final stages of recovery. Her leg surgery was completed and she has been spayed. Now there is just rehab to help her muscles gain all their strength and her healing to be complete. Tiana has been a pleasure to work with during her time in the hospital, with her foster family during her recovery and just seeing her grow and mature over the past month and a half. She is a very happy girl and thanks to her foster mom for getting her started with her training and socialization, she will have a great life. Thanks to everyone involved with her medical care and her fostering. We'll stay in touch with her new family to watch her develop into a beautiful young lady.

Tiana recovering from second surgery

2011-04-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for our little Tiana. I picked her up early this morning to bring her back for her leg to be re-xrayed and the rod removed if it was healed enough to support her weight. Once that was complete and Dr. Kelpe made the decision, she was prepped for surgery. The first two pictures are of her were on her way over to the vets and with the assistant, Natalia getting ready for surgery. She was also spayed at the same time as the other surgery.

Later on Thursday when she had recovered some from the surgery, I received a call that Tiana could be picked up and taken back to her foster mom. She was pretty sleepy but I knew that she would receive excellent care at home that night. She did well throughout her surgery and yesterday when I received a call from her foster mom, Beth, she said she was almost back to normal. Still not eating much yet but I'm sure today she is much better.

Madeleine's video

2011-03-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

Madeleine's leg amputated

2011-03-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

After much discussion with our vet and several orthopedic vets, it was determined the best option for Madeleine was to remove her leg. Although she was able to get around on it now, as she grew it would cause problems and put pressure on other joints. Repairing the leg would require several painful surgeries, months of physical therapy and a low probability of the leg ever being normal. So, on Tuesday Madeleine’s leg rear leg was amputated. This little trooper is already up and around and, according to her foster mom, doesn’t even seem to notice it is gone! She needs to take it easy for a week or so, which may be tough for Maddie! Click here to watch video.

A kiss for my foster dad

Relaxing outside

After surgery

Tiana visits the vet for a re-check

2011-03-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was able to visit with Tiana today when she came into the vets for a recheck. She is healing well but still needs several more weeks before we can pull the pin in her leg. Dr. Kelpe checked her today and said she was doing very well in her recovery. The break was more extensive than if we had been able to repair it right after the initial break. It had been almost 2 weeks since the break had occurred before we could bring her into rescue. She's a happy girl, in the process of getting all her big girl teeth and was happily greeted by everyone at the vets clinic when she came in. She also had a visit from the volunteer, Suzanne, who had run to the shelter to pick her up for us. She could not believe how much she has grown already.

Thanks for caring.

Madeleine relinquished to Rescue

2011-03-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

Madeleine is a 4-month-old little girl who was turned over to rescue after her broken leg failed to heal properly and her owners weren’t able to sell her. Her left femur was broken when she 6-1/2 weeks old, after getting caught in a fence she was trying to climb over. The family noticed she wasn’t using her leg the next day and took her to the vet. The doctor attempted to fix the break, but it hasn’t healed correctly and she cannot bend her knee. We are currently evaluating whether we will be able to save her leg with additional surgery and should know more in the next few days. In the meantime, Maddie is a happy, friendly girl who doesn’t let her disability get her down. She enjoys playing with the other dogs in her foster home and cuddling with her foster parents. Madeleine update, click here.

Tiana update

2011-03-02T09:25:00.001-08:00

Tiana came back to the vet's for a recheck, to get her Rabies shot and complete her puppy shots today. She is doing very well, putting weight on her leg and recovered from her slight respiratory infection. While she was at the vet's the stitches were removed and she had a bath. The plan now is that she have another 4 weeks of healing and then a recheck. Dr. Kelpe will determine at that time if and when the pin will be removed.

Tiana sends her thanks for all your support and caring.

