Post #24: Fabulous Five Update

Georgia After Surgery

And another week begins! Lots has been going on with the Fab Five. The airwaves (or computer waves) have been burning up with emails shooting back and forth between all of us foster Moms. We even have a new name for ourselves - the FFFMs - or, Fab Five Foster Moms! It's like we are members of a little club - and quite a prestigious one if you ask me. It is truly an honor to be a part of the rehabilitation of these wonderful dogs.  Lots and lots of wonderful mile stones in their quest to become "normal" dogs and quite a few hurdles also. Last week saw both Tina and Georgia in at the vets a couple of times. Georgia went in for a check up and ended up staying to have emergency surgery! What we thought was pyometria turned out to be a 2.5lb cyst on one of her ovaries!! No one saw that coming! It explains why Georgia was less than enthused about eating or drinking - the poor girl had no room in her belly to eat or drink much of anything. Even after the surgery she seemed to want to continue her hunger strike but luckily, through the persistence of her incredible foster Mom, she started to eat. Maybe she caught wind of our plan to take her back to the vet?? Whatever it was, we are glad she got her appetite back as she really needs to put on a few pounds to get back into tip top health. 

 Tina sending love to her loyal fans.

Tina is still kind of going back and forth with her health issues. She went to the vet last week and had a battery of tests done to try to determine why a) she didn't want to eat and b) why, when she did eat, it ended up shooting out both ends of her. Thankfully a whole of lot scary stuff was ruled out, but we never really got a clear idea of what the problem might be. At the moment we are going with the theory that it might be a stomach ulcer brought on by stress. She's been taking some acid blockers and a drug that helps line the intestinal wall to soothe it and that seems to have done the trick in terms of getting her to want to eat (and keep stuff down). Either Tina herself or her foster Mom will be writing more about these adventures later in the week. Wait till you hear all the food that was tried to get Tina to eat something. She had a veritable smorgasbord going on there for a while! 

For the most part Queenie has been doing well. She's in a steady pattern of eating 2 big meals a day and I swear I can see her ribs starting to fade into a nice plump lining of fat. She's got a loooooong way to go before I'd say she is at her optimal weight, but at least we are on the right track. She is still fearful and untrusting in the house but each day things get a little better. She's got yet another new collar (she's definitely the "fashion horse" of the Fab Five) and I think this one has really captured her spirit. I'll post some pics and a full write up on her progress later this week. [Queenie is not pictured in this blog, she is preparing something special for her post; it is sure to be "fashionable".]

To the Event they went and the show they did STEAL!

The lads, Buster and Gunner, made their public debuts at the adoption event on the weekend and they were absolutely amazing. We were worried that they might be overwhelmed with being out in public and having all those people and dogs around them (this adoption event was one of the craziest and busiest we have had!!). We needn't have stressed ourselves though, both of the boys took it all in stride and seemed remarkably relaxed! Buster in particular seemed to be happy to be out and about. Naturally he drew a LOT of attention. You know how handsome he is in pictures, right? Well, when you see him in person, you realize that those pictures really don't do him justice. He is a total stud muffin! Apparently he got a lot of interest and had some serious inquiries into his availability. Yikes!!! Are any of us foster Moms ready to see their Fab Five Babies fly the coup??? Gunner also got a lot of attention. He's like a slightly smaller, goofier version of Buster and so equally as impressive when you see him in person. After seeing how well the boys did at the event I think I will plan on bringing Queenie to the next adoptathon. Last weekend's would have been too much for her at the moment, but I think in another month she will be ready for that kind of challenge. 

Stand by this week for blogs on Tina and Queenie. Not sure what Tina will have to say, but I can tell you that Queenie's blog will include, amongst other things, the running tally of all the beds and carpets she has destroyed lately :) Oh yeah, our little artist LOVES working with textiles ;)