Dec 10 through Dec 16 2012

Weekly rundown 

Update on Josie 

Our featured pet a few weeks ago has had her vet visits and the results are not good. Josie has sebaceous adenitis. I found an easy to understand description on www.petmd.com: 

Sebaceous Adenitis in Dogs 

Sebaceous adenitis is a rare type of inflammatory skin disease that affects the skin glands of young and middle age dogs. This condition most commonly affects Poodles, Akitas, and Samoyeds, although other breeds -- and some cats (rarely) -- can also be infected. 

Symptoms and Types 

There are two primary types of sebaceous adenitis. One type occurs in long-coated animals, and the other type occurs in short-coated breeds. 

The signs and symptoms of sebaceous adenitis in long-coated breeds include the following symptoms: 

• Alopecia (hair loss) 

• Odor along the hairline 

• Small clumps of matted hair 

• Casts forming around the hair shaft 

• Hair that becomes dull and brittle or coarse 

• Intense itching along the hairline and scratching 

• Bacterial infections along the hair follicle 

• Silver-white scales on the skin 

• Clusters of skin lesions that form in certain areas of the head 

Fortunately for our girl, she has hair loss but no odor and no serious infection - yet. She has hair becoming dull and brittle but otherwise her skin isn't infected - yet. It will be if we don't do something quick. 

Following the advice of Dr. Robin Alexander of Piedmont Animal Hospital in Gaffney, were doing something. Josie was started on a 30 day round of antibiotics to help with skin infections that are lurking. She is also now on Vitamin A to support healthy skin and Dr. Alexander is also going to try a run of the drug cyclosporine and is researching the effects now. Last we are using a spray daily on her skin to help to hydrate and open up the hair shafts. It's all labor intensive but she's worth it. 

I've also gotten some great advice and referral sources from the Poodle Club of America's Rescue president, Cindy Crawley. PCA's rescue foundation is studying the DNA and pedigrees of dogs with SA to determine the genetic markers so we can avoid this disease in the future. SA can be controlled. It cannot be cured. Josie will have this all her life. 

Josie can be adopted to the right home who understands her condition and is willing to work with it. She is a classically regal standard poodle lady who wants to live the good life and be a partner and friend to the right owner. Is that you? 

Inky finds a home 

Last summer, I found myself reading an email about a "standard" poodle on Staten Island NY that needed a home. At 10, and with diabetes, no one in the family would care for the poodle and his owner was going into an assisted living facility that did not allow pets. (note to my readers - check out our Covenant Pet Care program. Don't get in this boat!). 

It was one of those things that fell into place quite quickly. I am allergic to diabetic dogs. Really, I am. Actually not to the dog himself but to the daunting task of sticking a needle into a body twice a day every day. And doing it on schedule. Schedule is not my middle name. Ask anybody who has had to wait for me (that would be most of you) for if a dog needs me, I go in that direction instead and hope the humans understand. 

But at 29 lbs according to the write up and vet records, and looking at the video, I felt he was a moyen and moyen's are often placed even with health issues. Further, I would not have to set up a transport because a previous adopter was sending her husband down to adopt another standard poodle. They live in Staten Island, Inky's location. 

In that video, Inky looked straight into the camera and he clearly spoke to me. This boy had a lot of life left in him. 

I set it up and imagine my surprise when George arrived with a bouncing - and grossly overweight miniature poodle. Hmm…..now I know why that video was shot from above. It made Inky look taller. 

So he was here and I got his supplies out and started teaching everyone around me how to give diabetic insulin injections. Fortunately Inky is highly food motivated so shake a bag of treats and he'd come running for his share. Staying on schedule was a bit intimidating but with a little help from friends - mostly caregiver Olivia Millwood and Wayne the Dogfather, we got it done. Inky is a highly regulated diabetic. An hour one way or another did not send him into a diabetic crisis or crash. 

Living on the farm was good for Inky. He went from 29 lbs to a svelte 15 lbs. He and the girls (Shardae, Princess and Sandy) would play for hours in the clearing beside the house. Running and romping were now daily parts of his life. He loved the barn. Horses are fascinating creatures that he can watch for hours. Inky can climb fences so we watched that carefully but after a time, he learned his boundaries and that the area around our farmhouse is his home unless mama was with and we would go for walks. He settled in and the only complaint I had was he actually lost too much weight. 

In late September, volunteers Dennis and Melinda Horn came up with adopter Brenda LeFevre. Brenda adopted my first diabetic foster, Sophie Wilson. I had high hopes she had room in her heart for another diabetic. Sadly, the two did not click. Brenda went home with a sweet little shih tzu and Inky stayed with me. Little did I know that Inky had been making his own hand-picked connection that day. I would not find out about it for a couple of months. 