Explore to donate $2500 to Shamrock Circle Fund

2011-02-24T18:03:00.001-08:00

Tiana in her foster home

2011-02-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

I went to visit Tiana in her foster home today and she is a little girl that is ready to get into the swing of things and be a puppy. She is confined when she can't be watched and has to go outside and inside the house totally on a leash to restrict this activity. Tiana is now putting weight on her leg. I took some more toys and chewies over to entertain her when she is confined. It was also noted that she has a slight respiratory infection and is now on antibiotics. This is probably from the time she spent in the shelter waiting for her owner to come claim her. It certainly is not restricting her appetite. When I first saw her, I was surprised to see that she had grown in the couple days since I had seen her. I plan to go visit her again early next week and will send over more pictures at that time.

Thank you all for all the help she has received during her operation and recovery period.

Tiana update and video

2011-02-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

Tiana continues to heal and is starting to become a puppy. She will have more work on her rehab to insure that she will be able to walk normally when the healing is complete. I’ll be visiting with her again this coming week and will take more photos to share with everyone. She’s doing well now and is a very happy, playful girl. Thank you for caring. Our Shamrock dogs are very special and need extra love and medical help to prepare them for their new forever home. They come to us broken, neglected and medically challenged. We are there to help mend them and send them home.

"Like" Dog Bless You on FB and help GRCGLAR get $2500 grant!

2011-02-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Creators of 'Dog Bless You' facebook page have offered a matching grant of $2500 to help Tiana and other Shamrock dogs like her.

Simply go to your Facebook account, search for "Dog Bless You" Facebook page. Click on the "like" button on the image that pops up and you'll be part of adding 2500 new fans, which will help us win the matching grant.

Tiana moves to a foster home

2011-02-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

Little Tiana went to her foster home today but not before having a lot of people who worked with her and cared say goodby. In the first photo is the veterinary technician, Mark, who assisted in the surgery. Next is Holly, who named her, and Dr. Kelpe saying good-bye. And finally, she is on her way to her foster home. I will visit with her this coming weekend and see how she is doing with her rehab now that she is a home situation. I just spoke to the foster mom and she is doing wonderfully and very happy now.

Tiana doing well post-surgery

2011-02-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tiana is doing very well after her surgery yesterday. I went over to the vet clinic several times today to visit with her and took these pictures this morning. She has been taken out for her potty breaks by her friend in the pictures, Dana. Tiana is still not putting any weight on her left leg. After talking to Dr. Kelpe, who performed the surgery, I learned that this injury was older than originally thought. The muscle in that leg had started to atrophy and the bone showed signs that the injury was older. Tiana will do very well in her recovery but she will need passive reflex extension rehab daily to lengthen that muscle. If she had not had this surgery, the leg would have been shortened and she would not have been able to ever put weight on it properly. I want to thank everyone involved in helping with her rescue and Dr. Kelpe and his staff at Santa Margarita Animal Care Center for their wonderful care. Also, thanks to our rescue organization for coming forward to help her. She deserves only the best.

We will be sending her to a foster home when she is ready which should be pretty soon. She will need another 8-10 weeks to recover and heal before being spayed. At that time she will be available for adoption to the appropriate home for her personality and age.

Puppy with broken leg rescued from shelter

2011-02-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Little Tiana came into rescue today with a broken left rear leg in need of surgery to repair it. This was necessary to insure her leg would heal properly and straight. She is a very sweet, adorable 3-month old girl. After the approvals were obtained for her surgery, she was prepped for the procedure. These photos show her when she first came in and our volunteer, Suzanne, was with her. Tiana was then prepared for her surgery and the next picture shows her waiting for her surgery. She is a healthy little girl and will heal well but it will take time.

Update: Surgery went well and she is resting tonight. More tomorrow.

Timber, Chestnut and Olive adopted!

2010-11-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

We are grateful to everyone who made it possible for the pups to see this day! Thank you donors and volunteers who expressed support, thoughts and prayers for these pups during the past month while in isolation due to their exposure to parvo. Thank you clinic team for your expert medical care and devotion to the survival of these pups.

Timber adopted by the Cooper family.

Olive adopted by Mr Waddell.

Chestnut adopted by the Eisenbach family.

Camille adopted!

