Foster Mum to an Abused Dog

I am a Volunteer for a page on Face Book and on Saturday we did a posting for a dog wandering in a suburb near a busy road.  Another Volunteer (K) lives in the area and went out to look and found him,   She saw he was heading to a house so she followed.  The fence had a large hole in it, so with the help of a next door neighbour of that house, filled the hole with rocks and bricks and left the doggie there.  Nobody was home, so later in the afternoon she popped back to speak to the owners and let them know the dog had got out and heading to the main road, and also about the hole in the fence.  

The fellow who opened the door was an indigenous Australian and K said he spoke words that would make a sailor blush.  He said the dog had been left in the laundry by previous tenants and they didn't want the #%^** dog but they let him stay around and he ate the scraps their bigger dog didn't eat.  And it was then that he hit the dog across the nose with a towel.  The Volunteer was pretty upset and she said, if you are keeping and letting it stay here then you need to ensure he stays in the yard.  Again he said he didn't want the #%^** dog and he kicked it. 

It was at this stage the Volunteer again asked did he want the dog?  On his reply of #$%&* NO!!! she picked him up and headed to her car.  The poor little thing was shaking and terrified.  Later that evening she posted on our Admin wall and asked could anyone look after a dog overnight and after a bit of discussion to size, etc I agreed and she called up to my house and spent a bit of time whilst the little dog got familiar with my 2 Terrors and then left.

He seemed a little concerned after K (the Volunteer) left and later K said she had given him quite a bit of love and cuddles for the short time she had him,

Where the heck am I, he seemed to be conveying to me.  I got a little anxious as I had never fostered a dog before and worried in case he just didn't settle down.

"I wonder what will happen to me now.  I wonder if I am going to live here?"

 On the Sunday morning, he got back on the chair that he had claimed last night to settle in for a morning indoors.

And Darcy decided it looked so jolly good he would forsake his bed with Jackie and join him on the chair next to him. 

As it was decent Autumn weather I bathed him and you would have no idea how black the water was when I had finished.  He wasn't too chuffed with getting bathed but didn't growl or snap at me.

I then christened him "Champagne Charlie" because of his colour.  By the end of the day, he was very settled in and playing so much with Darcy and chasing each other around the back yard.  I have had to have Jackie and Darcy sleeping outside as with going into Hospital I can hardly ask my son and Aida to clean up after Darcy leaving "calling cards" and I think Charlie was used to sleeping outside.  However he sure loves being inside and has made himself very much at home.

Matthew and Aida have agreed they will look after him as well as my 2 babies whilst I am in Hospital and they will be stopping here in my home, so it will be good as then the dogs will have that human company as well.  I know Darcy and Jackie will fret with me being away for a few days and having Matt and Aida here will comfort them a little.

When I get out of hospital I shall have to make arrangements for Charlie to be adopted into a furever home.  In the meantime he can adjust to other people and dogs here and gain more confidence that he is a very beautiful little dog and not some ugly mutt that a person felt it OK to kick and hit.  We love ya, Charlie!

Darcy, oh Darcy!!!

BLOOOODY DARCY!!!! 

 I drove down to the Library to get a book to read in Hospital. Opened the door and Darcy bolted. He raced across Montegue Road, headed to some new town houses on other side of the road to the  Library.  Then started to run back again to Library and traffic quite heavy.   He got across the road with me standing in the middle of the road PRAYING cars wouldn't hit Darcy or me!!!   Someone caught him at the Library doors.   BLOOOODY DOG!! As it was a short trip I didn't anchor him into his restrainer...but guess what I learned today???? ALWAYS to anchor him in his restrainer whilst in the car.  And thank goodness I parked up by Montegue Road entrance to the Civic Chambers otherwise he would have run across North East Road toward the Plaza.  

When I was browsing for a book, I just grabbed anything as my knees were still shaking and I was crying.

He really is pushing his luck. This week he ate the bag for my blower vac. He chewed up the bed I had put out for him and Jackie, and that now in the bin. He also chewed through a hessian bag doggie bed (had been Matt's dog Britney's bed) . He has also chewed the corner of my recliner chair grrrrrr.  And probably other things, we no longer count the holes he digs in the back lawn

The BIG OP!

