Happy Tail: Raven!

Belated happy tails are better than none at all...Miss Raven got adopted earlier this month! She lives in Nashville, TN and is as happy as can be. Icing on the cake: her leg is fully healed and looks great. We are so happy to see this girl enjoying her new life. Paws up for Raven and for Canine Pet Rescue!

In other news, CPR has taken in a very difficult new case: Allie the young GSD with severe chemical burns. If you'd like to donate toward Allie's care in honor of Raven, please follow the link below:

http://www.petcaring.com/animal-rescue/help-us-help-allie/36795

                  

 

The Great Foster Adventure: Our First Year in Review

Thought I'd let everyone know that Drew and I are taking a much-needed fostering break for the holidays. Coming off of a ten month foster bonanza, we need a minute to catch up with each other, things around the house, and of course our own pups. I feel like we were trying to take a break since early summer, but it just didn't line up that way. I can't believe we're down to just our three dogs again for the first

time in almost a year! It is insanely quiet and calm. I can tell they're super happy. They need a breather as much as we do. Having said that, it's not even been two weeks and I'm already going through foster withdrawal. I haven't been to the shelter yet during this time and I know it's going to be hard to go without having the option to take someone home. Must resist! With law school exams lurking right around the corner, I need this time to focus on life beyond dog stuff. It sucks, but that's how it's got to be for a little bit. Plus we're going away for Christmas, so we'd need a foster-free house for that period anyway.

Anyhow, I think it'd be nice to write a few posts on my

own 

doggies during this down time. I also have a couple more product plugs lined up. So even though there won't be any new dogues invading until after Christmas, be sure to check back every now and then for other posts. Rest assured, come the new year we will get back on track! In the spirit of reflection, check out the pictures of all the pups who 

passed through our home this year. What a great bunch! Paws up for all of them and their wonderful new lives! This first year of fostering was incredibly rewarding and super fun. It has been such an adventure...can't wait for the next chapter! As always, thanks for reading!

Raven's Journey Continues: From Shelter to Sanctuary

5 weeks of healing!

We handed Miss Raven off to Canine Pet Rescue this evening. During her time at CPR, Raven will learn how to be a real GSD. She'll go through CPR's awesome training program, get to hang out with other German Shepherds at CPR's pristine kennel, enjoy the fresh Georgia country air, and build her leg strength back up. I can't wait to see super happy pictures of her romping in the fields and maybe even doing some bite work! Most of all, I will be so very happy to see her leg finish healing. This is Raven's fifth week out of the shelter and her leg, as you saw in my last blog post, has come so far. Dogs' healing powers amaze me. Clearly there's some Wolverine DNA in there somewhere. I know you're probably tired of the gory injury photos, but I can't help myself. Seriously, look at the difference!

She's just a big lovey goofball

Raven is going to make somebody an awesome family dog. While it seems she needs to be an only dog, she is great with kids. Miss Ray loves to lay on the couch or on the floor nearby her people. As long as she can be near you, she's a happy camper. She loves to play fetch and is a pro at "sit". Hey, come on, even I can teach a German Shepherd how to sit! She seriously sat the first time I asked and looked at me like, "Are you for real lady, this is all you've got?" Raven's so smart...I'm just thrilled that she's going to get all the mental stimulation and exercise she's been craving. I love my Chis and terriers, but there's just something extra special about having a highly intelligent dog that sees you as a partner.

Having said that, super smart dogs are a lot of work. We're tired. Our dogs are tired. Raven is the only one who isn't tired. She's ready to rock and roll at CPR and her leg isn't holding her back anymore. She's going to thrive. I'll post any pictures I get of Raven in her element at CPR and certainly her happy tail picture when she finds her furever home. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on some pictures of her leg after it's entirely healed, too. Be sure to check out the old video below of Raven enjoying her doggy bed and wagging her tail.

Good luck, Ravie Rave!

