Friday, December 15, 2006
Tara started having diarrhea today. I think it's because I gave her the last ones of the dog cookies that Millie sent her for Christmas more than a week ago. One of the cookies had a tiny spot of mold on it, so I didn't give her that one, but I gave her the other three. I knew those cookies didn't have artificial preservatives in them, so I should've kept them in the fridge or gave them to Tara earlier. It's all my fault. This time, I started giving her slippery elm powder with meals immediately after she started having diarrhea and stopped giving her string cheese for training purpose, so hopefully she won't have uncontrollable diarrhea on the carpet like last time.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Update of Bonnie from her former foster mom, Carol: �For the first few weeks, I checked my emails anxiously for word of how Bonnie was doing, and Beverly was kind enough to keep me updated. She still communicates with me frequently about Bonnie's progress, and how she has managed to wrap George around her little paws. Since George is retired and Beverly works from home, Bonnie gets a lot of attention. She "goes to work" every day with Beverly. Beverly recently told me that Bonnie and George "decided" that Bonnie should sleep in their bed with them (despite a very NICE Orvis bed purchased especially for her). Bonnie is also now taking obedience classes, and Beverly said we might one day soon be able to call her "Bonnie the Brave." This is beyond my imagination!
How wonderful that this once pitiful, abandoned little Springer girl has Beverly and George, whose continued patience and love are transforming her into beautiful dog with a growing sense of confidence.�
Tara's stool has slowly gotten firmer, and this afternoon it looks normal. I will continue to give her slippery elm powder but will also decreasing the dose.
Jake's parents invited Tara and I for late lunch/early dinner to celebrate Jake's adoption anniversary, so we went to Birmingham yesterday. I gave Tara ten drops of Homeopet Calming remedy on doggie biscuit before we left the apartment, and she slept most of the way to Pelham (10 miles south of Jake's house). We stopped at a pet food store in Pelham to get dog and cat food (they don't sell any animals!). Tara was happy to sniff around while I browsed in the store. Even though I kept her close to me, she still got hold of a link of "sausage" when we passed by the chew treats section, so I removed it from my mouth and had to put it in the shopping cart. When we were at the cash register, Tara kept sniffing the pig ears nearby, so after the clerk checked out the sausage, I gave it to Tara to keep her occupied. It took her two seconds to swallow it. When we got back in the car, I gave Tara four drops of Rescue Remedy on dog biscuit, since it was 30 minutes before we got to Jake's house. My camera batteries ran out, or else I would�ve taken some pictures of Tara at Jake�s house.
When we got to Jake's house, John and Kate opened the door for us, they told me Jake's in the backyard, and Kate offered to hold Tara for me while I went to see Jake. Kate also mentioned that Peggy has taken yoga class with them. Jake was sitting on the ledge in the garden, staring at the trees near the fence, John said he's looking at squirrels, and they let him out playing by himself in the backyard every morning when they are at home. So John called Jake and he came running up and gave me lots of kisses. As I was petting Jake, Kate asked for some more of the freeze dried chicken liver treats I had in the fanny pack, I guess Tara was whining when I left her with Kate in the dinning room. Then we went inside. Jake was excited and tried to sniff Tara, and I kept feeding Tara treats, as John and Kate steered Jake away from Tara. Then we went to the master bedroom so John could show me the screen saver on their computer, a picture of Jake and Kate cuddling together as they were taking an afternoon nap. Jake was still very excited and running and jumping around. And then Tara barked and lunged at him, but I had her on leash, so she didn't get very far and he retreated. I told Tara to down-stay, while John and Kate petted Jake on the couch. John proposed that we take a walk in the neighborhood, that way maybe Tara will feel more relaxed and comfortable getting to have Jake around (I didn't walk Tara that morning, because I know she gets more grouchy when she's tired).
I also told John and Kate that Tara has cataracts, and they said yeah her eyes look cloudy, and also she tripped a couple times going up the stairs to the street. John took out the leash and Jake got really excited and jump in front of him near the front door, but John told Jake to sit in heel position next to him in front of the door, and told him stay, and then opened the door and released him (off leash). After we walked two houses up, John noticed two young boys playing in the yard and told Jake to come and put him on leash. I asked him if Jake would go up to the kids (if not leash), and John said yes Jake is very friendly and would go up to anybody. Then two more houses up the road, there is an empty lot, with just trees and lots of fallen leaves. John released Jake and again had him wait, and when he said okay, Jake ran up the hill and jumping through the leaf piles. I kept Tara leashed and every once a while I would feed her a treat. Overall she was very good about standing and waiting with us while Jake romped in the woods. Then one of the neighbors (Henry) and his dog (Max) came out. Max is a 12-year-old Yellow Lab. I asked and John and Kate said Max and Jake aren't really friends, but they see each other once a while when they pass by on walks. Max seems friendly and walked up the hill and met with Jake. They sniffed each other but didn't really play. Then they called Max and Jake back, and John put Jake on leash. Max got near Jake, I didn't see what was happening, but Kate said Max is putting his head on Jake's back and that's the only thing that Jake doesn't like, another dog displaying this dominant gesture, so they separated the dogs. Then Max came near Tara, they sniffed each other while I kept giving Tara treats, until Henry came to get Max away.
