Look Ma...no Sutures!

Got up this morning and took all of the dogs out for a little potty break. Dolce was in such a good mood he went running and prancing back into the house when he was all done. He's been such a good boy lately.

Yesterday Brett and I decided he needed to go back to the vet because his suture in his neck (from the feeding tube) was stinky...very stinky! He had a lot of black junk covering the sutures and when I cleaned it it crumbled away, which made me immediately stop and decide I'd feel more comfortable with Dr Adams doing this. So Dr Adams removed Dolce's suture and we're now putting ointment on his wound twice a day. We have another appointment in March to find out of Dolce will need another surgery or not...we're hoping not.

We also decided on a food that Dolce seems happy to eat, Nutro Ultra Senior. Funny thing about Dolce is that he is one picky little guy. When we cut up his food and give it to him he will stand there and stare at us. He refuses to eat until we sprinkle his food with shredded cheese. Once the cheese is added to his food he will clean his bowl! Also, this may be an "overshare" but I'm so happy to report that since he's started eating a more solid like food (the stuff we put in his feeding tube was VERY watered down) he is now having real little doggie poops. I don't know who is more relieved, Dolce or Brett and I. He's still having trouble with making it outside to go potty. He will go to the door and wait for us, but other times he just gets up and walks over the the nearest object and lifts his leg to relieve himself. I'm not sure if that will ever change at this point.

Well Brett and I are off to take advantage of the sun by hitting up the dog park. Unfortunately Dolce is going to have to stay home this time. With no bandage covering his wound I don't want to risk it getting licked by another dog or getting dirty and causing an infection.

I do not like green eggs and ham...I do not like them, Sam-I-Am

Well Dolce has had his feeding tube out for a week as of tonight. We were able to continue him on the food from the vet's office for a little while, but eventually he was done with it despite all the goodies we threw in there. So Brett and I took Brownie and Eldad (2 other fosters) to Petsmart to stake out the canned food section and see what they might have that would resemble human food. We purchased the following cans:

1. Blue Buffalo: Chicken Pot Pie

2. Natural Choice: Simmered Beef and Potato Stew

3. Wellness: Lamb and Sweet Potato

4. Nutro Ultra Senior: Chunks In Gravy

#1 was a hit! It smelled like vomit in my opinion (literally), but Dolce thought it was great!

#2 was another hit! He ate almost the entire little container of food! And to my delight it actually smelled like beef stew...big upgrade from vomit smelling.

#3 was a dud. He refused to eat it. It also smelled pretty awful to me.

#4 we have yet to try...but I have a bad feeding about it.

I think our next step will be to head over to the holistic dog food store just down the street and see if they have anything that can entice Dolce into eating. Other than that I am about a hop, skip and jump away from cooking him food myself. Because of Dolce's age and all the injuries he's had to overcome as well as the importance of gaining weight and continuing to maintain it, it's really important to me that Dolce is not eating empty calories. I want to make sure that everything going into his body will do more to help him than harm and to do everything I can to ensure that he lives a longer healthier life.

In other news Dolce is getting better with the hardwood floors. He's easing himself back into slowly walking down the hallway. I think he slipped around a bit too much after being bathed and that it scared him or made him think he couldn't walk on the floors without slipping. Something really scary also happened this week. I went to bed the other night and Dolce stayed up with Brett. I guess Brett put Dolce in our bed, which I think he thought would be nice for Dolce and didn't think how it could be possibly dangerous. Anyway in the middle of the night Brett rolled over and caused Dolce to fall out of the bed. I swear I have never bolted out of bed so fast in my life! Brett felt terrible, he took Dolce and sat with him in the living room holding him and checking him over and over to make sure he was okay. I was pretty much a mess thinking that we had killed Dolce...of course Dolce was upset about falling off the bed but was in no way "dead." He was actually completely awake and even eating and walking just fine...but I'm sure you can all image how much I would worry after taking such a fall especially after having jaw surgery and being so skinny. Brett took Dolce to see Dr. Adams and we were told by a vet tech that Dolce would need to have x-rays and to stay overnight, which made us even more upset. So when the vet called later in the evening and said he was fine, didn't need x-rays and could come home I tore out of Pasadena as fast as I possibly could to get over to West LA and pick up our boy! I am SO GLAD he was okay and that we were able to get him back without him having to go through the scary experience of staying at the vets office overnight. He must have been extremely relieved too because he stuck to my lap as soon as I got him into the car.

Oh and the photo on the top is of Dolce the night I brought him back from almost staying the night at the vet. We got him all tucked in and comfy into his bed that night. Brett and I have both learned a huge lesson...no Dolce on anything higher than his bed on the floor and the couch when he can be supervised.

Dolce's Weekend

Since Dolce has had his feeding tube removed I'm really happy to share that his feeding schedule is going really well. He's always been a finicky eater for us so I was really concerned with how well he would do without the feeding tube.

