Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Greetings from Cassie and Callie




Well, I had my big appointment at NC State Veterinary Hospital yesterday. What a great time I had. The car ride was a blast.  I also got so much attention that I am sure that I am a very important puppy.
I don’t know why but my foster moms are not very happy with the outcome. My doctors were so nice and they loved on me like you wouldn’t believe. They said that they thought I was just the cutest girl that they have seen in quite some time.  That all sounded pretty good to me.
They also said that I am never going to see, there is nothing they can do to change my sweet little eyes.  Although they can see a cataract in my right eye, they can’t remove it because the scarring on my cornea is very bad.  And they don’t even know if there is a cataract on my left eye but even if there is they can’t make it go away.  I don’t know what that all means but my “moms” don’t think it’s very good.
Oh well, I don’t know what it’s like to see so I don’t know what the big deal is!
Next week I will start playing with a trainer that knows all about dogs like me. She is going to work with my foster mom and give her instructions on how to make me even better, as if that is possible.

I just want to thank all of you guys that have “ChippedIn” to help my sister Cassie and me.  Although my training will go on for quite some time, I think my doctor’s appointments are just about over.  That makes me sad because I love to be petted on and told how cute I am.
My sister Cassie still has a ways to go. She is healing but the doctors still don’t know if her surgery is a success or not.  She gets to go back to her doctor in two weeks and they should be able to say how much vision she will have.  Her doctor is a bit concerned by the pressure in her left eye but this will be monitored. So Cassie gets to continue her doctor appointments and get loved on by all those people. They tell her that she is the cutest puppy that they have seen in quite some time, too!!!
Paws crossed and lots of BT kisses coming your way. Stay tuned for more information.
Signing out for now and getting ready to take “another” nap.
Callie

Greetings from Cassie
HEY everyone! Check out my e-collar! I am still recovering from my surgery and will see my doctor again soon. Thank you all, from me and Callie, for the loving support and sharing of our story. Your thoughtfulness and generosity have truly been overwhelming! More updates to come.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

National Pet Fire Safety Day




Today is National Pet Safety Day and I want to say thank you to the firefighter and volunteers who are helping those affected by the wildfires in Colorado. The fires are affecting the area where I grew up and played with my first dogs so it holds a special place in my heart.

The Colorado wildfires forced 32,00 residents to evacuate their homes and may were left homeless with their pet unable to find a shelter top take them. The Johnson family, who operate Sunrise and Woodman kennels in Colorado Springs opened their kennel doors to animals displaced by the Waldo Canyon Fire. As of last week over 50 animals had been welcomed and as the evacuation continues more are expected.


The Johnson's are not charging evacuated residents but they are stockpiling food and accepting donations.

If you want to support the Johnson's efforts donations are being accepted through Petflow and if you use the coupon code BSTNSHOW you get $10 off your order of 59 or more. The dog food will be shipped directly to the Johnson's kennels. Donations are also accepted through PayPal. Click on send money, add amount and choose "Friends and Family" When Paypal asks for the email address of the recipient use dogrtn@msn.com.


To keep your pets safe in case of emergency here are a few tips I picked up here and there.

Keep your pets near entrances when you aren't home and keep collars and leashes near the door in case firefighters need to rescue them.

Get a pet window cling for the front window of the house, these will alert rescue crews and save time. ASPCA has a pet safety pack you can order through their website. Clings are also available through www.adt.com/pets.

Know who will rescue who, choose one person in the house to be responsible for a pet in an emergency. make sure that each person knows where that pets hiding spot or "happy place" is. This is where you pet goes when they want to be left alone or are scared. Make sure that all smoke detectors are working and consider investing in carbon monoxide detectors as well.


 Your dogs tags are not just to let you know where they are, keep them up to date and think about a microchip as well. Last have a bag packed with food water travel bowls and know where their medicine is to grab in an emergency.


A few minutes of preparation can pay off big in an emergency.












Friday, July 13, 2012

Two Blind Pups at CCBTR


Cassie ,on the left, and Calli, belly up,  are very sweet young pups who think the world is just wonderful. They eat, they poop they pee, they play a little, and then they nap.
They do not realize that they are not "just like every other puppy. "They started their lives in Georgia, as breeder pups that would surely bring a excellent price when they were ready to be weaned. When the breeder realized that there were problems with the pup's eyes, they were surrendered to the local animal shelter.
The shelter then brought them to a local animal clinic in hopes that the clinic could help them. Luckily for Cassie and Callie, the clinic contacted rescues to see if these girls could be saved. CCBTR stepped up and the girls made their way to NC and into foster care.


