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.