I would like to say I have been pretty busy, however that would be lying.  In truth I seem to have wasted my days the past couple of weeks.  I get motivated and am active for one day and achieve so much and then I tend to go on strike for the rest of the week.

However today I have been busy and achieved what I have been wanting to do the past 2 weeks.  Next week I go into hospital to have "The Big One" and  I am very much looking forward to this operation as I will also be getting a bit of repair work done that has occurred with aging.  Apparently prolapses aren't that uncommon as we get a bit older, however it is just another reminder of getting old!

It is interesting to think I am so alone that I shall have to get a taxi to the hospital.  My son works as a Brickie and he has very early starts so he is not able to take me.  However if it is afternoon surgery, I can actually catch the bus as it stops right outside the hospital entrance.  My son and his wife are going to stop here to look after Jackie {The Princess Dog) and Darcy (The Dapper Dog) which is super as I know they will fret with me being away for a few days.  I have had to have the doggies sleeping outside the past week as it was getting too much to clean up after Darcy every morning when he would leave a calling card and also peeing in the front hallway.  Pretty sad really as now it is winter,  I am sure they would much prefer to be indoors overnight.  Maybe after my operation and I am fully recovered, we can see about them moving back inside overnight then.  

Just phoned the Hospital and it is an afternoon surgery so I can have a very very early breakfast, finishing before 6.30am and be at the Hospital at 11.30 for the afternoon surgery.  All good, as now I can get the bus which isn't that far from my house.  With the wheelie suitcase, will be easy to walk to the bus stop.

I probably wont be doing anymore posts until I am home again.  Please God, look after me and keep me safe. 

Micro Chipping in Australia

The first time I had a dog micro chipped was with Jack (The Wonder Dog), now deceased, when he was about 5-6 yrs of age.  It was done by the local Council at the dog park and was quite cheap at $AU25.00.  We were subsequently posted a Certificate of Identification and urged to log into the website and update any information that was omitted at time of chipping.  This service was provided by Central Animal Records.

Jack passed away aged 18 yrs in June of last year and I only thought now to update the records and advise of his death.  This site is kept very up to date and I was able to advise online and I got a generic message to say they were sorry to hear of Jack's passing, etc etc.

So, what have I done with micro chipping for Jackie (The Princess Dog) and Darcy (The Dapper Dog)?

When I obtained Jackie from the Griffith NSW Pound, it was mandatory to have her micro chipped prior to her being permitted to be removed from the Pound.  I paid the required $45 and Jackie was handed to me.  They duly sent me out a NSW Companion Animal  Register Certificate of Identification. (An aside here, their site sucks, BIG TIME.  When you try to log in you are left hanging in suspense for ages and I am continuing the blog in hope the site eventually opens.)

And I since found the following information from the NSW Government:

"If you are moving to NSW and are going to be here for three months or more, you must have your cat or dog microchipped (if this has not already been done), entered on the NSW Companion Animals Register and lifetime registered with your local council. This must occur within three months of moving to NSW. If you do not know your local council in NSW, click here.
If your cat or dog was microchipped outside NSW or before 1 July 1999 (when the Companion Animals Act 1998 came into effect), you will need to provide proof of microchipping to your NSW local council. You will need to present a Verification of Existing Microchip (M1) Form completed and signed by a Vet or other Authorised Identifier and a completed Permanent Identification (P1A) Form.
Registration in another state or territory cannot be transferred to NSW.
You may also have listed your cat or dog on a privately-operated national microchip database. These databases are not linked to the NSW Companion Animals Register. The NSW Companion Animals Register is a NSW Government database used to record registration information for cats and dogs that reside in NSW."

Now we are not talking about Registering the dog, but I am wanting to know and update the information on the micro chip data base (which of course wont open!!). So now leaving the Jackie/Microchip hassle for a little while and shall probably just bomb them with emails about their sucky site.

So, on to Darcy (The Dapper Dog).  I purchased Darcy from Moorook Animal Shelter and prior to my picking him up he was desexed and microchipped and his chipping was registered with the National Pet Register,  The other day I received a Free Tag which is attached to his collar which shows his Tag Number.  This means should Darcy get lost the finder can phone a shown number and obtain all the details of name, address and owner for a safe and fast return. Otherwise a finder should take the pet to a Vet and have it scanned and the Vet then contacts the Registry to obtain owner's name and address.  Normally the Vet then holds the animal until it is picked up (if pet is scanned) otherwise the Vet gets the local Council to pick up the pet which is then impounded.

