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FOSTERING: The need is always there


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1 hour ago, Papillon Kisses said:

How are you getting on with her shots? Any improvement in her response?

I am getting a bit better, but it is hard to hold a squirming dog and give her an injection at the same time, but she is such a good little girl.  She forgives me very quickly as I have her food at the ready.  Have a look at my post in Photos :heart:

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  • 5 months later...

Two new fosters today.  I have had a couple of others since Leilah, but haven't put them up here.  Lazy.  

 

These two are from a puppy farm rescue and the poor little things are the most nervous and timid dogs I have ever had, so I will have my work cut out here.  Lots of little cuddles and TRY NOT TO SHOUT, CYNTHIA.  

 

No photos until they have been bathed, hopefully tomorrow.  Suffice to say, they are more than overdue :mad :mad.  I'd like to get them professionally groomed, but I think that would be too overwhelming for them.   

 

Two little girls: one a Yorkie X turning 6 at the end of December called Molly and the other a terrier cross turning 11 at the end of this month called Strawberry.  This second little girl has a lot going on - luxating patellas in both hind legs and osteoarthritis.   So lots of meds at this stage.   

 

 

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15 hours ago, Kazm said:

How sweet. Lots of work by the sound of it but I believe you’ll work your magic once more. Good on you. 

The thing is, I don't have any magic and these two little ones are something right out of my experience :cry:.  Today, the rescuer came over to help me bath and groom them.  Well little Molly, although terrified, just stood on the non slip mat on the dining room table and let us brush her and cut out her knots.  I'd been sitting on the floor trying to tempt them to come to me and after quite a while, was successful.  Strawby just lay in my lap while I brushed her and cut huge knots out of her coat.  She was in heaven.  I tested her a couple of times by trying to move her off, but she stuck like glue :heart: :heart:.  I fiddled with her feet, her ears, tail - nothing, perfectly at ease.  I picked her up a couple of times and although she stiffened, she was fine to just settle back down into my lap.  

 

We then bathed Molly.  OMG, the dear little thing.  So terrified and yet so good.  

 

Strawby's turn.  I managed to catch her, but the nightmare girl returned, struggling and fighting me, trying (and succeeding) to bite me.  So we abandoned that.  They just pushed themselves in a corner of the dining area and there they have stayed for the past six hours.   

 

Neither of them ate dinner, but luckily Strawby will eat raw chicken with her meds in.  Molly has to have hers pushed down, which I hate doing, but she has to have them.    

 

They are too scared to want any interactions with my dogs yet, but hopefully the improvements will come.  

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Giving meds can be a problem with  determined oldies, Zara has to have 1/2 Urimav tablet twice daily and though it's easily put in her mouth it doesn't matter how far I push it down her gullet she hucks it up, I now dissolve it in an eggcup with a little water then mix it with her Vets All Natural and meat and she gobbles it up quick-smart, so check with the vet/rescue to see if the tablets can be dissolved in a little water first, it certainly saves heaps of stress (and no dog slimy saliva on your fingers either)

I'm looking forward to the piccies :)

If you haven't done so already search for 'how to bath a dog that is frightened' there are some good tips and videos on bathing

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The poor little creatures. But it does sound like you made a bit of progress. I guess you just take it one day at a time. Good luck At least they are in very good hands now.

Edited by Kazm
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I have had to call it quits on these two little dogs.  They are severely traumatised and will take a long time and a lot of work to get them ready for adoption.  It is heartbreaking to see such frightened dogs and also very worrying to see them affecting my dogs.  I suggested to the rescuer that they would do better apart as they feed on each other's fears, so she has taken little Molly and already there are signs of improvement.  Strawberry on the other hand is much older and has probably been at the horrible place all her life and is extremely frightened.  It has taken me two days to "catch" her after letting all the dogs downstairs on Friday morning.  I can't keep the house and/or deck closed and just take the dogs down from time to time which is what I would have to do, if I kept fostering Strawberry.  The rescuer will find her another foster carer with a much smaller back yard.   If I didn't have my own dogs, it would be a different story, but I can't continue to turn their lives upside down and the rescuer recognises this.  I am sad.   

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They have been on meds, PK, but they have been in such a state of deprivation for so long.  Strawberry was at the vet today to have all her work done, but they forgot to clip her off.  So she is staying overnight and having it done tomorrow.  Apparently she was a little angel with the vet nurses and getting pats and cuddles.  She was an angel on the way over there too as I had her wrapped in towels and cuddled her the while time.  I suggested to the rescuer this evening (who was also there with Molly) that Strawberry needs to be kept inside where she feels safe.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that Strawberry is still with me :heart: :heart:.  There has certainly been progress, but only someone who lived with her would notice.  She stills runs away, but she joins the other dogs in waiting for her meals, so that is something.  I will try to put up some photos, but my new computer is very very very user unfriendly when it comes to photos :mad  :mad.  

 

If Strawberry is in one of the beds, I can "bum walk" up to her and pat and cuddle her.  She even gives me licks on my face and hands.  She follows me around and really wants to be okay.  Hopefully that time will come, but it will be a while.   

 

At this early stage, she is as comfortable as one can reasonably expect and I dreaded how she would feel having to go somewhere else.  

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