At this point we mix in nutri-cal into his canned food and add shredded cheese to the top to get him going, it actually looks a lot like refried beans when you see the cheese on top. We also do the same thing for Brownie since she's just as finicky as Dolce. But sometimes no matter how much cheese we add to his food he just won't eat it, so then we bring out the big guns and take some soft treats and break them up and place them on his food. So far this has worked every time, so lets hope it continues to work.

Brett and I took all of the dogs to the dog park yesterday before the heavy rains started. Dolce LOVES being outside and really enjoys the dog park, but I still don't feel comfortable letting him run around so he gets to enjoy the outdoors and the dog park from either my lap or Brett's. Maybe someday he will be healthy and strong enough the run around the small dog section of the dog park. On a side note, yesterday at the dog park we had this HUGE dog in the small dog section and she came over and sniffed at Rico and Chico and got as close to Dolce as I would allow her, then she flipped over and was submissive to all 3 of the Chihuahuas...too funny!

When we got home from the dog park everyone was in need of a bath. Brett and I were able to bathe 3 out of 4 dogs...which we feel was an accomplishment. I'm going to post photos of Dolce getting his bath and will share them. He's so little when his fur is all wet. Once he has the stitch in his neck removed we're planning on having him groomed to have some of his extremely thick fur thinned out. Does anyone have a suggestion for an amazing groomer? I don't want him going anywhere that I haven't heard some great things about.

Link to photos of Dolce: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2558736&id=16833855

He's a New Dog

Dr. Adams called me last night to give me an update on Dolce. He may have a 2nd surgery ahead of him if one side of his jaw doesn't heal by next month, but his feeding tube has been removed and the goal is to continue to at the very least maintain his weight. I was told that he was pretty sedated and would be out of it when he got home and would need to rest for the remainder of the night. When Brett picked Dolce up he told me the same thing, that Dolce was really quiet and drugged. However, when they got home Dolce was SO HAPPY to be home...he was still drugged and wobbly on his feet but his tail was wagging and he refused to sit still. I asked Brett what happened to him being "out of it," and he said that during the car ride Dolce just sat on his lap and stared up at him and that when he saw the house he completely changed. Since he was so wobbly on his feet I scooped him up and took him to lay in bed with me and watch a movie. I eventually fell asleep and I assume Brett didn't have the heart to put him in his bed, so I woke up in the middle of the night to Dolce sleeping on my face and giving me kisses. We had all 4 of the dogs in bed last night, it was definitely crowded but it felt nice to have everyone in one place and for all of us to be cozy and snuggled up.

When I get home I'll take some pictures of Dolce without his feeding tube. Once we get the stitch out of his neck I'm planning on taking him to get groomed...no more messy haircuts from Brett and I.

This is One Tough Little Dog

When I got home from work tonight I took Dolce and Brownie outside for their little potty break. I think Dolce was probably in the best mood I've ever seen him in. He was running around, attacking acorns and wagging his tail all over the place. I was petting Brownie and looked over and saw that Dolce had been digging at an acorn and his face and snout had dirt all over it...he just looked up at me with his little doggie grin and wagged his tail...so happy. I called for him to come inside and he came running across the little yard and did something that literally AMAZED me. Dolce ran up to me and started pouncing at me and jumping back and forth with his tail wagging like crazy...he wanted to play! I swear to god my heart skipped a few beats...this boy has come such a long way. After we tried playing we went inside and he immediately ran right into the kitchen ready to eat some food. I'm telling you this dog is not the same one I brought home!

Somehow I got my days mixed up and didn't realize Dolce's appointment with Dr Adams was tonight. I'm so glad I thought about it and called the vet to make sure! When we got to the vet all of the staff came out at different times to greet Dolce (he's very well known over there) and tell us how great he's looking. But for the best news: Dr Adams wants to remove Dolce's feeding tube! YAHOO! He wanted us to leave him at the vet over night and remove the feeding tube first thing in the morning, but I really didn't feel 100% comfortable with that since Dolce went from being a super happy dog to shaking and quivering once we walked into the vets office. I really felt like it would be too much for him if we left him there and he spent the night there all alone. This little guy has been through enough and doesn't need to worry that he's being abandoned ever again. Dr Adams understood my concerns for Dolce and told us we could bring him back the next day to be sedated and have X-Rays taken of his jaw and to have the feeding tube removed. I think my favorite part of tonight's visit to the vet was when Dr Adams was looking at Dolce's mouth and said to himself, "this is one tough little dog." I love the way he said it. He said it in a way that felt like he was so relieved and proud of my little Dolce boy and like he was letting out a sigh of relief.

