Tues 30th Aug: Growing up

As they were (Jackie is centre of the group)

The day had come for yet another group of Lamma puppies to go for their initiation into the “No Babies for Us” club.  I can’t believe that the Guinea Pig litter are already the age when they need desexing, but it’s true.  The two that are still waiting for homes, Jackie and Michelle (formerly Michael and Jackson) were included in the batch that left for Acorn Vet Hospital in the morning, to be picked up later in the day minus their reproductive bits.  It’s a sad thought that  dogs in the wild that have reached this age will almost certainly be having their first litter by the end of the year, still puppies themselves. 

Jackie (and Buffy) growing up

I can guarantee that Boogie is a superstar puppy

One of the dogs going for desexing was Boogie, one of the Fungus Litter (remember Mushroom?)  He has been in foster for quite a while and came back on Sunday as a young man.  Bigger than his siblings and with a totally different look and colouring, Boogie is still a wonderful older puppy, impeccably behaved and such  a sweet boy.  He’s past the Golden Age for adoption, and isn’t what’s usually regarded as super cute, but he has the best personality and nature.  And he needs a home!

China also went to have her joints X-rayed, and the poor girl has severe (maybe rheumatoid)  arthritis.  Dr Tony took some samples to be sent off for testing, but in the meantime the least I can do is to give pain relief.  Tony even said he was surprised China could walk at all, far less join the daily long hike.  The brave old girl showed her mettle when, still half asleep from the anaesthetic, she wobbled over to Biggles’ (the resident whippet) food bowl and started eating.  I had to drag her away from the food to get her into the van and back home.

You know I constantly get surrender requests, and there was another one recently from someone who had adopted her dog as a puppy from HKDR, and now needed to give it up.  In the Surrender Form which we ask to be completed, this person put that the dog was not on any heartworm prevention so I asked that a test be given and if it was negative, a Proheart injection (a year’s protection against heartworm) be given.  It’s always upsetting to get surrender requests, but this reply made me laugh: 

“I asked your group for help to find K a new home and YOU RAGE ON ME ABOUT NOT USING YOUR BRAND OF HEART-WORM MEDICINE FOR K! What type of mood-altering, psychotropic, narcotic are you ingesting? Are you so full of yourself that you feel you can inflict your “holier-than-thou” attitude on people because they come to you requesting your royal audience. If you or your group cannot help me, then a simple “Sorry, we currently do not have the resources to help you” is all you need to send me. Don’t waste my time and yours with a sermon on using your brand of ProHeart heart-worm medicine.”

In a follow up email it seems that this particular person has something against Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that apprently make Proheart, but rather than accept my explanation that we can’t administer monthly tablets to hundreds of dogs (which is why we use the yearly injections), our agreement to take the dog back isn’t good enough. It’s all in a day’s work.