2010-11-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

Our Shamrock golden girl, Camille, had an exciting weekend as she was officially adopted by Rose and her 11 year old lab, Rocky. Camille came into rescue with ear infections that had been with her for years. She required special surgery which literally involved sealing the inner ear shut. To read her amazing story, go to the August, September and October postings in this blog.

Camille waltzed into Rose's house and proudly announced, "I'm here!" She was very cute and proceeded to check out everything. After meeting Rocky and checking out her new home, she plopped herself down in the middle of the room and enjoyed one of Rocky's bones.

We then headed over to Rose's feed store, about a mile away from her home, where Camille was introduced to the staff and roamed the aisles checking out all the new treats and toys...truly a smelling mecca for her! We then went out to next to the feed store to meet Rose's "ponies". Camille was so surprised when three gorgeous, huge horses came over to greet her! She was really great with them, no barking or backing away, just curious. It was such a fun day and we know Camille will be very loved,and have a happy and appreciated life with Rose. She'll go to the store every day and be Rose's constant companion. We're sure Camille will become very well known throughout town, too!

Congratulations Camille! We're so happy for you.

A day for celebration...

2010-11-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

We vote for GRCGLARescue and all those who helped us get to this point today!

Olive, Chestnut and Timber were transported from the vet today to their temporary foster home. In desperate need of a bath from their 2 weeks hospitalized in isolation...these smelly pups were transformed into soft, sweet smelling love bugs - ready to tackle their newest adventure - life in the big world! Romping, playing and napping...they settled in with their foster family for time to adjust from their unfortunate experience of exposure to the parvovirus. These pups are survivors and very special. At 10 weeks old, they ooze puppy love and send out a big thank you to all who have made this day possible. They also carry in their hearts the fighting spirit of their sisters Pumpkin and Spice as they bounce joyfully into the next chapter of their lives.

Ready for life!

2010-10-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Timber, Chestnut and Olive have received a clean bill of health after exposure to the canine parvovirus. These three strong survivors made it through the incubation period and are ready to start their new life. Eager to go, they are being released Monday/Tuesday this week from the vet and will be ready for us to consider potential 'puppy qualified' adopters.

We would be remiss if we didn't say how much your support, thoughts and generous contributions meant to helping these Golden pups. They are very special and will carry with them the goodness of volunteers, supporters and the care of Dr. Scibelli and Dr. Gertmenian and their staff at Pacific Coast Veterinary Hospital.

Puppies doing well!

2010-10-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Happy to report that Olive, Chestnut and Timber are doing well this morning. There are all eating, no vomiting, no diarrhea and their temperatures are normal. They are still within the incubation period of the virus so it's a day by day observation. We are continuing their treatment to fight their exposure to the virus, keep it from spreading and to build up their immune systems to make it through this period when symptoms would surface.

The vet saw blood in their kennel this morning which was alarming at first but then realized it was from their little nails scratching to get out of the kennel. They are active pups indeed.

We've been told that with continued good health through this weekend -- they all stand an excellent chance of leading normal, healthy lives!

Thanks for your prayers and generosity for these darlings.

Yeah!

Pumpkin & Spice

2010-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

With sadness in our hearts...it's difficult to tell you that both Pumpkin and Spice have left us. Pumpkin's temperature spiked and along with violent vomiting and dehydration we felt the most humane thing we could do was to put her to rest. Her sister, Spice, didn't make it through the night.

Our vet is aggressively tackling the treatment of Olive, Timber and Chestnut continuing to monitor their vitals and treating with Tamiflu - an anti-viral medication to keep the parvovirus from spreading along with the antibiotic injections and fluid therapy to help their tiny immune systems fight this horrific virus. All three pups seem to be holding their own at the moment and we are praying for each of them.

Thank you for the amazing support in donations and beautiful thoughts in emails for these golden pups. We are touched by the kindness of your compassion and generosity.

Rest in peace, Pumpkin and Spice, in the arms of Golden Angels...

Donations needed for Parvo-exposed puppies!