Laura, their foster mom said their fist day,  they woke up at 10:00 pm when she went to bed and were up until 12:45 pm. They slept until 5:06 am, then played, pooped, peed, and ate... played pooped, peed, etc. until 11:30. Now it's nap time for everyone.
Cassie is a deep brown colored, calm and sweet  BT puppy- a bit bigger than her sister Calli.  Treatment for Cassie seems promising, she has corneal perforations in both eyes.  The Dr. Gift thinks that this most likely occurred within the last 2 weeks, and a surgical procedure to graft good tissue onto one eye and an implant of a lens on the other was performed on July 10.  Paws crossed, some of her sight will  be restored. 
She is recovering at Laura’s with a lot of meds and a cone of shame.  As with any surgery, she is not out of the woods yet and the extent to which her sight will be repaired is unknown.  The fact that she is a young, healthy puppy should help her heal.
Calli, the smaller, black and VERY active puppy is another story, like Dora the Explorer, always on the go. 
 Callie may not be as lucky s her sister but we don’t think that will slow her down, she developed corneal perforations, most likely in the first 3 to 4 weeks of life, maybe before her eyes even opened. There is a shifting of structures within the eyes, so the specialist believes that the left eye may be permanently blind, there is potentially some hope the right eye will have some light perception.
 On Monday, Calli will make the trip to Cary, NC.  MAYBE there is something they are working with- a new med, a laser- that can help.  Although we totally trust the
Animal Eye Care specialists, we owe it to Callie to get a second opinion. We will be taking her to NC State Veterinary Hospital for additional evaluation and if Callie is destined to be blind, we will contact a trainer experienced with blind dogs. This will give her a life much closer to normal.


 Laura, thank you for caring for the girls and I hope  they've turned their sleep schedule around. 






The costs for the care and treatment for both girls are going to be very high. We hope that you can open your hearts and your wallets to help CCBTR help Cassie and Callie. We will do everything in our power to give both girls the most "normal" and happy lives possible.


                                                                     MEET SPANKY


Spankey belongs to one of our  friends and is  almost 85% blind and deaf.  Paula says they have to be carefull not to put anything in his "run/paths" area and that he always follows the same path. When he goes to the back yard he follows the fence perimeter of the area.
My Chair, but I'll share if you have treats.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Knock Knock Disaster Calling


Last week we had a heck of a storm suddenly emerged; rain, winds and the green skies indicative of tornados appeared out of nowhere.  In my neighborhood we had a trampoline launched over the 6ft fence and into a car across the street.  The twisting of the clouds and high winds were very similar to those of a hurricane and it is hurricane season and time to prepare for bigger and badder storms coming if the predictions for 6 hurricanes are true.


It’s not difficult to protect your pets during a storm whether you have to evacuate or not.  The American Kennel Club has tips on the best way to ensure survival and safety of our furbabies. 


Plan ahead; many hotels will relax their pet policy during an evacuation but hotels also fill quickly so knowing of more than one can assure you don’t end up sleeping in your car.  Dog Friendly  has a list of hotels by state and city which allow dogs.  Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina.  Also KOA allows dogs in their cabins and most have dog parks onsite. American Tourister Collapsible Travel Crate
Front porch at KOA


Keep a copy of your dog’s medical records especially their rabies shots and microchip information. I have a binder that has my family’s birth certificates and other documents, I added a section for my dogs and now I don’t have to worry if we  leave in a hurry. 


On the subject of microchips, even if they are not, make sure that their ID tag is current and that they are wearing it with their rabies tag. This will help you in case your dog does get lost. Thunderstorms and tornados like fireworks can turn a mild mannered calm poochie into Hairy Houdini.







If the forecast calls for a hurricane you have a few days notice and that’s the time to preemptively pack a bag for your pet.  In it should be bowls, extra leashes and collars,  at least a weeks worth of food, a gallon of water, portable bedding and a crate. Oh yea and TOYS!    



 Things that have familiar scents to them will help comfort your pets in unfamiliar places. If you don’t have extra bedding or travel bedding a few towels with your scent on them can work wonders.


No matter how long you think you will be gone you should never leave your pets at home alone if an evacuation is called.  During Hurricane Ivan, the 3 hour trip to my Mom’s became 14 as my family evacuated Pensacola.  Take your pets and take their picture! Keep current pictures of your dog in the binder with pictures of kids and other important documents.

For more information PetsWelcome has travel tips for that are good in fair weather and foul.