Today’s Throwback Thursday is Sable! This tiny little kitten was taken in by a wonderful foster home who has bottled babies before. Bottle feeding puppies and kittens is very hard with a very low survival rate for the babies. Sable is one of the lucky ones. Thank you Simone Belota for fostering Sable! Now he’s a healthy adopted kitten. Hooray for Sable!
This afternoon’s success story is Piper! Remember that mangy little dog that was found in a culvert pipe? He had been hiding there for weeks getting sicker and sicker while people who saw him kept looking the other way. Lucky for him Diane Holt saw him and vowed to save him. She captured him and got him the help he needed. Then she fostered him till he was healthy and ready for adoption. In the end Diane decided to adopt him and even though we call it a foster failure when the foster home decides to adopt it couldn’t have been a better outcome for sweet Piper because he loves the Holt’s as much as they love him and now he gets to live with them forever. Piper is one lucky boy!
This morning’s Success story is Zoey. This kitten was found malnourished and with a broken leg. After a vet exam we found out that she was also FIV positive. Brenham Vet Hospital recommended letting her leg heal and to our great joy she began healing and was able to get around just fine. Not long after that her forever home found her and fell in love! She has a wonderful forever home now! Thanks to everyone who helped Zoey along her journey including Alissa Cannon for reminding us that FIV is not transmitted easily and that FIV cats can live long and healthy lives. Zoey will always be grateful!
This weeks Foster Feature is
Butch the Dachshund – Part 2: The Vet
by Shellie Bellinghausen
As we’re driving back to College Station, I wondered how the vet was going to be able to examine this very aggressive little dog. We’d have to muzzle him for sure, but I wasn’t sure if we could safely get close enough to put it on him!
About ten minutes into the drive, little Butch started whining and acting like he may be feeling car sick, so I pulled over and moved his crate to the front seat, hoping the cold A/C would help. We got underway again, and I rested my hand next to his crate so he could get used to my scent. Within a few minutes, he was whining again and pawing at my hand, pulling it toward him. We had well over an hour left in our journey, and I didn’t want him to throw up the whole way, so I pulled over again and turned his crate so the door faced me. I put a towel in my lap and, thinking to myself, “Here goes…,” I opened the door.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I guess I thought he’d be hesitant to approach me. Nothing doing! He walked out of that crate, across the console, and into my lap. He curled up and made himself comfortable, putting his nose up to my chin to sniff me. And out of nowhere, he kissed my face!
My heart melted!
This tough little boy, who trusted no one, not even the ACO who tried to befriend him for over a month, decided I was trustworthy. I told him over and over what a sweet, gentle boy he was and how proud I was of him, all the while petting him. And there he stayed for the rest of the trip.
When we arrived at the vet clinic a little while later, I wrapped him up in the towel and carried him inside. I was still cautious, knowing what he was capable of if he was scared. I decided to hold him for as much of the visit as possible to make sure he knew he was safe. When I handed him to her to weigh him, he tried to get back in my arms. But I held his sweet face and told him it was ok, and he settled down immediately.
The vet determined Butch had Cheyletiella mange, mites that cause what appears to be walking dandruff because they move around under the scales of the skin. They are highly contagious, so he would have to be isolated for a couple of weeks. He also appeared to have a fungal skin infection, probably because he was sleeping on a urine soaked pillow that he came into the pound with. This caused hair loss on his back end, tummy, and chest. In addition, he had a horrific ear infection. So this little guy had to be miserable.
As the vet gave him the vaccinations, he didn’t flinch. I held him the whole time, and he didn’t try to squirm of bite. She put medicine in his ears, which I would continue at home for the next ten days. He fussed when she drew blood for the heartworm test, which was negative, and again when he got the Ivermectin injection to treat the mites (it burns for a minute or so). Because he was behaving so well, we even trimmed his extra long nails!
I was sent home with instructions to bathe him in anti-fungal shampoo every five days for three weeks, and flush out his ears after each bath. He had to receive medicine in his ears each day for 10 days. We treated for worms over a five-day period, and he would have to have additional doses of Ivermectin each week for six weeks.
So now the real challenge…how to isolate him in my small condo from my three other dogs and rabbit!
To be continued…
(This picture was taken the following morning. He’s like a whole new dog! There is confidence in his eyes, where before there had been resignation and uncertainty.)
Her name might be Trouble, but that doesn’t mean you can prove her guilty! Happy Friday everyone!
Today’s Throwback Thursday is Taffy! We had the pleasure of having her visit us during open house last weekend. Here she is with her own little girl in the bluebonnets and a picture of her with her family during our open house! It always makes my day to see one of our rescue dogs with their family!