2010-10-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Five, darling, 8-week old puppies arrived into rescue today in need of urgent medical attention. All were, unfortunately, exposed to canine parvovirus. The three females (Pumpkin, Olive and Spice) and two males (Chestnut and Timber) were from a litter of seven. Two of the pups died before we were contacted by the owner to help them. All dogs were rushed to one of our veterinary partners today. The doctor and staff went to work preparing for their arrival on short notice. Because of the severity of the disease and its ability to spread rapidly, they prepared their isolation unit for treatment and containment of the dogs.

One of the females, Pumpkin, is quite sick and the veterinarian and assistant quickly went to work on her giving her fluids and injections to help with her dehydration and weakness. The other four Goldens are in isolation being treated and are under observation for how this aggressive virus will play out in their system.

Canine Parvovirus is often deadly and requires much in the way of immediate, aggressive medical attention and support. Treatment is expensive, but necessary, to ensure we give these Golden pups a fighting chance. We need your donations now more than ever and greatly appreciate your giving during these difficult times!

About the Canine Parvovirus (CPV)
The main source of parvo is from the feces of infected dogs. Susceptible dogs become infected by ingesting the virus. Dogs that become infected with the virus and show clinical signs will usually become ill within six to ten days of the initial infection. Time is of the essence as the virus attacks the intestinal tract resulting in severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and infection in the bloodstream. Once the bacteria has entered the blood stream it becomes very difficult to save the dog. There is no treatment to kill the virus once it infects the dog. However, an aggressive treatment consisting of intravenous fluids and antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs increase the chance of the dog recovering.

Debbie runs ahead

2010-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is with much sadness that I send out this note. Yesterday we had to make the very difficult decision to let Debbie go. The past couple weeks have been a roller coaster ride. She would have a couple good days and then some very bad days. Only after consulting with all the vets involved with her care - VCA All Care, Dr. Michael Moore, Eye Care for Animals - Dr. Brinkis, Pacific Coast Veterinary Hospital - Dr. Gertmanian - and Barbara Davis, did I finally have to make this very emotional decision. This horrible fungus infection had started to take hold again and Debbie was now in considerable pain. We knew we could no more for her and we have let her run free to play at the beach and do all the things she so loved when she was feeling better. We had all so hoped she would have recovered but that was not in her future.

Please take time to read Teri's note about Debbie and download these lovely pictures (click here) of her on Debbie's good days. I want to thank Teri and Jim Butcher for lovingly fostering her all these months. They had gone above and beyond with her care - running her to all her vet appointments, picking up her medicine and spending the better park of most days with her and her care. We all thank you so much. Debbie was well cared for and loved during the time she was with Teri and Jim.

We will always remember this sweet, tail wagging, happy girl that was so gentle and very beautiful. I want to thank our Rescue Organization for their support and for caring. This is what it is all about - doesn't always end like we want it to, but we are still out there trying. Thanks for the donations and it is our fundraisers and supporters that help us keep saving and helping our less fortunate Goldens.

Carole

From Debbie's foster mom:
Thank you so much for letting me know before Debbie was put down and giving me the option to see her. After we got off the phone I had a good cry for my sadness over losing her. But, I was very happy for her to move out of her pain and suffering. I was driving when we were on the phone so, I kept going and ended up at the Harbor to sit on the bench that Debbie and I would sit on so I could throw food into the rocks. We would wait for the squirrels to surface and then she would scare them off. It was a fun game. Everyday was a new adventure. We would go somewhere new in my car. I opened all the windows so she could say hi to passing cars. People and other dogs would say hi to her from their cars. Debbie was so affectionate. Every night we both would crawl up on her doggie bed and I would hold her until she fell asleep.

She brought so much happiness to our home and we will miss her so much.

Sleep peacefully sweet Debbie.

Teri

Camille ready for adoption!

