Golden Beginnings -- 08-174 Sophie

Sophie and her littermate, Pongo, were rescued from a local shelter. She is about 1 1/2 years old. Sophie is spayed and heartworm negative.

Foster Update 7/16/09:

Sophie is doing better. She seems more interested in the world and is a lot of fun to watch. We will continue with these treatments and see how it goes.

Foster Update 6/25/09:

It’s been awhile since we posted an update on Sophie. The good news is that she hasn’t gone backwards but she has found herself in a rut. She is about the same. We have been trying homeopathic remedies, chiropractic treatments, and acupuncture. We have gotten her off dog food and have her on raw meats and a variety of veggies and grains. We are in the early stages so we don’t know if we will see any improvement. It could be all she needs is time. She still makes us laugh and we can’t imagine this world without her.

A note from Sophie, 4/9/09:

I had the best time at the Meet and Greet at Dr. Cooper’s this past Saturday. I met a lot of dogs and people. People were so kind to me especially Carroll who made a special trip just to meet me. I feel like a celebrity! Blondes do have more fun but then I became totally pooped as you can see in the picture!

Sophie

A note from Sophie, 3/30/09:

Hi, it’s me again, Sophie. I went to the vet for my blood work and it was decided that I could now take only one tablet, Potassium Bromide. I haven’t had any seizures since I came to my foster family’s home three months ago. I had some excitement about a week ago. A puppy by the name of Pink stayed with us for a week. I loved her and she loved me! She loved to run under me and pull on my tail. She brought a lot of excitement to our home. She got adopted and we are all very happy for her. I still walk unsteady and at times it is hard to make my body do what I want but I am progressing. I am a member of the clean bowl club. I love to eat (I actually join in on the excitement of dinner time). We all get up and watch mom fill our bowls (we even talk to her). My foster mom said it does her heart good to see me eat. My plan is to attend the Meet and Greet this Saturday at Dr. Cooper’s which means I get another bath. My mom says for such a pretty girl I sure don’t like to stay clean. I am sending a picture of me now. I have lost some weight (good for my unsteadiness) and you can see my pointy head and thin face muscles. I am sticking out my tongue at dad. Everyone says I am still very pretty.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

Sophie

Foster update 3/8/09:

Today I was gone for a few hours. When I got home I was greeted by all the Goldens and had to pet each one and make all the noises that go along with it. I looked across the yard and there stood Sophie. She heard my voice and came running! I couldn’t believe my eyes! She had her tail up and was actually excited to see me. She hasn’t been ready for petting and loving but in the last few days she is beginning to let you pet her and won’t pull away (she may think we will be putting something down her throat). She is still trying to get the sisters to play but they just don’t understand Sophie. Our temporary fosters, Spicy and Misty, will lick and smell her which she considers playing. Misty especially likes her and will walk with her and allow her to eat out of her bowl. This simple act of running to me made my day.

Update from Sophie 2/22/09:

Hi, this is Sophie. I wanted to tell you about my Saturday. It started with a visit to the vet's because I scratched my eye. While there I found out that it will be another month before my blood checkup (April 3^rd) and I have lost muscle mass in my face. People pay big bucks for what nature did free for me. I may never get the top of my head back (have a pointy head) but I could possibly get my cheeks back. I was a little down after the news. On the way to the Meet and Greet, my foster family picked up a burger for me to eat to lift my spirits. It was good! The Meet and Greet was busy and I got to smell a lot of different things and see another part of the world besides the back yard. I even got a lot of love from strangers! The biggest surprise was a bath! I wasn’t too happy but my foster mom said it was time. I still had that smell from when I was very sick and from not being able to hold myself up when I went potty. The ladies at Haute Dogs and Glitzy Paws in Old Town Spring were very gentle. I look beautiful! The day made me so tired that I slept through the night for the first time since I’ve been here. My foster family was shocked Sunday morning when I ran across the yard and tried to play with my foster sisters. The sisters had a problem with me trying to bit their tails. So what if I don’t know how to play but I am willing to try.

I just wanted to thank everyone for your prayers and good wishes.

