Mickey DID find a forever home!

While I thought Mickey was going to live with Georgeanne on September 30, turns out her home was just not the proper place for him. So, unbeknownst to me, he had moved on Saturday, 3 October. Sunday evening I had an email from another SAYR person, and then I read the Monday Morning Memo from Save A Yorkie Rescue on Monday (10/5) and discovered Mick had gone to live with Deb for the rest of his life. It was like a full-circle move for him. Deb was the person who originally had taken him into rescue back in July--she was the one who met him with his terribly infected teeth, oozing pus from them into the fur on his mouth so that he appeared to have dreadlocks on his chin! After his surgery to remove all his teeth, he went to Deb's to recover from it, and then he came to stay with me for several months.

So, now he is at home with his Momma Deb, where he will live out the remainder of his days. Deb's comment to me was that she could see that he had aged--where? I thought he kept getting younger and younger, but I guess when one is with a dog day in and day out, it is difficult to see aging happening. He is still having skin issues, and Deb has taken him to the vet for a skin scrape. She is wondering about mange. Have to wait and see.

Two of my grandsons fell in love with Mickey. Grant loved him so much that he wanted to adopt him, and cried when he learned that Mickey would be going to another home. Ahh, these life lessons to be learned--some hard and some joyous.

Live well, Mr. Mickey!! And continue that gorgeous trot you do!! For now, the Yorkie Hospice and Senior Rehab center is closed and quiet. Once my injured left knee is repaired, we'll see about opening it back up again.

Mickey might have found a home!!!

After having no one contact me about Mickey, I almost fell off the chair today when someone called regarding Mickey. In fact, I thought it might be a friend of mine pulling a fast one on me, but the more I spoke with this person, the more I realized that she was for real. Mickey has been doing so very well--especially after we took him to the vet to treat his rash, which turned out to be allergies!! He's about half-way through his prednisone tablets and half-way through the antibiotics. Also, we received some antibiotic shampoo and he is to be bathed weekly with that--it has helped too.

He is still walking briskly and has the most beautiful trot, and as he walked and walked, he is developing more and more muscle tissue. His hair is also growing in and he seems like he will end up being more brown than previously has shown. He is sleeping soundly in his tube bed beside my bed, oblivious to the fact that he will be going to a new home on Wednesday, provided that he and all the pups get along together. He will be going to a home with several Yorkies, several daschunds, and I believe another small breed also--but all of the dogs, or most of them anyway, are senior citizen dogs. So, in a sense, Mickey is going to the retirement home he deserves.

MICKEY PLAYS!!!

For a while since Molly's death, Mickey has been an onlooker while Megan and Abby romp all over the downstairs. At times he would take a step and I could almost read his mind saying, "Hey, I sort of remember something like this." But, he was too shy to enter in with them.

Then, a few days ago, Denny was playing fetch with Megan, and Mickey took several steps to the toy that Denny had thrown. Megan returned the hedgehog (pink one!) to Denny and when he threw it again, Mickey reached it before Megan. He hesitated, so Megan grabbed it and took it back. But the next time Denny threw the hedgehog, Mickey dove on it and grabbed it. He picked it up and started to bring it back and stopped after about 2 steps--I think it was the first time he picked up a toy since all his teeth were removed. He dropped it, and you could see him working his tongue to try to get the fuzz off it--it was hysterical.

Tonight I was telling my grandson about how he had played, so we picked up the hedgehog and squeaked it--instant interest!! He followed it with his eyes and chased it when we tossed it, picking it back up and returning it. He did this once or twice, but then settled down and snuggled with the hedgehog.

I swear he gets younger the older he gets!!

He's got that toy!!

Now he hugs it.

What a GREAT break in the weather!!!!

Mickey had a rough end to last week--he had a bout of diarrhea--mostly mucous and bloody. What a JOY to clean up. I tell you, if I did not have my Spot Bot, I would never make it through fostering or multiple dog-owning. We went through 2 of the small bottles of pet odor and stain cleaner, so I was really ready to have him stop.

I took him to see the vet on Friday where he was given metronidazole for this diarrhea. It works well, but not immediately, unfortunately. Had a stool sample sent off and I chased him around the outside of the office with a small cup to catch enough urine for a microscopic urinalysis to see if he had a UTI. Received the call about the stool specimen--negative. OK, that's good. I'm guessing the urinalysis is OK too, because I did not hear anything about it.

After a couple of weeks of really oppressive heat, it is so great to have some nice, cooler weather. Who knows how long it will last, but it was great yesterday and especially today. Tonight the temp is supposed to drop into the upper 50s--heavenly. I have been able to have Mickey outside during this weather too, and he has really enjoyed it. We have a nice long tie-out, and while I am outside with him, I feel comfortable with him enjoying the outdoors.

Not a single call about Mickey and adopting him. He is still traipsing all over creation with Denny and the bichons--still outwalking them! The diarrhea has stopped (knock wood) but he has been doing something else that has me concerned. He shivers occasionally--it seems to be getting more visible, and longer and more easily seen shivering. He does this when it is hot and when it is air conditioned. I think it probably has something to do with his aging nervous system. He is still eating well and active--it is not as tho anything else has changed; he just shivers. Oh well--I have what is called essential tremor--perhaps he has something similar.