I was setting up the 12 Dogs of Christmas list and had Inky on it, but I was not excited about it. Inky had proven himself to be stable, dependable and a lot of fun. He had a home here for life if he needed it. I took his name on and off the list a dozen times. 

I don't remember now which came first - the email, the text or the Facebook PM. I got all 3 and the message was the same. Board member, adopter and volunteer Melinda Horn had finally told Santa what she wanted for Christmas. 

The only thing on her list was Inky. 

The Horns had decided no more dogs a long time ago but Inky had been working his magic. The day the group was up, Inky had spent all his time hanging out with Melinda as she worked on our memory stones in the garden. Melinda had never forgotten the gregarious miniature poodle. As she told me, they had a number of healthy and happy furkids. It was time to help one that wasn't so lucky. 

When husband Dennis agreed that just one more was doable, Melinda then contacted me. Would I consider it? Of course. 

That was late on a Sunday night. Melinda was here bright and early on Monday am . That's saying something - it's a 3 hour drive. I am not sure she slept. Thank you Dennis and Melinda for giving this sweet kid a great forever home. 

New kids 

There is something so stunning about blue eyes on a poodle. I think it is because we don't expect them. For years, the only blue eyed poodle I had seen was a sweet little mini mixed named, appropriately, Frankie. Blue eyes. 

At least until this summer when a breeder somewhere in North Carolina started leaving blue eyed doodles in a shelter in startling numbers. We have received over 20 so far this year. Last week, four more came in. 

One of these is Blitzen. Blitzen is not a poodle or if he is, he's a case of DNA that went rogue. Blitzen looks much like a golden retriever with some collie thrown in. He is easy to startle right now but he also will come forward to investigate these strange new humans he now calls his. It will be fun to watch him come into his own. I asked our animal control contact to try to find a golden retriever group for Blitzen but she asked me to consider him anyway. High praise - she told me we were the easiest group they work with. We do what we say we are going to do. Thank you volunteers for helping that reputation! 

From the same group, we also welcomed Annika, Dagney and Ester. Two of these are very sweet and easy and one will need some work. Stay tuned as our caregivers work with this group to turn all of them into perfect pets. 

Greta's cottage 

Finally we got electricity! Work has been slowed by the lack of power but our local utility company, after a bit of prodding, finally got out and got us hooked up. Next week our maintenance team will lay the tile flooring, put the wallboards up, and finish resetting the door and change out the fixtures. Then all we will need is one new fence panel and Greta's cottage will welcome its first residents. Our goal is December 27 for that is the date of heartworm treatment for our first group and they will need a quiet place to recover. 

As always - we need you 

Ready to adopt? Our 12 Dogs of Christmas is in full swing. Please consider giving one of these very special pups a home. 

If you can't or are not ready to adopt right now, considering becoming a patron. CPR is a safe place for dogs to wait and our patrons and never say no supporters are the ones who make it possible for Dreamweaver Farms and CPR to exist. We are funded solely on donations and adoption fees and the generosity of others. To become a patron or see other ways to help, visit our webpage at http://carolinapoodlerescue.org/giving.shtml. 

Have a great week!

Donna Ezzell 

Director 

Carolina Poodle Rescue

December 3 to December 9 2012--Weekly rundown

Hit by Car! 

Imagine your horror to see the car hitting the brakes and smell rubber ripping into the road. Imagine the sick dread when you hear the thump, and then the whimper. Running towards the spot where the vehicle is leaving, you bend over the now still little bedraggled form and feel for a pulse while your eyes look out for telltale signs of blood from mouth or nose. Hand on the tiny chest, you feel the slightest movement. He's alive! 

Scooping the battered body up, you wince as he snaps and snarls and actually takes a nip out of you but you know it's only fear. The little fella, curly haired it looks like, can't stand up but he's still got fight and he sure didn't like being moved. However, move he must for this is a busy road and he is laying in the middle of it. 

Knocking on doors, you ask the kids playing in the neighborhood who the dog is and where does he belong for you know he needs medical attention and needs it now. They don't know. He's been hanging around for a few weeks and they've been throwing food at him. Then a parent comes out and remembers that the dog belonged to neighbors down the way. Neighbors who moved and left no forwarding address and didn't bother to pack the dog leash with the rest of their things. 

You wonder now what to do. You've got a hurt dog in your car that no one will admit to owning. You've got 7 pets of your own at home and you can't afford any more vet bills. What can you do? 

