Maude came down with bloat and we had to send her to the bridge. It was a terribly difficult thing to do but she was going down fast and was going to suffer. She was a loving girl and we loved her while she was with us.

Monday January 7, 2007

My husband and I are getting ready this morning to head off to south PA to pull a very old female dalmatian from a shelter. The shelter says she is elderly, sweet, and they thought we could help her. They say she's in bad shape. All seems to go wrong this morning, truck has a dead battery and has to be charged, just seems like one thing after another we just can not get on the road.

Finally we are on the road.... have to be at the shelter at 11:00... running behind ... way behind...

Of course, we get lost.... lose about 20 minutes at least...

11:30.... finally pull into the shelter..... When I walked in and they brought this sweetheart out my heart fell. She was drooling from the infection coming from her teeth so badly infected she stunk from across the room. The odor was also coming from an infection on her belly that had not been attended to for sometime. The shelter worker said that it was ok if I did not want her. They would euthenize her there. This ole gal was coming home with me and there was not a mountain that was gonna stand between her & I and our journey home!

Heading home all she wanted to do was sit between the seats and look at us.. Give us a kiss from time to time that we took every so happy, while holding our breath for the odor was truly unbelievable! It did not matter! She was so happy to be in that warm truck on her way to, well, I don't think she cared, she was just happy! We stopped at McDonalds and she delighted in some French Fries which she had quite a time eating with her teeth in the shape they were, but she managed somehow. How she has managed to eat and stay alive is beyond me at this point.

3:30 PM... She is home & resting comfortably in her kennel after a good supper and fresh water.

10:00 checked in on her and she is sleeping comfortably beside Sam and cuddled up to her binkie and I could swear she's hugging it.

Monday.. January 8, 2007

We have gone to see the vet (Grant) and Maude seems to love all... He gave her an injection of Cortiszone and started her on Cephalexin... 750 mgs twice per day to start to get the infection gone. Medicated baths every other day till he see's her again in 1 week. We need to get her infection clear before we can begin dental work.

Monday, January 08, 2007 7:20 PM

She got her first medicated bath to clear up her infection on her body. I soaked her for 15 minutes and then blow dried her. She loved all the attention I gave her. She just sat in that warm tub and smiled :) She is wonderful to do her nails, and with as long as they were she had difficulty walking. She is now much better with her gait but the nails will be a while before I can get them down where they need to be.

All in All, she is on the road to recover and someday will make someone a great elder gal!

The shelter said she did go in her kennel but I have yet to see her have an accident! She gets walked on a regular basis here and does all her business out side in the yard!! Way to go Maude!!! Is her reward and she just wags her tail and heads on back to the office!

Whoever let this old girl get into the shape she is in should well, we won't go there. I only know all the work and effort we put into pulling her (getting lost, Making Denise wait for so long) was so worth it!!!