2010-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

I went to visit with Camille today and they have taken out her stitches. She is now ready for ADOPTION. Yes, she kind of looks like a sheep right now with the shaved head and ears but that hair will grow back to her gorgeous prior surgery self. The interesting thing that we have all found out that have worked with her, is that she can truly still hear well enough to be active, playful and knows what is going on around her. She knows when I walk in the room and gets up to greet me. It's amazing but we are all so happy. The thankful thing is that she is no longer is the great pain she had been in previously. We all so happy for her.

Camille doing very well!

2010-09-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

I went to visit with Camille today and she is doing great. Yes, she still doesn't have hair on her ears or head but she is perky, happy and loves her walks. Amazingly, she can hear some. Everyone is shaking their heads but she is not totally deaf. On her walk today, she met several men who were working and, of course, she had to mosey over to get some hugs and pats from them. She doesn't even realize she has this cone on her head now and just struts along like she has her bonnet on. The stitches are scheduled to be removed in another week. At that time, she is available to go to a foster home or a forever home. I'll put her on the "available dog site" at that time. Currently she will go to a single dog home as she is not comfortable with other dogs and we have not been able to test her with cats. An adult home with lots of love available would be perfect for her. Stay tuned for her available date.

2010-09-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Good and bad days for Debbie

2010-09-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Debbie continues to have her good days and her bad days. We had to take her back into the vets this past week because of bleeding sessions the previous day. She still has her periods of repeat bleeding from the nasal passage and her affected eye has sunken into the socket. This fungus has eaten the bone in that area and she has no use of that eye now. She continues to be a happy friendly girl and it is so sad to watch what this has done to her. She continues to go for walks to the park and beach, rides in the car and get lots of fresh air with her foster mom who has been so patient with her situation.

Just when we think she will be able to go on the main site as available for adoption, she has a setback. This poor girl needs a forever home that will love her unconditionally even with all the ravages that this infection has done to her.

Camille is pain-free!

2010-09-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

I went to visit with Camille and see how well she was doing after her surgery. She was so happy to see me and enjoying going out for her walk. She is finally without pain and healing quite well. Amazingly also, she is able to hear if you make a loud noise. I had been lead to understand that she would be almost deaf due to the surgery but it had been later explained to me that she will be capable of hearing some and will not be totally deaf. She's a sweet girl, very easy to take on her walks and being an excellent patient in her recovery.

Camille recovering from extensive surgery

2010-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

I drove to the vet clinic where Camille is this morning to visit with her. She was resting comfortably, as you can see, and I did not go in and wake her up. I will check back later this week to visit with her. She had a long surgery yesterday that was quite extensive. I am very thankful for the feedback that I received from both Dr. Scibelli and Dr. Frankel who performed the surgery. They even found a foxtail that had traveled way into her inner ear. She had experienced years and years of neglect with this outcome. I am so thankful for GRCGLA Rescue's support in helping Camille receive this operation and a chance at a new life. The public's support is so important in helping our dogs find a new home and a new life.

Camille heads into surgery

2010-09-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Camille is now ready for her surgery today. She has been in quite a lot of pain with the ear condition that she has. It is necessary for this extensive operation to happen so that she will have a life that is pain free. This poor girl has spent many years not knowing what it is like to not have this painful condition that was left untreated for so long. I will be sending updates as she is in the recovery process and she gets ready to be posted as available for adoption.

Camille joins GRCGLAR

2010-08-28T08:58:00.001-07:00

Camille came into rescue a week ago with such severely infected ears that she will require surgery to relieve her pain. She apparently has been in this condition for years. She had come into the shelter 2 years ago with infected ears and the owners came and got her. Well, well, she was back this year with the condition even worse. As you can see from this picture of her ear, she needed our help. Updates will be sent as we progress with her treatment.

Another checkup for Debbie...

2010-08-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

This terrible fungal infection is still being treated. She is doing well, happy, playful, loves her toys and loves to go hang out at the park with her foster mom. Debbie is just the best girl and everyone who meets her falls in love immediately. She is still on the antifungal medication. There has been bone loss around her eye but her face is not as swollen as previously. Occasionally she has still had her sneezing episodes, more so when she first gets up and after resting for a while. I am so thankful that her foster parents have been there for her this whole time. She never would have done this well without their help. Thank you for your support and for caring.

