Rocket Man

I received some great photos of Rocket awhile back and I don't think that I shared them. As you see in the photo he doesn't lack for toys or comfy dog beds.

Although he is still a bit sensitive about his leg that had surgery, he has started using it regularly and will walk with most of his weight on it. His mom takes him for walks each day to help him start using it more and that has definitely worked. She also throws the tennis ball for him in the back yard and he gets so excited he forgets to pull up his leg and will run on it. On the way back with the ball in his mouth he can get quite dramatic about pulling it up again.

I saw him last weekend and where the muscle had atrophied a bit from not being used, muscle is starting to build up. His mom is doing an awesome job getting this guy into tip top condition and his dad makes sure that he gets lots of lap and cuddletime.

The Rocketman has a forever home!

We only had Mr. Rocket for a short while before a perfect home was found for him. His new mom and dad, Pat and Bob, are retired and Rocket will have a companion to dote on him 24/7. Typically I would have held onto Rocket until he was fully recovered from surgery, however the Malone's have experience with convalescing dogs and I know and trust their vet. They also live less than a mile from us and near the pet store where I work so if they have any questions then I'll be close by.

Rocket will travel with the couple in their RV to their cabin and will have the company of the dogs that they regularly dog-sit for friends. He sleeps on the bed with them and Bob makes sure that Rocket gets all of the tummy rubs that he requires. It's a very happy ending for a very deserving dog.

Stay tuned for the introduction of our next foster, Luna. She is still in Texas, waiting for a ride to Washington but we hope to have her by next week sometime.

Rocket update

So Rocket seems to be getting around more but he's still very sensitive about his leg. At first I was worried that the surgery might not have worked, since the vet's assistant said he should be touching down on it now. He's not, but I think that it's a combination of the fact that he's very sensitive about his leg after so many years of it hurting and that the muscles are tight. He's super careful and will yelp like he's been stepped on if you get too close for his comfort to his leg, even if you haven't touched him. On top of that he's got it pulled up at all times and the muscles seem really tight. I have been massaging it and after I stop (he won't tolerate it for more that 30 seconds or so) he will go walk and then stretch the leg way out behind him, straightening it.

He's also laying on that side of his body now sometimes, on top of the leg, so I think that the pain isn't that bad at this point.

He comes to work with me so I will regularly be massaging his leg and hopefully soon he'll start using it again. He did touch it to the ground last night, which was a first since the surgery, but he hasn't done that since. I just need to be patient with him because he's gone through a lot in the last week. He'll start using the leg when he's ready to.

On a happier note, I will be doing the home visit tonight of the couple who has applied to adopt him. The references have been checked and everything looks great so he should be going home very soon. Thankfully they have very good vets who I know and they will continue the care that New Rattitude started at the Edgewood Veterinary Clinic.

The power of the cone

Rocket came to work with me this weekend and I have to say that he was the poster child of gimpy rescue dogs. The combo of the giant head cone, full leg cast, "Adopt Me" bandana and his big brown eyes peering out from the depths of the cone did a number on the hearts of any customer at the Pet Market who saw him this weekend. It's difficult to see him peering up at you from behind the counter and not want to start stuffing dollar bills into his surgery donation box on the counter. One guy even handed me a $20 bill to put in there because he was so taken with Rocket and his story.

The best part of the weekend was that someone saw his flyer in the window and came in to see him. Her and her husband had just lost a dog to old age and wanted to find another older dog. Here I was worried about his age making it difficult to find a family for him (he's 5). She was actually talking about him being much younger than they have adopted in the past. Their last dog was adopted from the shelter when he was about 10 or 11 years old so Rocket seemed like a puppy to her. Anyhow, they are a wonderful, active, retired couple who are looking for a canine family member. The best part is that they don't live far from me and the pet store so I'll get a chance to see him on occasion. Thanks to New Rattitude Rat Terrier Rescue there are an awful lot of spotted little dogs in my neighborhood. lol

The Rocketman

Rocket is somewhat of an ironic name for our newest foster who is very mellow and whose favorite activities seem to be eating and snoozing. With his one erect ear and one fully folded ear he's quite the cute little comical figure.

He seems to be feeling a bit better and has become quite attached to Troy. In fact he scared me to death yesterday when he tried to go down the stairs to see Troy when he was in the rec room. He wobbled there midway down the steps, frustrated that I would dare interrupt his descent by carrying him back up to the main level of the house.

Since he's a bit overweight he's been getting small portions for meals and when the other dogs get treats he gets a piece of sweet potato instead of the the jerky that they are getting. After each meal he looks up at me like he's waiting for the next course. We're not being mean, it's just that with his knee surgery, and any arthritis he has from the luxating patella it's important not to make the joint carry any more weight than it has to. The 2-3# that he will lose will make a big difference in his healing time and his long term overall health. An overweight dog is at much higher risk for diabetes, pancreatitis, and other dangerous diseases.
Like all male dogs (and Tilly), Rocket likes to mark the shrubs of the back yard to stake his claim. For some reason he feels the need to lift his healthy back leg to do this marking, which makes it a tricky endeavor. He does this hilarious move: first, he tentatively takes his rear left leg off the ground, balancing on his front legs and rear right wrapped leg. The rear leg then kicks off and he tries to balance on his front two legs as he pees on the shrub. This doesn't work well though, so he ends up doing a modified canine cartwheel, complete with urine sprinkle, since he can't balance on his front legs very well. The worst part is one of the other dogs will often walk up and pee on his handiwork and then the poor guy has to start all over again. Thankfully Rocket keeps his marking to outside, unlike Tilly.
We will take him to the vet's on Monday for his leg wrap to be removed and for them to check the incision. He's leaving the wrap alone for the most part, but does lick the edge of the bandage every once in awhile so I am watching to make sure he doesn't develop a hot spot there.

The latest: Suki and Rocket

A lot has happened since my last post on the 23rd of December. On Christmas day Bess, now known as Suki, went home to her forever home with the Martinez family. Most of the family thought that she wasn't arriving until mid-January, but as a surprise to Suki's two boys, Devin and Cody, we brought her home on Christmas day, complete with a pointsettia Christmas dress that her new mom had bought for the event.

She spent time running around and exploring, introducing herself to her 12 year old fur sister, Puffin and then conked out on Grandma Mary's lap, fully relaxed and at home. Unfortunately, house training continues to be a challenge and as many of you know, house training is not my strength, so if anyone out there has any good tips on how to help with a girl who is refusing to poop outside be sure to let me know.

The photo shows Suki between her boys as they help her open her Christmas gifts that are in the new bed that she' peeking into.

The newest member of our foster family to arrive is 5 year old Rocket (he just had a birthday this week). Rocket had a congenital defect in his knee called luxating patella and since it was never corrected he also developed painful arthritis on top of that. We had him taken straight to the vets for the necessary surgery and for updated vaccinations and picked him up this afternoon.

As you can imagine, he's not feeling especially chipper right now since he's had surgery and three vaccinations, however he seems to be a very sweet boy. He's resting in a cushy bed in the living room and hopefully will feel well enough this evening to spend some time getting to know the other dogs.

If you know of a home without young kids that's looking for a mature, stately gentleman, Rocket is your man. He's looking for a soft lap that he can warm and he promises that he's the perfect dog for the job. He has many years of devoted companionship to share and deserves a forever home that will treasure him as the sweet, kind dog that he is.