You call Marguerite Mebane at the Cleveland County Humane Society. Marguerite, a poodle lover as well as tireless humane society director, got the little poodle into the hands of a vet who confirmed nothing worse than a broken pelvis and tail. Cage rest for 8 to 12 weeks was the order of the day. That's when Marguerite called CPR. Humane societies must move quickly. Marguerite knew that at Dreamweaver Farms, the little poodle would find a safe place to wait while his injuries healed. 

Clover

But still he needed a name. The first time he was able to be taken out and towel walked, he went right to a 4 leaf clover and did his business! How's that for finding some luck. Clover it became and a new life was begun. 

During his time at the hospital, the vet went ahead and neutered the little poodle and gave him his vaccines and got all of that out of the way. Now it's a waiting game for Clover. He's on pain meds and cage rest and while a bit frustrated at the lack of activity for he feels much better now, he's doing well. He'll need X rays again in a few weeks to confirm that healing is done. Then it will be time for a new home, hopefully just in time for New Year's. 

Please come by our office if you get a chance and hold Clover for a while. And if there is a warm spot by your fire and in your heart, consider taking him home to keep him safe and no longer abandoned. He'll be forever grateful. 

The surprise adoption of the week 

As each dog comes in, someone is also finally going home. We only placed a handful this week but oh what wonderful ones they were. Let me tell you about one. 

His name is Cecil and he is in his 80's. I hope I'm that active when I am 80 for this gentleman didn't miss a beat. He had lost his longtime friend, a Pomeranian, and wanted another. We had 3 for him to choose from. He was here to find a fuzzy little lap dog and find one he did. 

But this adoption story isn't about him. It's about his daughter who insisted that she really must come with him just to help. 

Everyone grieves in a different way. Some do it by adopting before they lose a beloved pet. It is easier to say goodbye when there is someone at home to hold when the time comes. Some do it almost immediately after losing a pet, feeling that void too deeply to not fill it. And some wait days, then weeks and then months for many reasons. 

So here was this kind gentleman picking out a dog as his had passed and he missed his companion. And here was his adult daughter, who had also lost her dog, a husky, this summer but was not ready to go through that again. At least not for a long time. 

Wysteria

Enter Wysteria, a shy but sweet something (shepherd/poodle we think) mix picked up from a shelter with a group of golden doodles last August. She was the last one of that group. Wysteria, you see, did not look like a golden doodle or even a doodle/poodle anything or a golden anything or a shepherd anything. She looked like any garden variety medium sized mixed breed that you can find in any shelter. In short, she was the ugly duckling in a group or swans. 

Wysteria has grown and matured since coming to our sanctuary. A total wallflower in August, she now gently interacts with us, with other dogs and sometimes with strangers. She had been in the adoption center for a meet and greet with another family when Cecil and his daughter came in. 

Wysteria touched Sandy in a most fundamental way. This dog needed help. There was potential here if only someone would give her some gentle direction. Being able to help, this was a good reason to face the pain one day of losing a pet again. 

Sandy filled out the application at my computer and I did our interview on the spot. I am very careful about our process but I knew that in this case, like father like daughter. Cecil's love for his pets was obvious and he had instilled that same love for animals into his daughter. 

Cecil chuckled while we were doing paperwork and said "I knew she was going to take a dog home." Guess this was a case where father did know best.

Parade time! 

CPR was on the move this week with our participation in the Gaffney SC Christmas parade. One watcher told our walkers that CPR was the best part of the floats for her. Poodles and more strutted around our maintenance department's pickup, some riding high in the back and others running and passing candy into the crowd. It's a lot of fun and we're glad the poodles and their friends are such crowd pleasers. 

A vendor with a heart 

Very special thanks to Parkers Carpet One Floor and Home in Spartanburg for donating over 30 pieces of thick vinyl to use in our crates with no bottoms. Thanks also to Parkers for letting us get a large piece of vinyl for Greta's cottage at a significant discount. Salute! 

Recap 

8 dogs found homes this week. We are seeing a downturn in adoption applications and I can only speculate that it is from our country's own looming financial issues that are making adopters nervous about taking on a responsibility like a dog. 

If you can't or are not ready to adopt right now, considering becoming a patron. CPR is a safe place for dogs to wait and our patrons and never say no supporters are the ones who make it possible for Dreamweaver Farms and CPR to exist. We are funded solely on donations and adoption fees and the generosity of others. To become a patron or see other ways to help, visit our webpage at http://carolinapoodlerescue.org/giving.shtml 

Have a great week 

Donna Ezzell 

Director 

Carolina Poodle Rescue

November 26, 2012 to December 2, 2012

Weekly rundown 

It was a fulfilling week at Dreamweaver Farms. We found great homes for great dogs and we welcomed in a number of dogs who need us now. 