Debbie improves!

2010-08-15T21:46:00.001-07:00

Debbie is doing so much better lately. Here is a photo of her at a local beach area enjoying the ocean breezes and all the attention from everyone that sees her. She has another checkup in two weeks so will keep our fingers crossed that she continues to improve and get better. Thanks for your notes and for caring.

Debbie hits a rough patch

2010-07-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

Debbie has had a tough past two weeks with the nasal draining turning into bleeding quite profusely. We had another trip to the specialist and then back home with several days of diarrhea and lack of appetite. I don't think anyone would want to see those pictures as she sure didn't look her picture perfect in them. Today was a good day with her eating again and more active. This poor girl has been through so much and still has the sweetest disposition and as you can see from the picture a very pretty girl. She loves everyone in her gentle way. Thanks for your support and for caring.

Diana finds cookies and helps herself!

2010-07-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Not a good day for Debbie

2010-07-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today was not a good day for our sweet Debbie. She had been doing so well and progressing quite nicely. I received a note this morning at 5AM, that she had started to bleed from her nose quite a bit. I called the foster soon afterwards to see what had happened. After some discussion as to whether to take to our local veterinarian when they opened at 7:30 or run her back to where she had been treated, I decided she had to go to that veterinarian even though it was a distance away from the foster home. They had all her records and had been doing the checkups. The doctor that had been treating her was off today but they said they were calling him. Teri, the foster mom, took her there this morning and, to our surprise, the doctor came in on his day off to check her and help us. I am so thankful to Dr. Michael Moore of VCA All Care for his kindness and caring in his treatment of this adorable, very sweet, beautiful girl. We pray that this is only a short problem and that she will continue to recover and do well.

Diana is ready for adoption

2010-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Diana is doing very well in her recovery and will be posted on our regular available page soon. She will be available to an approved adopter that has older children, preferable in the teenage range, or adult couple. She is still quite young and in need of obedience training and time to rehab from her surgery. Please check our Available Page.

Debbie's Fourth of July

2010-07-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Debbie is doing wonderfully and is scheduled for another recheck this coming Friday. Her nose is healing well but still has some drainage. As you can see she was lounging around enjoying her 4th of July holiday the other day. What a sweet, sweet girl.

Diana's recheck

2010-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Diana came in to see Dr. Kelpe for a recheck today and is doing very well in her recovery. The splint was examined and her leg checked. She is getting around very well with this leg in the splint but needs it one for another week or so. she will come back in for another recheck and the splint will be removed to see how she is doing and if needed resplinted. She will need another foster home in the next two weeks that will be able to monitor her while being confined for her recovery. She should be in a home with no other dogs or the ability to separate to help with her recovery.

The pups are now 5 weeks old and doing great. They are all very healthy and happy guys. Momma is slowly weaning them but will take another week or two for that process to be complete.

Debbie doing well in foster care

2010-06-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Debbie continues on her recovery at her foster home. She is spending her days going for walks, taking car trips, sleeping on the chaise lounge in the back yard, getting lots of hugs and kiss and doing great in her recovery. This has been a long recovery and we are very pleased with how she has blossomed in her foster home. She has showed that she is a PERFECT girl in every aspect and once ready for adoption will one of those very, very special Goldens. She loves everyone she has met whether it be human or canine. Everyone is greeted with a wagging tail - well that tail wags all the time. Currently she is on a course of 2 different antifungal medications and I saw her just this past week when I met her foster mom to give her the next 2 weeks medication. She has a re-check appointment on Friday, July 9.

Debbie moves to foster home

2010-06-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day when Debbie went to her foster home. She was so happy this morning when her foster mom, Teri, came to pick her up. She couldn't get into her car fast enough. Off they rode with all her things. I jus t received this nice photo of her in her foster home. She still has a while to go in her recovery but things are looking much better for her. We have a scheduled recheck appt for early July and I'll update her page after that check up.

