Update From My Foster Home

Great news!!
After months of waiting, we have finally scheduled Duckie's spay for Friday, January 8th. This is really fantastic news - she is healthy enough to undergo surgery and get on the road to recovery. After her spay, Duckie will still have at least one surgery before she is ready to be adopted.

In her foster home, they refer to 2010 as the Year of the Duck. Please keep Duckie in your thoughts as she goes through the last - and difficult - steps to finally recovering from all of her health issues. Consider a donation to help us get her through the next couple of months; any amount will help IBR take care of her vet bills.

We'll keep you updated! Happy new year... we are sure it will be for Duckie :)

Update From My Foster Home

Things that Duckie is grateful for this holiday season:

- A warm bed

- A thick coat of fur (its very shiny and beautiful)

- Rawhide bones

- Food (especially a full bowl!)

- Her doggie friends who are showing her that other dogs aren’t all bad

- Walks around the neighborhood

- Hugs and pets

- All of the wonderful IBR people who are helping get her healthy and strong.



We had a fun Thanksgiving and even walked in a parade. Everyone loved Duckie (of course). Now, on to Christmas and Hannukah!

I Really Could Use Your Help

Sweet Duckie--upon arrival to the rescue in February of this year, she had already had her rear leg removed from being hit by a car. Bloodwork showed that she not only had Heartworm disease, but she was also fighting Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If that wasn't enough--Duckie will also need a mastectomy to remove the cancerous masses in her breasts. She is just an amazing little stoic dog and we hope she will be strong enough for her next life saving procedure. Currently Duckie's vet bills are nearly at $1,000. Mastectomy will be another $1,000- $2,000. Life has thrown a few obstacles my way, but I've gotten through each one. I'm not going to let a little thing called cancer get me down!

UPDATE 10-23-09 How about some good news for a change :). After a 7 month battle to fight the heartworm infestation, Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever--Duckie is finally making some progress! So far the Lyme disease is resolved and the antibodies for he other 2 tick borne illnesses have finally dropped. Duckie is still showing a positive antigen level for heartworm disease- but even at the 6 month mark--considering all the other things she is fighting --that will eventually go negative. We are going to treat her 2 more months on antibiotics and will plan her mastectomy surgery in early 2010. Miss Duckie should be ready for adoption in early Spring 2010!

Foster Home Update

Duckie update



September was a pretty relaxing month with Duckie taking time to relax and enjoying the start to fall. We have a vet appointment in mid-October, and hopefully there will be continued positive news and progress.



Here’s a few things to know about Duckie…

She snores.
Someone must have taught her “shake” because every time I make her sit for a treat, she puts her paw in the air.
She can run impressively fast on three legs.
When she greets you, the first thing she does is roll over for a belly rub.
She loves to cuddle.


Duckie would make an exceptional companion to someone who is willing to work with her special health needs. She is just a cutie who is absolutely worth the extra time and care. Please consider adopting her or making a donation for her continued treatment.

Duckie spent the weekend with two former IBR foster parents, and she had so much fun! She explored their garden, nibbled on mint, and went for long walks. She behaved herself well with two dogs she had only met a few times before. She is a little stinker, though. When she wanted to get at the mint to freshen her breath, no fence was going to stop her! Here are some pictures from her fun weekend with her new friends. Thanks to Jodi and Bonnie for taking these fun pictures.

Getting Better...Slowly but Surely

Duckie had a follow-up appointment with the vet last week and received some welcome news. She has kicked one tick illness - Lyme's Disease - and many of her blood levels are getting better. She is still showing up positive for heartworm, which is to be expected since she just got treated at the end of April. It can take the worms up to 6 months to completely get absorbed into her system, so hopefully she'll be negative by October. She's back on meds to treat Erlychia, another tick illness, which hasn't completely gone away. We'll redo her bloodwork again in 6 weeks and are confident she will be even better.

While that may seem daunting, she is getting better one step at a time. This little girl is not ready to give up any time soon. She tears around the dog park like she is a puppy and gets so excited to be there. She also has some friends visiting for a week or so and has behaved herself so well with two more dogs. She has come so far and we are really proud of the progress she has made. Here are a couple of pictures of her doing what she loves best - rolling over and begging for a tummy rub.This feels so good.

Progress Report

Duckie has spent the last couple of weeks gaining strength and energy since she was diagnosed with anemia at the end of July. We have started going to the dog park again and took a long walk last night. She scratched her hip running through and around the backyard but it is healing pretty well. As we've said before, not much slows this girl down!

Have we mentioned that she is very birdy (and rabbit-y and squirrel-y)? She is constantly looking for birds and other creatures in the yard and tries her hardest to run and catch them. Its too cute when her ears perk up and she looks around when she thinks there might be a new "friend" in the yard.