When we drove home we hit a lot of traffic and Dolce was getting overheated (he gets that way easily) so he got on the arm rest between Brett and I and stretched out (as much as he could since it's a small space). Eventually he wanted to stretch out and sleep, which was difficult since there was no place for him to lay his head...so Brett put out his hand and Dolce placed his head in Brett's hand and slept like that for the remainder of the car ride...so sweet.

Can't wait to update with photos tomorrow when his tube is removed! Thanks for reading everyone!

Quick Update

Hi everyone,

Dolce is doing really well. Since we doubled his food intake and added Nutri-cal he has so much more energy! And he seems to be feeling really well because yesterday afternoon he was running across the yard excited for his lunch. He's also become very active and alert and doesn't sleep nearly as much as he used to. I haven't had him weighed since our last visit to see Dr. Adams, but I have to assume he's gained some weight because his bones don't seem to stick out quite as much as they used to. One thing that does concern me a bit is his back legs, especially the one on the right. They seem to be quite frail and sometimes he has difficulty putting weight on them. On Thursday when we see Dr. Adams I'm planning on asking him what he can do to strengthen those two legs or if there is a supplement that can help him...I'm thinking he may have arthritis in them. I'll keep everyone updated on his legs and what Dr. Adams thinks about the feeding tube.

Other than Dolce, I do want to raise awareness to a really sweet girl that volunteers her time at the same shelter that Dolce came from. Claudia Garcia is 17 years old, volunteers 5 days a week at the shelter and has been able to have countless dogs saved because of the photos that she takes, the networking that she does and the work she preforms on the dogs. Her little dog Spoty was bit by another dog and the bite wound has become infected. Spoty took a turn for the worse this weekend after the vet cleaned out the infection and she now needs a blood transfusion. Poor Claudia is extremely upset and needs financial help to save her little dog. If you can donate even $5, it will really help her.

http://insightanimalrescue.chipin.com/spoty-got-bit-and-needs-surgery-please-help

The Feeding Tube Fight

Getting Dolce to eat food without the use of his feeding tube has proven to be quite the challenge. I'm not sure if the meds and the nutri-cal we mix into his food are deterring him from wanting to actually eat it...or maybe he just likes us taking care of it for him.

When I made his food this morning I really wanted to see what he would eat on his own before we pushed it through the feeding tube. He licked at the bowl a couple times then stared at me. I assume we were having a power struggle and Dolce obviously won the battle, because my little diva boy had no problem eating his food when it came to him on my index finger. At any rate, he seems to be gaining a little meat on his bones...but I worry how long that will last after his tube is removed. If anyone has any suggestion on what they give to a senior that has essentially no teeth...please share with me and I will run it by Dr. Adams. I REALLY want to get Dolce back into the habit of eating without a feeding tube but not if it means he will lose weight.

In other good news, we have a little old lady that lives a few houses down from us and apparently she seems to be very taken with Mr Dolce. I have yet to meet her since she comes over to see Dolce when Brett takes him out and I'm away at work. From what Brett has told me, she seems to be very interested in him and wanted to know when he would be adoptable. It's always nice to see my old boy, Mr. Dolce getting noticed.

Also, I'm including a short video I took of Dolce last night on the couch. He's a total cuddle bug and will go between Brett and I on the couch to see who will give him the better back rub and belly rub...I won the honor last night. ;-)

Dolce's Adventures

Doesn't Dolce look great in this picture! So alert! Every day I am so impressed by him and the improvements that he makes! I was so worried when we first got him that the there wasn't much life left in him...boy was I wrong. Read the adventures of Dolce over the last few days:

1) Barked at the mail man: On warm days we will leave the front door open while we're home but lock the screen door (since all of the dogs now know its easy to push on and swing open). Apparently all of the dogs went crazy when they saw the mail man at our door dropping off our mail and Dolce got in on the action and began barking at the guy. Now for all that didn't know, I have been wondering if Dolce was devocalized because he never barks (I know, I know...devocalization doesn't mean the dog isn't able to bark completely) and it would have fit if he was used for breeding and lived in a cage. So anyway, it turns out that Dolce CAN bark...he just doesn't choose to do it often.

2) Attacked more acorns: This evening when I got home I took Dolce and Brownie outside and Dolce immediately started pawing at the acorns and attacking them. But today he treated the acorn like it was a ball that he wanted to carry around in his mouth. Every time I would take an acorn away from him he would find another to attack and carry in his mouth. I mean this little guy was running around the yard attacking these acorns...and he must have been getting pretty pissed off when I kept taking them from him because he started growling when I went to take the last one from him. It's funny but when he growls at me over things like his acorns, I can't help but laugh and be happy because it shows how far he has come and continues to grow.

3) Followed strangers walking by: If ANYONE walks by our yard and Dolce sees them, he wants to go with them...so we have to keep our eye on him! In the morning a neighbor of ours walks to work and Dolce almost always starts trotting behind the guy with his tail wagging like he's off to work too. It's good to see that he likes people and isn't afraid of them.