Welcome Josie 

Josie

Welcome Josie, our newest special needs standard poodle. Josie has been bounced around a bit in her 5 years and we hope to stop that now and get her settled into her forever home but first, we need to find out what is wrong. 

Josie has no hair. At least no poodle hair to speak of. Were you to see her in a shelter, you would say poodle mix for she has the classic body of a standard poodle but what hair she has is slick and her topknot is a Mohawk! 

Josie did not look this way a year ago when she went to live with a family in Asheville. They had taken her in when friends were moving and could not care for her. Those friends had taken her in from an older couple who found the young and bouncy puppy too much for them. The new owner noted the hair loss after a vacation to Montana last year. When they returned, Josie stopped growing hair and eventually it came to what you see now. Knowing that they were not the best home anyway (Josie chased their horses and the owner was having to keep her locked up all the time) the family turned to CPR and asked if we would take her in. 

Josie is a sweet and loving girl who is getting along well with others, 2 and 4 legged. She has had her first vet visit and she does not have thyroid issues, demodex mange or anything wrong with major organs. She had a deep skin punch biopsy done last week and we are waiting on results. I'll keep you posted. 

Hello and good bye Precious! 

Precious

Every adoption is special but some make me smile even more than usual. Precious, a 6 year old Maltese, was on the urgent urgent list at Greenville Animal Control the week of Thanksgiving. Given up by her owner because they had too many animals, the tiny little girl was being overlooked most likely because of her age. At 6 a Maltese is barely into adulthood but some don't see it that way. 

Precious was once well loved and even came in with her registration papers. She snuggled into her foster mom's heart very quickly. CPR's policy is to do a 2 week temperament and health hold to insure the animals we are placing are over whatever they may have brought with them from a shelter and to make sure we can see the real personality. Precious was being brought in for pictures on Saturday by her foster mom Laura. She had been so easy already, I decided to introduce her to Jenny, one of our adopter's (and a friend of my son's) and was placing her into Jenny's arms when Karen of Hampstead NC came out of the meet and greet room where she was being introduced to poodles. 

I saw Karen's eyes light up and then a look of panic when I handed Precious to Jenny. Karen waited what I am betting was an excruciatingly long two minutes before Jenny looked up at her and asked if she would like to hold Precious. 

30 minutes later, adoption papers were complete, and Precious feet had yet to hit the ground. I bet they still haven't. This will be one loved dog. Special thanks to Sharon Smith who sponsored Precious into CPR. 

Then there was Dolly 

Dolly

It is rare for a beautiful lady standard poodle to stay at Dreamweaver Farms very long. Dolly, 3 years old, white, house trained, wonderful on a leash, does well with other dogs, etc. etc. should have been here less than two weeks yet since her acceptance in mid October, she has steadfastly refused to interact with an adopter. She would get on the couch and ignore them. She would take treats and then ignore them. What was she waiting for?

Turns out she was waiting for kids. Two to be exact. Her little girl is 8 and her little boy is 6. I had warned the family that Dolly could often be a bit stand offish. Dolly walked into my office, saw those youngsters and was anything but. The family met a few other dogs, but Dolly never left the room and as you can see, is now firmly in their hearts. 

Greta's Cottage is here! 

Greta's Cottage

Thanks to everyone who donated and most especially to Jen Reel and her family who funded the entire amount asked for! In honor, we've asked Jen to name the cottage and she has selected the name Greta's Cottage in honor of her CPR toy poodle, Greta. Jen is also selecting the theme. Here is an excerpt from her note to me discussing how we are going to decorate Greta's cottage: 

With regard to themes, a few things come to mind if there is a way to incorporate them. The first is the color pink. It is Greta's signature color. Her color is pink, all of her shirts are pink, etc. The second thing is dandelions. I am currently writing a book on dandelions that is premised around finding the positives in life rather than seeing things as negatives (too many people see dandelions as a weed). I know that pink and dandelions are random, but they are really the 2 things that are most important to her and to us. 

Thanks also to all of our supporters who also made possible an improvement that will allow us to grow. Because donations went so well, we were able to revamp our current power system and put up a separate pole that will support up to 10 cottages in the future. All of our existing cottages now have their lines buried so that no lines can fall on any unsuspecting pups. 

The first residents will be moving in to Greta's cottage as early as this weekend if the paint dries and we get the fences up. Our first group will be our heartworm positive dogs who will be starting treatments. During treatment, heartworm positive dogs need a quiet place to rest. Greta's cottage will offer them just that. 

Recap 

All together, 15 dogs found forever homes this week thanks to your contributions and support. Thank you. Together, we can make a difference. 

One by one until there are none.