Debbie in recovery

2010-06-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today Debbie went back to the vets for a recheck and is doing well in her recovery. Her nasal drainage is much better - she still sneezes when she first gets up but then she is fine. The ulcer on her nose has almost healed but her eye is still draining and that may happen for quite a while. She has muscle atrophy in her head and around her eye. She is scheduled for a recheck in two more weeks and has to continue on the fungal medications. Debbie certainly was Miss Congeniality today while in the vets office wanting to visit with everyone. She got so many compliments on how sweet she was and how beautiful she was. I know she enjoyed the special attention.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day for her when she goes to her foster home. I'll send updated pictures.

Diana update

2010-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Diane came in today for Dr. Kelpe to remove the splint that had been put on at the shelter, xray the injuries as we only had 2 from the shelter but did not show the areas that were involved, and try to relocate the elbow. Once the bandage was removed, and she was xrayed, he tried manually to relocate the elbow but with the amount of scar tissue already forming, it was impossible. She was already sedated for the manual repair, so he took her directly into surgery to clean up the area and put it back in place. She was resplinted and will be rechecked in 1 week. Her foster mom picked her up that evening and she is back home with no time spent in the hospital. Her family was very happy to have her back and it was eating time again after the anesthesia had worn off and out of her system. They had accompanied her to the hospital and had a good meal before she was sedated. Oh the arrangements to keep these little guys happy.

Diana is a very sweet girl, good with other dogs and very good with the people in her foster home. The children are teenagers though so we have not had her living with small children. She will require rehab exercises to build up the muscles in her leg when it has healed. There was considerable muscle atrophy already as she was unable to put any weight on it when she arrived in rescue.

I will be sending updates when she goes for her next recheck.

Diana limps into rescue

2010-06-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Diana and her Supreme pups, Florence, Mary, Betty, plus one, Eddie, came into rescue today from the shelter. She had previously been hit by a car and suffered an elbow injury. Apparently the former owner had not had her treated by a doctor and this injury probably occurred about the time the pups were born. There was considerable scar tissue in the wound and the injuries from the car incident had started to heal. We will examine this leg after she has settled down in her foster home with her family. The bandage was put on when she was at the shelter to stabilize the leg. Her pups are healthy, fat and very content. She will be in a foster home later today.

Thanks, and let's start with this. I'll send another update from when we had to change the bandage and fix the dislocated elbow.

Debbie's progress update

2010-06-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went to pick up Debbie from the Specialty Center where she had her treatment. It has been a rough 2 days for her. One Tuesday, 6/15 she had a CT and when that was clear, she went immediately for the treatment which required her to be under anesthesia for several hours. When I talked to them in the late afternoon she was going into recovery and everything was looking good. Well, that was the start of a sleepless night. I received a call at 9:30 pm Tuesday night that she had spiked a fever of 105 and it was discovered that she had aspirated some of the liquid during her treatment while under anesthesia. I tried to get some sleep but called again at 1:30 am and she was doing better. They were able to get the fever down a little and were more optimistic. Another call at 5:30 am the next day, had her somewhat out of the woods but still running a slight fever and on IV's and oxygen. I elected to have her stay there for the day to give her a better chance for recovery. It was arranged that I call later in the day to check on her status.

I tried to keep myself occupied but made that call immediately at 4:30 to see how she was doing. It was felt that she needed monitoring for another night and it was not good for her to be taken back to our vets that closed at 7 with her being alone all night. It was arranged that I pick her up today, Thursday in the morning and transport back to the vets.

This morning I was down there waiting to see this sweet little girl. Everyone had fallen in love with her and couldn't imagine what discomfort and pain she had gone thru while still maintaining this great personality. Even after what she went thru, she greeted me with a wagging tail and patiently waited for me to take her "going home" picture. She is now back here locally at our vets and is currently looking for a foster home that can commit to the period of time it will take for her to heal and be ready for her forever home.

Please stay in touch for more updates on her progress. Thanks for your concern and support.

Debbie meets a specialist

2010-06-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I picked up Debbie at the vet's and took her to the specialist's facility for a CT scan and nasal infusion tomorrow. The CT scan will determine if she can withstand the treatment so we have our fingers crossed that it will be clear and we can proceed. Everyone that met her today including the doctor kept commenting on what a sweet, good natured girl she was even in such discomfort. She greeted everyone with a tail wag and gladly accepted the pats and hugs. I will know tomorrow after the CT scan how things are going and I'll update again. Thanks for keeping posted and your good thoughts. Both Debbie and I appreciate it.

Debbie update

2010-06-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Debbie has an appointment tomorrow with the specialist to determine her course of treatment. She is doing as well as can be expected and did eat a good breakfast. It's amazing that she can still eat with the condition her nasal passage is in with all the mucus and blood draining. Debbie is always so happy to see us when we come to take her out for her walks. She just prances along with her tail wagging the whole time. Initially she will sneeze considerably when she first gets up but then after she is outside in the fresh air, the sneezing stops during that time. I'll send an update when I learn more after tomorrow's visit.

Debbie update

2010-06-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Debbie is shown here being prepped for a procedure to determine what may be wrong with her. They took some head x-rays and there was no mass present, then she was sedated to have a scope put up her nasal passage. From the initial observations, the doctor is pretty certain that Debbie has a fungal infection called, nasal aspergillosis. She has a very good chance to return to good health but it will take a long time for this to heal.

We will be consulting with a specialist to determine what's best for Debbie.

Debbie arrives in dire need of medical care

2010-06-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Debbie just came in today from a local shelter and as you can see from these photos will need our help. She is a 4 year old, beautiful, light blonde, sweet girl that is currently being tested to see what we can do for her. We do not know how long she has been in this condition as I have no records from a veterinarian to go over.

When she came in, the veterinarian did some initial tests and sent in a culture that will take several days to get the results back. Another volunteer and I bathed her and made her comfortable. She is safe tonight, as comfortable as we could make her in this condition, and tomorrow, hopefully, we will find out more about her condition. Keep checking this site for updates.

Suzee to be adopted by her foster family!

2010-02-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

Suzee returned to the vet's this past week to be spayed and is now ready for adoption. Her foster family has fallen in love with this sweet little girl and will be adopting her. We are all so happy for Suzee. She's a remarkable girl and will have a great home playing with their other dog and getting spoiled every day.

Suzee is happy in foster care

2010-02-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Suzee moves to foster home

2010-02-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

From Carole...
Today was a big day for our little Suzee. She went to her foster home to finish recuperating and healing. I just checked in and she is doing wonderfully, making herself completely at home and enjoying a yard to play in and a house to hang out in. She will have to come back in about a month for her spay surgery and at that time will be available for adoption.

Sorry I don't have a picture from today when she left the clinic but I can assure you that everyone that had worked with her and fell in love with her was there to wave goodbye. Thanks to everyone for their support and for caring.

Beau adopted!

2010-02-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Beau went to his forever home today. All of our volunteers that have worked with Beau, and especially his foster mom, will miss him but wish him much happiness in his new home. Read Beau's story here.

Suzee update

2010-02-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

I went to visit with Suzee this morning and she is doing great. They have removed the drains as you can see from the one photo and they will heal now. She still needs to wait until all her stitches have been removed, then we can move her to a foster home to recover and wait to be spayed. She will have to spend more time healing before the veterinarian clears her for this surgery. Medically Suzee has been thru an awful lot recently Thanks for checking on this sweet, active, friendly, little girl.

Brinkley adopted!

2010-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

Brinkley has found his forever home with Sue C. of Oceanside. Brinkley came into rescue at the age of 15 and celebrated his 16th birthday on January 14th. He is enjoying life, living it to the fullest, and an absolute joy to Sue and her household. I want to thank the animal control officer that actually found Brinkley wandering on the streets and was compassionate enough to contact us, support us with donations and care for him until he came into rescue. His owners finally came in on his last day and identified him, but did not take him home. He has touched so many hearts during his journey through our organization.