So if you or someone you know is looking for a Georgia German Shepherd, please help us network these amazing dogs by liking/sharing CPR's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caninerescue

If you'd like to donate to Canine Pet Rescue so they can continue to help other dogs like Raven, please follow this link: http://www.caninepetrescue.com/how-you-can-help/donate.html

Raven's Recovery: Putting One Paw in Front of the Other

Weekly carpal progress

Weekly armpit progress, clockwise from top left

Lovely Miss Raven is doing fantastic. We are at the one month mark today and her leg is looking great. Her most recent follow-up was on Halloween. The vet was super happy with how everything looked and decided that from here on out, we're ok to go bandage free and let the fresh air finish up the healing process! Raven is doing such an awesome job not licking excessively (with the help of a little bitter spray). She's also walking a lot better without the bandage. I'm sure it felt funky and was probably restricting her range of motion a little. In the picture collage on the left, you can see how far Raven's carpal injury has come in the last four weeks. Top left: initial wound, top right: two weeks into recovery, bottom left: three weeks in, and bottom right: four weeks from initial vet visit. It's totally filled in/granulated, which means there's no longer bone or tendon exposed and no holes remaining. The gray perimeter you see in the bottom right photo is new skin forming. Her armpit wound has really come a long way as well. It was pretty deep and required a drain and stitches (which Raven promptly ripped out on day 1). Despite the awkward location and difficulty keeping the stitches in, it's done remarkably well. She'll probably have a long scar there where the dead tissue sloughed off, but no biggie. She'll still be beautiful, scars or no scars!

Dainty little temp bandage!

Now that all the extensive home care is finished (no more bandage changing, no more medications, no more weekly vet trips), Raven is good to move on to the next stage of her journey toward furever. We're taking her out to the Canine Pet Rescue farm this Friday and turning her over to Carla & Co. She'll stay at the CPR kennel (which is a gorgeous facility on a breathtaking spread of land out in Dacula, GA) until she gets adopted. They'll put her through their awesome training program and she'll learn how to be a real GSD. I'm super excited for her...I know she's going to thrive. I'm sure she won't have to wait very long for a home either; she's such a beautiful and sweet girl.

Enjoying the patio at Midway!

Last night, Raven and I met some friends for drinks. We sat on the restaurant's patio for a couple hours and Raven was super well behaved. There were loud crowds and other dogs on the patio, but she minded her manners perfectly and even let strangers pet her. This was Raven's first social outing. We've taken her for walks in the park several times, but nothing like this before. She handled the socialization so well. I was a proud foster mama! I have to say: I think all my foster dogs are beautiful, but it's extra fun when I have an ultra stunning dog to show off (ahem...Cowboy...). Miss Raven certainly is a showstopper! Nobody can resist her beautiful dark sable coloring and all that shadowing around her face and ears. And pink/fuschia is definitely her best color. I just can't wait to see how pretty she is when that leg is completely healed! She is getting closer to that point every single day. You know I'll share whatever pictures I receive! Stay tuned.

Pupdate: Raven's Recovery

Left: Before; Right: 2 weeks later

Ok, I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and type this update. I picked Raven up from the vet last Monday. Dr. Montgomery showed me how to change her bandage, which I've done every day. Drew was out of town all week, so a couple of friends were kind enough to pop over and help hold her still while I put fresh bandaging on her leg. It's super easy and I've really enjoyed gaining experience with wound care. Raven's injuries are healing very nicely. The minor scrapes on her back feet and shoulder are almost gone and the fur is growing back over them. The underarm wound is doing ok; it's not as great as it could be but there's no infection or anything bad. She popped the stitches and licked at it a bit the first few days, so it's just a little more

Raven's fancy 80s bandage

raw and irritated than we'd like to see. The big awful carpal injury is getting way better. The vet used the phrase "a world of difference" to describe how it looked when we went for her follow-up on Friday, so that's awesome. You can see in the picture how much the tissue has filled in compared to the pictures I posted of it the day we drove her to the vet. That's just two weeks of progress! It's amazing how quickly dogs heal.