This week’s Success story catch up is Pup. This sweet dog was rescued by her foster home who couldn’t let her be sold by someone who flips dogs for cash. She took her home after rescuing her and adopted her out through True Blue Animal Rescue to be sure she’d have a great forever home. It couldn’t have worked out better. Just look at Pup’s new Mom’s happy face!
True Blue Animal Rescue had the pleasure of hosting the Five Oaks Achievement Center on August 13th and August the 15. From nine am until noon the kids that came out were treated to a number of fun T-bar events. The day started with the introductions to the horses they would be working with along with the many rules about how to behave around a horse. Melanie DeAeth, founder and president of True Blue Animal Rescue made sure the boys and girls that came out got hands on experience working with the animals.
Not only did the horses get one on one attention but so did the kids that came out. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers each student also had a teacher for the day. While one group went off for a nice hay ride around the T-bar ranch the next group was assigned a horse and a volunteer. First they were taught how to groom a horse and the proper brushes to use on what part of a horse’s body. Next was the even tougher lesson of putting on a saddle! That one was a little more involved!
Next the kids got to walk their horse to the round pen to learn very basic ground work skills. Melanie directed the group with first putting on a rope halter, then making sure the horses were okay with the lead line moving near the horse. Also known as desensitization. While doing these skills the teens came out of their shells and had fun asking questions about their horses and even about life.
Once round pen work was over the group then were asked to lead their horses to the True Blue Animal Rescue riding arena. There, with their special volunteer for the day, the kids were able to pick out a riding helmet and then be led around the arena for riding. A few of the kids were not certain they wanted to ride but with a little cheering on everyone gave it a try! By the end of the day all the teens that came out were cowboys or cowgirls. After the riding the volunteers demonstrated how to take a saddle off a horse the proper way and store it. Next the kids rubbed down the horses and all too soon they had to say good-bye.
True Blue Animal Rescue would like to thank the people that sponsor camp horses and the volunteers that came out on the days that Five Oaks was with us on their visit. Without your help and support, events like this would not be possible. Thank you so much and to the kids from Five Oaks, we hope to see you again.
Today’s foster feature is Butch the Dachshund – Part 1 (By Shellie Bellinghausen)
When one of our fosters advised me there was a dachshund at the Columbus city pound, I knew I had to call to see if he was still there. Yes, I’m the crazy dachshund lady…well, maybe a few dogs shy of being crazy.
When I called the city office, the lady I spoke with wasn’t aware of a dachshund but left a message for the Animal Control Officer to contact me. He called a couple days later and said there was, in fact, a young dachshund there, but he was very aggressive. He had bitten the officer, drawing blood on more than one occasion. If this had been anything other than a small town city pound, this dog most likely would have been euthanized right away,
This little guy had been there for over a month, and the ACO, whose name is Butch, was able to get him to at least let him pet him, but he still couldn’t pick him up. I was relieved to find out he was not dog aggressive, as the officer had put him in with another small dog for a little while, and they got along well.
After finding out the requirements for TBAR to be able to pull as a rescue and getting TBAR officer approval, I arranged to pick up this dachshund after our event that weekend. Even though they are closed on the weekends, Butch was willing to meet me there late that Saturday afternoon.
I had no idea how I was going to be able to work with an aggressive dog in my small condo with three other very active dogs (dachshunds, of course). Over the next few days, I kept praying God would somehow cause this little guy to feel completely comfortable with me and remove any aggressive tendencies.
When I arrived in Columbus that Saturday afternoon, I followed Butch to the kennels. As we walked to the gate, we could hear the dachshund barking at us. Once we were inside, he continued barking and growling viciously. Butch told me that several people expressed interest in adopting him, but when they saw how aggressive he was, they weren’t willing to take the chance. To me, there was no choice. This little guy needed help, and at TBAR, it’s what we do.
I brought hot dogs with me (bribery might work, I thought). But when I tried to give him a piece, rather cautiously so as to keep my fingers in-tact, he wasn’t interested. So I gave a little to the other six or eight dogs impounded there. I decided to give it one more shot with the dachshund, and this time he very gently took it from my fingers. That was a good sign, and I was encouraged. Still, I wasn’t sure how I was going to work with this little guy.
Butch was able to get him into the metal crate he had been brought in with, and I had him put a collar and leash on him that I brought with me. I figured this way I’d at least be able to control him when getting him out of the crate later. Into the backseat he went, and we started on our way.
I decided to call him Butch, after the ACO, who was a tough ol’ guy with a kind heart. This little dachshund was definitely tough, but I wasn’t sure how kind he’d be.
I immediately called the vet we use in Bryan, Dr. Thurstin at CCC Animal Clinic, and she graciously agreed to meet me at the clinic as soon as I got back to town that evening. I needed to make sure he didn’t have anything contagious before bringing him home. But how in the world was she going to examine him?!
To be continued…