Our rescue group seems to have several of the older dogs that are not even being considered for adoption. I think they are even having trouble placing the dogs at age 10, so if that is the case, a home for Mickey is almost hopeless. Too bad--he has a cute little personality and would make someone a great companion. The wearing of Poise Pads 24/7 has turned out to be not such a big deal...........we just put a pad on him when he's in the house and take it off when he goes outside. Rita from the Save A Yorkie Rescue group makes the best belly bands--they are available online to purchase at: http://www.saveayorkierescue.org. She also makes jackets for the dogs and we have some of the best beds available--the dogs all love them. So, if you have a pup that is in need of any of these, go to the website--all profits go to help rescues.

Mickey finds his inner child

This morning when we finally got up (!!!!!), I went in to test my blood sugar and give myself my morning insulin. When I appeared at the door to my bedroom, there was Mickey dancing around. He went down into that "let's play" position (you know, on his elbows with his butt in the air) and then pranced about. Uh-oh, I thought--what gives? I then found that he had pooped on the pee pad--apparently he was so very delighted with himself that he had to come and show me. So, we went on with "good dog, good boy, Mickey".

We went outdoors so the rest of the pups could go potty and I had Mickey on his leash, tied to the chair. I brought in the recycling tubs and when we came back inside, he danced about again and did the "let's play" posture twice more. OK, what's with Mickey today?

The rest of the day he was very much like he usually has been, but when my husband came home, Mickey joined the other 3 at the door to welcome Denny home. Today he gave Denny kisses for the very first time. When my grandkids came to stay tonight, he actually gave them kisses too.

I don't know where THIS Mickey was for the past several weeks, but he has really shone today. As a nurse who has seen patients improve drastically immediately prior to succumbing, I'm just holding my breath and praying that all this neat action is just Mickey feeling very at home with us as opposed to my nursing memories.

PS. Doesn't he look GREAT with his new haircut??

Prequel--Molly & Mickey

Over the first weekend in August, I received a call about 3 Yorkies that were coming into rescue. Their owner had died unexpectedly, and there was no one competent enough to care for the dogs. Actually, we had known they were coming into rescue the week before, but it took until the very end of July for the person who was Power of Attorney to call for Save A Yorkie Rescue to come and pick them up. And, what a sorry lot they were. Sixteen year-old Molly was blind and deaf--her eyes were so very light blue from the cataracts she had. She was emaciated, and weighed in at 5 lbs. 4 oz. By her frame, she appears to be a dog who should weigh about 7 or 8 pounds. She was filthy dirty, and had teeth that were yellow-green in appearence. It was difficult to pick her up--she was all bones. But could she eat!!!!! She had a rattling cough when she came to me on August 3, 2009, and she kept getting trapped in corners, having to be rescued when under a chair or in a corner.

Mickey, upon admission to rescue, was described as having dreadlock-looking hair hanging from his mouth. His teeth were the worst the vet in Williamsport had ever seen. In fact, before he could come to me for fostering, he underwent removal of all his teeth--they were all decayed and rotting. In fact, they had to anesthetize him to even clip his hair around his mouth. He was also very emaciated, weighing in at 8 lbs. 6 oz., and his frame looks like he should weigh in at around 10 lbs. For the first week with me, he ate ground beef or chopped chicken with rice, and was he EVER a sloppy eater!!! Food went everywhere as he learned to navigate eating with only his tongue and no teeth. I had to feed them in the exercise pen--if I did not, my little piglets would have wanted to share in their food.

I did not get their 9 year-old sister, Missy, to foster. She went to another SAYR volunteer. She was the one who made it first to the bowl of food, tho, as she weighed in at 16 pounds. The person who picked her up said she looked like a barrel with stick legs. Missy went off to the exercise spa, whereas Molly & Mickey came here to be pampered and fattened up.

This prequel is long overdue--I was so caught up in caring for both of them that I just could not take the time to sit down and let you know how they came to being in Yorkie Hospice & Senior Rehab. In another prequel later on, I will introduce you to my "helpers"--my own three dogs.

Crunching Without Teeth!!

You go, Mickey!! Caught him today eating Evo--not the Evo which I ground up and put warm water on for him but the Evo from the dish. I had been told that once a dog loses all teeth that the jaw bone fills in and eventually these dogs learn to eat kibble, but I did not believe it.

Sorry to be absent for a spell--Molly's death hit me a bit harder than I expected it to. It hit Mickey, too. He did not eat for a day, and I was worried that we were heading down the same path as Molly. I cooked the boy almost any and everything I could think of, but he did not eat. Then, the next day he got up and ate everything in sight.

He has been doing very well and settling in here just like one of the pack. He is a very easy-going dog whose only desires are to walk and to eat, and I think they are in that order. These long, hot, humid dog days of Summer have taken a lot out of me and take a lot out of the dogs when they walk.......not Mickey--he could go right back out and walk just as far again. Not the bichons, and they are 6 and 7 years younger than Mickey. I am just so very sad that no one seems to be looking at him to adopt him--he would be GREAT for someone up in years who is also an active person, just looking for a buddy to walk with. I'm praying for someone to see him and want to give an old dog a home for a couple of years. Look, this guy does not act his 15 years--he is spry and loves to go, whether it is walking or riding in a car. Now he's eating hard kibble without teeth!! Mickey's only problem is that he dribbles urine, and that is SO easily handled with belly bands and Poise Pads. I would imagine men up in years could identify with Mickey--especially if a man has had his prostate removed. Mickey's an easy dog.........REALLY.