Silly girl!

In my very first post I said part of this blog's purpose is to serve as an outlet for me through our fostering challenges, as I knew they'd crop up eventually. Well, our journey with Raven fits squarely into that category. Now I mentioned briefly that Drew was out of town all week. Just in case I haven't expressed it clearly in the past, I want everyone to know how much he helps me with all the dog stuff (and everything else, for that matter). My rescue friends are always quick to comment about how lucky I am that he is as involved as I am. They're right. I REALLY missed his help this week. As it turns out, fostering a GSD with serious injuries + juggling five other dogs that she's incompatible with (one being Satan's Chihuahua and another being an infant puppy) + law school + BY MYSELF = a freaking train wreck. Surprise! Who might have thought? Sigh.

I love this dog bed!

The first night/day with a new foster is always tough, for sure. My first night with Raven was beyond an utter disaster. She completely destroyed my giant 48" crate. She managed to pop a few wires and just ram straight through the front panel. She locked herself in my bathroom and turned on all the faucets. We're talking sinks, tub, everything. The sad, mopey, timid dog we left at the vet the week before existed no more. Raven was at max energy and I had to make sure she a) didn't hurt any of the other dogs, b) didn't re-injure her wounds, and c) didn't tear the house down. One of my friends generously came and spent the night in my bed with my dogs so that I could sleep upstairs with Raven. I needed to stay with her until I could get a new crate. I got very little sleep that night, and even less the next night. Fortunately, a rescue friend who lives nearby loaned me a giant hard plastic crate that Raven can't escape. And hey, she didn't eat any of the other dogs and didn't wreck anything but my crate. Things definitely could have been way worse.

With each day, things get a little better. My dogs had to sleep without me all week, I had to sleep in the guest room with Raven so she wouldn't bark all night, and I spent every ounce of energy each day trying to balance the six of them while keeping them separate, but we managed. Drew changed his flight to the red eye and got home Friday morning. He'll be gone again for the next two weeks, but at least I've caught up on my sleep while he's been home this weekend. We've finally gotten Raven to sleep quietly in her crate during the night. This means I can sleep in my bed with my dogs again. We're all happy about that.

At this point, the worst part of it all is that Raven isn't able to integrate with our dogs. When she snarled at Oliver and went into stare-down mode, we knew we couldn't take the introductions any further. Oliver is as docile, mellow, and straight up neutral as a dog could possibly be. If Raven didn't want to coexist nicely with him, there is no way she'd be able to deal with our other crazies. It just isn't at all worth the risk of someone getting hurt. I knew it was unlikely that she'd be able to integrate with our guys, but I was a little thrown by the exact dynamics. Raven is not at all dog-reactive. She doesn't care when she hears them in the other room or sees them through the window. We can even take them on walks alongside each other with no problem. The issue arises the second any personalized interaction occurs between me or Drew and one of our other dogs. That really pisses her off. Example: She was totally cool with Oliver sitting in the living room near her, but the moment I patted his head or directed my attention toward him in any way, she stiffened and flashed her teeth. So, again, she's not reactive or aggressive. She's people possessive. We are hers and she has zero interest in sharing us with other dogs. Consequently, everyone stays separated. This makes my life a living hell, but it keeps everyone safe. It's only a few short weeks after all.

Burning some energy and strengthening that leg!

I've carried on long enough about the challenges we face with Raven. Let me tell you all about Raven's great qualities. Raven is SUPER SWEET. She absolutely adores all people, new or familiar, male or female. Like I said earlier, I've had friends come by to help out this week and she's showered them with affection. Raven loves to play fetch, even with her bum leg. She really enjoys spending time out on the deck and in the yard. Like a typical GSD, Raven is very smart and picks up on everything in a flash. She knows "sit", "shake", "go lay on your bed", and is beautifully housebroken. She sleeps in her crate quietly now, but she will also sleep on her dog bed like an angel all night as long as it's next to the people bed. She likes going for walks and doesn't pull on the leash. I think Raven would very much like to be an only dog, but she really is going to make somebody an amazing companion. Not to mention she's absolutely beautiful!