4) Fell in love, er...lust with a GSD mix: One of our neighbors has a German Shepherd mix and from what Brett said, Dolce met her and her dog today. I assume the German Shepherd was female because Dolce's tail was wagging and he started following that dog down the sidewalk. I think this is a great sign! Dolce can do well with dogs of all sizes...but he prefers females...my little casanova. ;-)

A Different Day at the Rainbow Bridge -Author Unknown

Just thought I would share this...

Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been ...waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch. It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often. He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge. With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting. One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for a while to explain it to him. You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge. The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life. "Watch, and see" said the second animal. A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together. "What happened?" "That was a rescuer." The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of his work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place on earth, across The Rainbow Bridge. "I think I like rescuers," said the first animal. "So does GOD," was the reply. (Author Unknown)

Skinny Dog

I came home last night from the vet with Dolce and Brett (and Brownie) feeling frustrated and a bit down on myself. Dolce will be keeping his feeding tube for at least another week, if not longer. I was a little upset last night because both Brett and I felt like we were being blamed for the fact that Dolce had lost weight. We've followed the feeding schedule exactly as we were instructed, 10cc of water into the feeding tube followed by 15cc of food and again 10cc of water into the tube to flush it out every 4 hours. I feel awful, if Dolce's lost weight (and he is REALLY skinny) I feel like I should have known better, but then again it's not like me to go against the directions of a vet. Anyway I have to assume that the vet tech either gave us the wrong information or they didn't realize how much food Dolce really needed to take in, and I guess leave it at that. Dolce is now getting twice the amount of food (still every 4 hours) and we're giving him Nutri-Cal to supplement his diet and hopefully help him gain weight. My biggest worry is that Dolce has been walking around hungry and I didn't even know it...I feel awful.

Alas, there is nothing I can do about it now; it's all in the past. Dolce will no longer go hungry and he will gain weight! As god as my witness, Dolce will never be hungry again! Okay, I added that for dramatic effect.

Dolce and the Acorn

I have to just give a quick update on Dolce before I head to work this morning. I just took him out with Brownie for a potty break before I leave for work and Dolce apparently was feeling very playful! It was too cute! Dolce never really feels playful but something must have changed this morning. We have a large oak tree in front of our house and their are acorns EVERYWHERE. Today Dolce discovered all of the acorns (that he has been walking all over for the past couple of weeks) and decided it would be fun if he would paw at them and make them fly into the air. So he was pawing at acorns hard enough to make them fly into the air and bounce away, then following the same acorn around the yard and repeating the process over and over. It was so amazing to see him having such a good time with a little acorn. His little tail was wagging the entire time. I'm hoping that he will do it again and I will be able to get a video of it for tomorrow. And stay tuned for an update tonight once we get Dolce back from the vet...send him your positive thoughts tonight. :-)

The Senior Citizen

I CANNOT wait to get Dolce's feeding tube removed! I'm thinking he's going to be so much happier once he can get that thing out and can really start the healing process 100%. We're going back to the vet Tuesday evening...so cross your fingers!

Dolce is so funny, he comes to greet me when I get home from work with a little tail wag then stands on his back legs and puts his front paws on my leg, begging for some pets. This boy loves a nice back rub or belly rub on his cute Valentines Day blanket. He loves to cuddle but he's also very independent, he will get up and go to our bedroom and get into his bed and sleep for an hour or two while we're all hanging out in the living room. I like that he feels safe enough to leave the room and know that we will still be there when he gets back. Our other foster, Brownie has total separation anxiety and will pace the house until she knows where everyone is and what they are up to.

I was telling Brett last night how happy it made me to see Dolce asleep on his blanket on the couch all stretched out and dreaming. It seems really unfair that he had to experience such a huge portion of his life at the hands of such cruelty, but all that I can do is focus on the future he still has. He's my little senior citizen and I just love his skinny little bony body.

Dolce the Superdog!

I am so amazed by Dolce! In a weeks time he is a new dog!

This morning I was up getting ready while Brett and all of the dogs were still sleeping. When I heard a noise I peeked into the hallway and found Dolce standing there wagging his tail. I was so impressed to see that he got out of his bed and came down the hallway and to the living room (this dog does not usually walk around the house) to find me. He must have been feeling great this morning because he followed me out the front door did his business then turned and walked up the stairs and back inside...AMAZING! Most people would think that behavior like this is normal, but this is huge!! This boy is not accustomed with walking around and obviously loves to stretch his legs and be outside.

Dolce is making huge strides towards healing and finding the loving forever home that he deserves. He loves to be cuddle up next to someone and cannot get enough of belly rubs. I can't wait to see how he improves once he has his feeding tube taken out!