She will probably have another vet appointment next week to gauge how her system is dealing with the anemia and if she'll be ready to get spayed and have her tumors removed. Please visit again soon for an update.

July Update

7/01/09
Unfortunately we got some not so great results from the vet this week. Duckie has not been acting her usual peppy self and it turns out she is anemic. So we've got her on some supplements to help boost her system and will try the blood tests again in a month to see how she is faring for surgery.

We also found out that Duckie is going through a false pregnancy. She started making milk and has been nesting inside and out. This poor girl! She is getting the lion's share of tough health issues. Fortunately she's in good hands and seems able to get through through things one at a time. Please consider adopting Duckie or donating even $10 to help with her medical care. She's worth every penny of it and deserves a loving family.

June Update From My Foster Home

The pictures below come from an outting that Madison, WI holds every year. Duckie took to it as with great vigor. This is what her foster home has to say about the event and Duckie.

"6/14/09
These pictures were taken at Dog Fest. Duckie got to be in the adoptable dog parade, and it was so exciting. She did so great! She loved seeing all of the people at Dog Fest and she stole their hearts, too. It was the first hot day of the summer and a long weekend, so she was very tired (and a little cranky) at the end.

Meet Duckie. She is an absolute cutie who adores people. She is one tough cookie who has faced her multiple health issues with courage and heart. Duckie is a fighter who has overcome losing one leg, heartworm, tapeworm, exposure to three tick bourne illnesses and still has at least one surgery ahead of her. She is named after Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq veteran, and we think she has embodied the tough, determined, and courageous attitude of her namesake.

But don’t feel bad for her because nothing stops this little girl from doing or getting what she wants. Duckie has an amazingly positive attitude that wins over anyone who meets her. She’ll wiggle and charm her way into your heart with an undeniably lovable personality and a tail that never stops wagging.

6/21/09
Beyond Dog Fest, Duckie is enjoying the summer. We are learning that the hot summer days and exercise can tire her out pretty fast. She loves to sit in my landscaping while I cut the grass or weed the garden. She has a little bad habit of nesting in the dirt and sometimes comes in the house looking sheepish - but happy! - with a dirt-covered muzzle."

New Outting

'Ya know what? I went on a fundraising outting.
It was a really hot day, so a little break was in order.

Breaks over. Need to watch for people to walk by so I can greet them and tell them all 'bout me.

See Duckie Swim

Duckie started swimming!
Last Sunday we had the most exciting moment at the dog park - Duckie was true to her name and went swimming! I wish that I had a camera. She loves being in the water and explored all through the reeds and shoreline. You'd be amazed how she can manage uneven ground and is starting to get her sea legs - nothing can stop this little girl!

New Update From Foster Family

Duckie is recovering from her heartworm treatment with flying colors. We went for our second walk post-treatment today and she was so excited to be out and meeting new people. She always manages to charm someone new (and old friends all over again) within minutes of meeting them. I think she might have super powers. The spots on her eyes do look like a mask, don't they? And she has amazing healing powers... She would have made a great sidekick for Wonder Woman.

Update From Vet Visit

Duckie went in for tests. The results showed; Ehrlichia POSITIVE 1:25, Lyme POSITIVE 1:200, RMSF POSITIVE 1:200. I had a feeling she had to have something as she was ornery when she came in and had a suspicious past. This poor dog had a leg amputated, HW disease and has Mammary cancer. Hopefully once her body handles the dead worms, she will then fight off the tick borne illnesses and be ready for mammary surgery in a few months. We hope the cancer doesn't spread throughout her body in the mean time. What an amazing stoic dog. She needs your prayers and donations for her upcoming surgery. Please consider a donation for her.

Good News Updates

4/27/09

Here are thoughts from one of the other foster parents who hosted Duckie for a slumber party before her heartworm treatment…

“Duckie is a hoot! She followed me around everywhere and slept right next to me on the floor on her blanket when I was on the couch at night. Duckie is a survivor - she's tough and charming. When I came home from getting the red bag Sun. evening Sue was on the couch with Abbey next to her and Duckie on her lap.

Duckie loves people but doesn't like strange dogs to get close - she growls. She has no trouble going up and down the stairs (well, she did slip on the slick wooden stairs once), and she likes to sneak out the door. She can move surprisingly fast when she sees a squirrel.”

Duckie doesn’t sneak out the door to run away – she really wants to see what’s going on outside, if there are any nice people to meet, and if there might be a squirrel to chase. Since Duckie had some challenges guarding food when she first came to me, I have been feeding her in her crate. She has this funny habit of trying to “bury” her food before she eats it. Because she is so people-focused, she sometimes knocks the whole bowl over in distraction if I went upstairs or she didn’t know where I was.