John and Kate and Henry talked for a while, then Henry and Max went back to their yard and we kept on walking. Tara pulled on leash during the walk. Usually she's very good about not pulling, but I guess she's extra perky with all the woodsy smells in the neighborhood. Jake was pulling a lot on leash and John had to stop very frequently. So we started walking faster and they started doing this circle thing whenever Jake started pulling. They did that about five times and finally Jake was good about staying near John.
When we got back to the house, Kate prepared lunch/dinner, while I took Tara to check out their beautiful backyard/garden. It took Tara a while to climb down the stairs, and John kept Jake on the deck while Tara and I walked slowly down. Then John and Jake came down to the yard too to play fetch. As John and Jake were playing fetch, Tara was looking at Jake and wanted to run after him too, like at Millie's pool party. But since there was a toy (tennis ball) involved, I kept Tara leashed. But she finally realized it's nice grass and she rolled on her back, barking happily, on the grass. It's so nice to see her happy and enjoying the outdoors in the sun like that. John said maybe I could let Tara off leash, so I did for a few minutes. Then Kate said the food's ready, so we went inside. John brought in some of Jake's toys from the yard, he said Jake likes to take them outside one by one. I put the toys on the chair in the livingroom, so Tara won't get possessive over them. John also said there are probably hundreds of tennis balls in the bushes in the backyard, because whenever he tells Jake to go get a tennis ball, Jake would always find one.
John and Kate made lentile soup (kale in the soup from their garden), and they got bread and spinach quiche from one of their student's bakery. Also I had the carrot/apple juice that John made. All the food were really good. They made Jake stay on the rug that's in the doorway between the kitchen and the dinning room, and I tried to keep Tara next to me, but she kept wanting to sit next to Kate, so we let her. I asked if that's where they tell Jake to stay when they have their meals, and they said that's Jake's spot when they are cooking. John said the rug used to be in the kitchen, and Jake would lie on it while they were in the kitchen, and they would trip over him. So they moved the rug to the doorway and got another rug for the kitchen, and now they don't trip over him anymore. Jake took a short nap and wanted to play again, so they let him outside to play with tennis ball on the deck (I told John and Kate that Tara is possessive of dog toys). But Jake eventually came back inside and lied next to John. Kate said she was surprised that Tara could walk the hills during the walk, and I told her yeah we walk at least a mile everyday to keep her joints lubricated because of her arthritis. Rocky the cat was very curious about Tara and walked by several times to check her out. Tara had her head down, seemed to be sleeping (I was surprised about that because she usually don't relax enough to sleep at an unfamiliar place), but then we heard growling sound. At first we thought Jake was grunting/snoring, or maybe Rocky was purring, but it turned out to be Tara growling, so I walked her back to sit next to me. As John was picking up the plates, I told Tara to stay and I went up to pet Rocky.
Then it was time to feed the cats and Jake, and Kate asked me if Tara would like to join them, and I said yes. The cats and Jake get bits of chicken for dinner, and Jake's dinner consists of kibbles mixed with homemade chicken stock, peas, and bread. When Kate was preparing the food, Sham went to the kitchen with her and meowed, that was really cute. I told them that Tara is possessive of wet food, so while Jake ate his dinner in the dinning room, I took Tara to the rug by the front door. At first she just sniffed, but once she realized it was "human food", she licked the soup and ate everything except the peas. I told John and Kate that Tara wouldn't eat the peas, so they gave it to Jake, who is a good boy who eats his vegetables. I could tell Tara is getting sleepy, especially after dinner, so I was thinking about maybe leaving soon so she wouldn't start getting grouchy. Then we had tea and cookies (beautifully decorated ones that they got from their student's bakery). They gave Jake the elephant toy that I got Jake for Christmas, the toy makes an elephant roaring sound. Jake had his puzzled look each time he heard the sound.
Christmas picture from Millie and Freckles: �Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and safe and happy New Year! Craig, Millie and of course Mr. Freckles�
