Timber, Chestnut and Olive adopted!

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!

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...

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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.

Good and bad days for Debbie

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!

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

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

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

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...

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!

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

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!

Not a good day for Debbie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.