She also makes me laugh when she takes one of the big, heavy bones, drags it out of their toy basket into another room, and manages to flip it in the air. She will sneak into your heart as fast as she tries to sneak out the door.




4/15/09
We had our first trip to the dog park yesterday, and I was so proud of Duckie. She did wonderfully - she ran around with her ears flapping and handled the small ups and downs of the park really well on three legs. She is very much a people-dog, as she showed the woman she ran up to and laid down in front of. Considering some of her past challenging interactions around other dogs, she did very well managing the dogs at the park. She is also doing well with sitting and trying to contain herself before she gets a treat. I think we should have named her Lucky (considering everything she's been through) or Hop-a-Long. She has so much fun running around.

Update From My Foster Home

"Tammy has this innate ability to warm your heart - you can't help but be in awe of what this little girl has been through and how she still hops around with such a positive, bubbly attitude. When someone new meets her, I wait for the inevitable "awwwww" that comes out of their mouth.

When she greets you, she runs up to you to say hi with her ears flopping and tail wagging and then immediately rolls over to beg for a scratch or a pet. With the warmer weather, she has been exploring outside and hopping around the backyard. She loves food, chews, and attention. Now all the dogs in my house have gotten through their adjustments, Tammy can take her treat after everyone else get theirs - that is if she can contain her excitement about getting a treat!

Please contact IBR to find out more about adopting this honey of a dog."

Update

While she may have additional health issues to deal with in the coming months, she was dignosed with mammary cancer because she was never spayed, she is at least getting a little more settled here emotionally. This evening, I was on the floor with her and two of the other three dogs I have at my house right now and everyone was happy cuddling up. She really loves laying on your lap and settling in for a good pet.

Update From Vet Visit

Tammy has gone through a lot of medical issues and has done so with great triumph. Now, she has another one to over come. It's not enough that she has gone through amputation of her leg, found to be Heartworm Positive, now she has to face mammary cancer. She will need surgery once she is through with her HW treatment. She has cataracts in both eyes, teeth that need to be pulled and still needs to be spayed.

What more can she go through. How much more can she take. Her age is estimated to be around 8-10 years not the 5-6 years believed to be when taken in. IBR WILL continue to help this honorable trooper, but we do need donations. Her medical procedures can run over a thousand dollars. Money that IBR just doesn't have. Please consider a Upland Bird Sponsorship. To learn more about this process, please visit IBR's home page. Tammy sure would appreciate a little good news. Will you be the one to give it to her?

I Can Run and Play with 3

On my journey to my foster home, we stopped to stretch and run around a little. Coach was going to his forever home and his new sister, Nicki came to meet him. We all ran around the tennis court for a while. See, I can run and play with 3!

I'm a Cheese Head! for now

Well, temporarily at least. I came from MO through KS,IA,IL and ended up in WI last Sunday. It sure was a long trip, but so worth it. I'm at a foster home that is really making sure I feel like I'm home. My mom has this to say about me after just 2 days. "She is such a sweet dog. All she wants to do is be wherever you are. She'll follow me from room to room, lays down next to me, and falls asleep. I think of her as a little fighter - the street and life tried to take their toll on her (between losing the leg and her teeth being worn down), but she keeps getting up wagging her tail and just wanting to be loved and petted. She would be great with someone who is interested in a lower energy dog and is willing to love her, and just keep her company." Could that someone be you?

A true fighter for life. Tammy has survived the worse of conditions. Now all she asks for is a chance at a normal life. Not to be treated differently nor felt sorry for, but to be part of a family that feels the need to have a companion in their lives. Someone to cuddle with them, to listen to them, and to love them unconditionally. Tammy will do all of this, 3 legs or not. She is a complete special trooper that deserves the highest honor of heroism, Your Love!She has been at her foster home, who is the sponsor for her HW treatment for 1 week. She does great in the house, is a snuggle bug, loves to sleep in bed with you and has only had 2 accidents, both times she was left alone from about 6am to 3 or 4 in the afternoon. She gets around great. Her companions are 8 other dogs and cats. Tammy pays no mind to the cats and does fine with the dogs unless they get to bouncy up next to her and then all she does is give them the under her breath growl. She is a Velcro dog at the moment, where ever you go, there she is and she said she loves men, she follows her foster dad everywhere
She has been at a lower kill shelter for quite some time with no prospects of getting out. I am told she is 6-7 years old. She has been vetted and was found to be HW+, however she is currently receiving treatment. This 'lil gal was a stray who had an old, serious leg injury that was never treated so she had to have one of her hind legs amputated. It has healed nicely and she gets around fine.
Tammy shares her name from another real trooper. To read more about her namesake Tammy Duckworth just click on her name.