The final outcome, I have contacted and awaiting reply to transfer Jackie's microchip details to the National Pet Register which covers the whole of Australia.  This process has probably taken me most of the morning just trying to get the information from the NSW Companion Animals Register.

 **************

There are 5 National Microchip Databases in Australia. However there is also a NSW State Wide Microchip Database called the NSW Companion Animals Register.

The 5 National Microchip Databases in Australia are:

• -National Pet Register 1300 734 738
• -Central Animal Records 03 9706 3187
• -Australasian Animal Register 02 9704 1450
• -Petsafe 02 9476 5631
• -HomesafeID 1300 537 140 

You should contact the operators of any databases on which your cat or dog is listed to update your contact details on your cat or dog's microchip record:

Australasian Animal Register	Tel: 02 9704 1450	www.australiananimalregistry.com.au
Central Animal Records	Tel: 03 9706 3187 (administration and general enquiries)	www.car.com.au
National Pet Register	Tel: 1300 734 738	www.petregister.com.au
Petsafe	Tel: 02 8850 6800	www.petsafe.com.au

The Amazing NEW Jackie (The Princess Dog)

I just can't get over the improvement with Jackie (The Princess Dog) now taking the medication for her skin rash.  She is quite, by far, a different dog altogether.

Jackie is still a bit shy however she will now jump up on the armchair each evening when I sit down to watch television and I can move her around so I am a bit more comfortable and she doesn't jump off the second I move my bum to get a bit more comfy.  Darcy (The Dapper Dog) is of course first up and he is a type of "floppy" dog and any position he grabs and he is happy.  It is amazing to see some of the positions Darcy drops his head and goes to sleep - they look most uncomfortable, but he is happy.

Now the medication Jackie is taking is Prednisolone  (5mg) and she has 1/2 a tablet every second day.  The Vet had said the medication to be given only in the morning and also with food.  I usually wedge the 1/2 tablet between 2 pieces of cheese and there is no problem in her taking it then.  Of course Darcy stands in line for his piece of cheese but I always give Jackie her piece first as then she gulps it down in case Darcy steals it.

There are side effects of long term medication and I urge others to read up and also discuss with your Vet.  However my Vet agreed with me that I would prefer Jackie to have a normal, if shorter life as the pain she was in with the raw and bleeding skin was just awful to witness.

We still never established if it was a protein allergy or from grass, and even with the BARF diet she still would scratch herself raw and stank smell something awful.  I wont keep her on the Prednisolone forever, but shall take a break between the scripts to see how she goes.  She is still active and playful (with Darcy, that is) but she has a different type of personality to most dogs and this could be because of her younger life and perhaps she had been mistreated.  She at least goes to my son when he visits and appears to be more relaxed around other humans now.

Both like the "granny rug" on the chair, now the cold weather has set in

 

Suspected Melanoma

On Tuesday I had to go to see the Doctor.  I have a lump on my skull that has me a little concerned but more so after I visited with Kay on Sunday and she was telling me about her friend Julie who had a lump on her skull and it turns out to be melanoma.  

The doctor examined my head and found 2 lumps on that spot and also another closer to the front of my head and it was darker and his words were "that concerns me a bit".  Good Lord!!! These are not words you wish to hear from your Doctor.  So he gave me a referral letter to see a Specialist.

I was very fortunate there had been a cancellation with another Specialist in the same group of doctors as my referral wouldn't be able to see me until late June and my doctor had said at least within 2 weeks.  So I was able to see Dr W the following day at 8.30am.

Dr W found 7 of these markings on my skull and he reassured me it definitely isn't melanoma and he told me what it was but I guess I was just too relieved to ask him to write it down.  He dictated a letter to my doctor whilst I was there and I shall just ask for a photocopy of that letter when I go back for the follow up visit.

But thank you God.  That was my first thought when I was told it wasn't a melanoma, malignant or benign.  And I had had just the most awful sleep the night before with worrying about meeting with the Specialist.

So I live to write another day.  Thank you God.