Sophie

Foster Update 2/19/09:

Sophie continues to not have seizures. She will receive a blood test to check her levels in about two weeks and if all is within range, we may lower the dosage more. She is enjoying eating with her foster sisters and is getting into the ‘excitement’ of waiting for the meals. She still isn’t steady in her walking but is doing very well. We are hoping to take her to the Meet and Greet on Saturday. She may not make the whole 3 hours but we will attempt at least an hour.

Foster Update 1/31/09:

As everyone is getting ready to celebrate this weekend with the super bowl, Mike and I would like to tell you about a different super bowl party. Last night, Sophie decided drinking out of the water BOWL was ok and she has done it all day. Just now I was making Satin Balls and decided to give her some. I was hand feeding her when I noticed she kept looking at the bowl. I placed the bowl where she could eat out of it and she ate out of the BOWL! This is awesome. This is the best super bowl weekend ever!

Foster Update 1/28/09:

We have seen small “miracles” since our last update. Her walking has become more steady. She rarely falls and if she starts to, she will catch herself! Her appetite has greatly increased although we still hand feed her, she is eating solid food and loving it!. Just this morning she went to the dog dish to check it out so she may be getting close to feeding herself. Her temps have been constant so we no longer do the subcutaneous fluids. She still is seizure free so the dosage of Penobarbital has been reduced slightly. She is beginning to watch us more and smell every inch of the grass. I was working on the computer and noticed she had come into the room and stayed watching me. She lifts her head and tail. We still have a long way to go but these small “miracles” have greatly encouraged us.

Foster update 1/17/09:

Sophie is making gradual progress. No fever for almost a week. She will now lap pureed dog food mixed with Pedialyte or Ensure from a bowl and her appetite is improving. We are reducing the amount of subcutaneous fluids. We have also reduced the dosage of Phenobarbital and so far no seizures. However, she‘s still very unsteady on her feet which is troubling. Hopefully, she’s not suffered long term neurological damage.

Foster update 1/15/09:

As of today, we can spoon feeder her (a very soft food that goes down easy). Mike thought he saw a (1) wag of her tail and I thought this morning she tried to put the tail up over her back rather than letting it hang. It didn't stay long but we are holding on to anything. She even watched me vacuum which she didn't care anything about earlier. We continue with the subcutaneous fluids which has helped to keep her temp down.

Foster Update 1/12/09: Prayers for Sophie and the importance of puppy vaccinations.

Sophie is a young Golden Retriever with gentle and loving spirit. Tragically, Sophie is now fighting for her life because she did not receive the recommended set of puppy vaccinations. Sophie has distemper, a viral disease often lethal and sometimes causing lasting neurological problems. Because of this, Sophie has suffered seizures, high fevers, severe loss of appetite and is very unsteady on her feet.

Her loving fosters are giving her round-the-clock care, including subcutaneous fluids to help reduce her fever and using a syringe to feed her liquefied food. Sophie is putting up a courageous fight against this dreaded disease and GBGRR is doing everything possible to help this sweet girl recover so she can live a long, happy and full life.

We are all pulling for Sophie!

If you would like to help Sophie by contributing to her care, you may make donations using the Paypal.com button below or you may mail donations to: GBGRR, P.O. Box 19848, Houston, TX 77 77224-9848.

Why are vaccinations important?
Vaccinations prevent the spread of infectious disease among animals. More importantly, they protect your pet from acquiring diseases from an unvaccinated or sick animal.

What vaccines does my dog need?
All dogs need Rabies and DHLPP vaccines. DHLPP stands for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parinfluenza and parvovirus. These viruses cause respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system disease. All dogs should also receive a bordetella or kennel cough vaccine as well.

At what age does my dog need vaccinations?
Puppies receive a series of 3 sets of vaccinations to boost their immunity. Most vets recommend puppies start their vaccines at 8 weeks and receive boosters every four weeks up to and including 16 weeks of age. Some vets recommend a protocol of 3 week intervals at 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 12 weeks. Rabies can be given at 12-16 weeks old. All follow-up boosters for adult dogs are given yearly. Rabies vaccines can now be administered every three years if certain specifications are met.

Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.

Sophie