The latest from the crazy dog house

We are at an all time high for foster dogs right now with 4 foster dogs and our 2 personal dogs. Luckily a few will be going home this week and the new guy, Bugsy, will be headed to his foster home as soon as they are back from vacation on Tuesday.

As you see in the photo, dinner and breakfast time for the dogs is a big to-do. Each of the 6 dogs have their own personal combo of meds and supplements that they are taking along with some needing puppy kibble and some needing adult. It takes a good 15 minutes to get all the bowls mixed and all the meds taken before they are served their doggy mixes - 15 minutes of whimpering and howling because they are sure that I'll NEVER be finished with all my mixing.

Bugsy is an adorable little 5 month old pup who has two litter mates who are also in Washington. He was one of three pups who had mange and skin infections so bad they lost all of their hair. I called them the naked mole rats and who would have guessed that they'd turn out so dog-gone cute! Bugsy is a sweet little boy who loves to play and hang out with his people.

We also have the two puppies, Kewpie and Poppy, who were originally from Kentucky. They are both sweet little girls who are pretty laid back, considering they are only 5 months old. We've never had siblings before that are so totally bonded and are very excited that a home has been found who wants to adopt both of them.

Leda will be spending a week with a potential adopter to see if the home will be a good fit for her. So by this Thursday we should have an empty house! From 6 dogs to 2 dogs in just 4 days! As much as we love this little boogers, it will be nice to have a short break.

Rest in peace, sweet Callista

Sadly, things quickly worsened for Callista. She developed neurological tics and an inability to use her legs. The poor girl was so uncomfortable and she had to spend the night at the emergency vet hospital. In the end they do not think that it was distemper but was possibly a neurotoxin that caused permanent damage.

Yesterday afternoon, after 18 hours of struggling in emergency care, Callista was put to sleep. They gave her a drug to relax her so she was comfortable, but she still knew who I was and wagged her little nubbie tail at me and licked my hand. For 30 minutes I rocked her and pet her and for the first time since I met her she didn't seem scared to be touched by a human. When it was time, I was holding her in a blanket, warm and loved, petting her and telling her she was a good girl.

When I returned home from the ordeal with Callista, Tilly was coughing horribly and there were piles of vomit all over the kitchen. Troy and I rushed back to the emergency vet hospital with Tilly, terrified that maybe she too was succumbing to something similar to Callista. Her sypmptoms were different though. The vets gave her fluids, antibiotics and anti-vomitting meds and sent us back home. If she was throwing up in the morning it was likely intestinal blockage and they wanted her brought back in.

I mentioned to the receptionist that Leda, who was at home, had seemed shaky in the morning, kind of like Calli when it first started in her. Then someone came out to give us Tilly's meds and we were on our way home. About 2 minutes down the road the receptionist called to tell us that the doctor wanted Leda to be brought in because they were worried she might have what Callista had. So it was back to Federal Way. Switch dogs. Then back to South Tacoma.

Thankfully, the vet took a look at Leda and said "wow, she doesn't look that bad." He attributed the trembles more to being a tiny dog with typical trembles, than to anything neurological. Her hydration looked good and when he opened a can of wet dog food she snarfed it down (because it was that Science Diet prescription crap - that's like McDonalds for dogs.) He sent us home with some antibiotics for her upper respiratory infection and said to just keep her hydrated and eating.

Tilly was up at 2:30 am and at 5:30 am with coughing fits and gagging. Both times I was ready to jump back in the car and head to the vets, but both times she calmed down and the coughing subsided. This morning I am happy to say that she was able to keep a little chicken down along with her antibiotics and some Pepcid AC. She also pooped which means that if stuff is going in and coming out, then we don't have to worry about the blockage.

So it is a happy-sad day. We mourn the loss of sweet Callista but are happy for the turn around in Tilly and Leda's health. Frodo is as healthy and yappy as ever, quarantined upstairs and yapping to the rooftops about how inhumanely we are treating him. Even a bully stick didn't quiet him down.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

Callista is not well

Please everyone, keep Callista in your thoughts. She has developed some type of neurological problem and the vet thinks there is a chance it might be distemper. Since Leda came from the same shelter she is at risk as well, if indeed it is something that came from there.

Both dogs have been quarantined and Callista is on diazapem to relax her. They are eating and drinking still, which is a good sign, and her tail still wags on occasion. I will be spending the evening with her to keep her company. Hopefully by tomorrow this will all be an overreaction and she'll be back to normal. I'll keep you posted.

We are losing! Please vote!!!!!

With only a few days left to vote, New Rattitude has dropped into 2nd place for the state of Georgia in The Animal Rescue Site's bi-annual rescue contest. We need you to vote on every computer and with every Web browser you can get your hands on. E-mail everyone you know and get them to help us!!!! If we come in first for the state of Georgia we will earn $1,000 grant to help pay medical bills of our rescued dogs. All it takes is a few seconds to vote so PLEASE help us.

Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com/shelterchallenge and then vote for New Rattitude with Georgia as your state choice (we are concentrating our votes so we have a better chance to win.)

Be sure to E-mail all your friends and family tonight! We need your help more than ever.

The girls have arrived!

I'm happy to announce that our two newest foster girls, Leda and Callista, arrived yesterday morning in Washington. They spent yesterday exploring the house and yard and finding their favorite spots on the couches. Both seem to have the beginnings of kennel cough and are a bit thin, but that's nothing we haven't seen before.

The girls are extremely skittish and avoid human contact. Callista, 2 years old and 12 pounds, desperately wants love and attention and will scooch as close to you as she dares but as soon as I reach out my hand to pet her she runs away. Leda, 3 years old and 7 pounds, is even more wary of humans. I can tell she'll turn around though, because the one time I was holding her she did relax and lay down after being rocked and pet for awhile. Their temporary foster mom in Texas said that it took awhile but they came out of their shell after a couple days and were fine with petting and loves.

Leda and Callista were originally in a Texas shelter and had been listed for euthanization in a gassing shelter when they were pulled. Since Washington had the only open foster homes (the South is swamped with tons of urgents, as usual) the girls were sent to us.

This evening 2 more foster dogs will be arriving at Sea-Tac for us to pick up, these ones to be fostered up in Kirkland. These two girls are five month old rat terrier-beagle mixes who were listed to be gassed in a Kentucky shelter due to overcrowding. A volunteer pulled them from the shelter and transported them to a New Rattitude volunteer in Indiana. She then put them on the plane this morning, Seattle bound. We'll have them for the night, tomorrow they'll attend an adoption event at Petsmart and then tomorrow night they'll finally make it to their foster home in Kirkland, WA. Thanks to Lesley in Kentucky and Julie in Indiana for your help in getting these little dogs to safety!