Here's the bottom line(s): Drew wanted to foster a real true GSD and I wanted to broaden my experience with doggy medical stuff beyond heartworm treatment. We got exactly what we asked for. I knew Drew would be traveling so much this month and I knew it would be a challenge, but we signed up for it anyway. We made a commitment to short-term foster for CPR and we are not in the business of breaking promises. We will see Raven through her recovery and then send her to the CPR facility. It's going to be a less than ideal next two weeks, but we will make it work and save a life along the way. This learning curve we're riding is steep, but it's worth it. We now know our limits even that much better. Fostering is a great adventure and I know it has made me a stronger, patient, and more compassionate person. If you'd like to apply to adopt Raven or donate to Canine Pet Rescue in her honor, please visit their site: http://www.caninepetrescue.com/home.html

Raven: A Rough Start for a Sweet Girl

Still smiling despite her pain

Raven is a wonderfully sweet German Shepherd mix girl who came into DeKalb County Animal Services as a stray with a terribly injured leg. We are fostering her for Canine Pet Rescue while she recovers from her injuries. The first order of business was to get her straight to the vet. The drive from the shelter to the vet was agonizingly long. Raven is such a trooper and did incredibly well in the back of the car for almost a whole hour, despite being in tremendous pain. We felt so bad for her...knowing she'd had those nasty wounds for at least 4 days. *Don't get me wrong, the folks at the shelter did everything they could do for her, including keeping her on pain medicine and antibiotics*. Regardless, we wished we could just time warp her to the vet. Every time I'd look back to check on her, she'd give me a big sweet kiss. You can see her soul in her eyes. She never once fussed at us when we were getting her in and out of the car.

Armpit wound after sutures

The carpal injury

Raven has spent a full week at CPR's vet in Dacula. I'm going to pick her up this afternoon and bring her home. Leaving her there was hard, but we knew she was in the best hands. The worst of her injuries is an awful wound to her front right leg at the carpal joint. The tissue was torn away, exposing the bone and tendons. The vet cut away the dead tissue and bandaged the wound. He explained that you don't suture those types of injuries; you've got to keep them bandaged until the tissue granulates (regrows) and fills in the wound so the bone is no longer exposed. That's the biggest reason she had to spend all week at the vet. Connective tissue takes time to reform. She has another wound up under her right arm that was more of a gash. The vet had to debride it, put a drain in it, and suture it. Her mouth was bruised, her nose scratched, and she had some other minor owies on her feet and shoulders. We're not sure if her injuries came from a dog fight or from getting hit by a car.

On way to vet

While Raven was under for all of her trauma treatment, the vet also tested her for heartworms. I cannot tell you how incredibly happy I am that she is HW NEGATIVE! So exciting and really surprising. It seems almost every Shepherd that winds up in our animal control turns up HW+. A couple more pieces of good news for Raven: her teeth are in good shape, she's a healthy 60 pounds, and although she's not been spayed it does not appear as though she's ever had puppies. She was actually in heat when we took her to the vet, which means she would have been ready to breed by the end of the week. This girl is super lucky she got off the streets when she did.

Raven will stay with us until her leg heals. After that point, she'll go to the CPR facility out in Dacula until she gets adopted. CPR specializes in GSD rescue. They do amazing training and have a remarkable kennel. I can't wait to see what this girl's future has in store. Paws crossed for Raven's speedy and full recovery! We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, please follow this link if you'd like to donate to Canine Pet Rescue so they can help Raven and others like her: http://www.caninepetrescue.com/how-you-can-help/donate.html
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