Sugar

Sugar
Happy and Healthy Days

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Shirley

This was Shirley's ad on Petfinder.com, the first time I saw her.

http://www.facebook.com/HHDogRescue

http://hopefulhearts.ca/


She was likely born sometime around the middle of June in Que, and was about 3 months old when she was rescued. 18 Sep, 2011, Que, Shirley was examinded. She has a tattoo in her right ear likely put there by Paws R Us.  She was given worm medicine Sep 24,25,26.  9 Oct 2011, Canine distemper type 2 vaccination and Revolution Mauve. 13 Nov, 11, Shirley was 6 pounds and was given Revolution Mauve and Canine Distemper.

Thanks to Happy Hearts Rescue Shirley was given a foster home in Napean.
In 18 Jan 2012, she was spayed. When she was 7 months old, she had a problem with her eye in Feb 2012, and was treated for that with Fucithalmic eye gel. 

Shirley arrived in Kingston,Tues evening, 17 Apr 2012. She flew from Ottawa Airport in the cabin of Air Canada to be with us in NS.
In this picture, Shirley is nervous, her ears are back. Halifax Airport.


She is a tiny little girl who is very nervous and hides under furniture when you approach her. Lola likes her and welcomed her into the house just like she was always here.


Her first night, she slept good in the playpen and didn't cry or bark but was awake at 6.

1st day, Sugar's harness fits her. I am surprised. She walks good but she prefers to be on a long leash and not on a short one or she will drag her feet.

I had to comb out a mat under each ear and she didn't say a word or squirm, she just sat there until it was done.

She ate chicken and carrot, egg and carrot, salmon and carrot and beef stew. She likes milk and ate her cheese treat. She chews on the milk bones that Dee sent along in her carrier. She also likes pork and sweet potato.

She keeps looking at me as if to say who are you and am I suppose to know you?? Where am I, what am I doing here??

She hides under the deacon's bench in the front hall and under the chairs in the office and dining room and is very nervous when I try to get her out and pick her up. She is more comfortable around Lola.
She knows that we relax in the computer room and will come in and be with me and Lola when I am on the computer.
I showed her a bed in the computer room and now she knows it is her bed.

18th Apr 2012, Second day in Kingston.
She isn't hiding so much and is almost getting use to me picking her up.
She wagged her tail when I came in the door from being out running erands.
Shirley is scratching all the time, maybe it is because her puppy coat is coming out or the new harness or food.
She ate pork today.

Lola seems to be a bit upset and needs extra attention.

I had her in the little pen on the deck and she got out of it. Good thing I didn't just have her on the lawn in the little pen.


Shirley doesn't like popcorn. She tried it but didn't finish it. Update she now will eat a couple of pieces of popcorn. Tues 23 Apr.

Friday, 3rd morning she woke at 6, up tail waking and ready to play with Lola who was still asleep. Today I tried her with yogurt and she liked it. She tried to push her cookies around with her nose just like Sugar use to do. She hids her cookies under blankets.
I had forgotten how much the young dogs follow you around the house. Sugar and Lola use to but then they got so after their meal and their walk they just went to bed.
Shirley doesn't like the sound of the vacuum cleaner.
Shirley can open doors that aren't latched. She saw herself in the mirror today for the first time.
After supper she washed her face on the mat, just like Sugar use to do and she likes to sleep in the closet just like Sugar use to do.
Shirley no longer will stay in the playpen overnight. I brought her pillow bed to bedroom and some cookies.

Fourth Morning: Shirley reached up on the side of the bed to come up and cuddle. She had peanut butter for a treat after breakfast and she sort of likes it. She played with a tennis ball after the walk. I will look for a smaller one for her so she can carry it around. She is good to do her business, gets it done right away.

She scratches on her bed to get it just right. She hid under my bed last night and was pecking out from under the blanket that is nearly touching the floor. Reminds me of when Missy Gold use to play with Cindy that way. He would hid under the bed, just peeking out and she would bark at him.

Unfortunately she has peed in the house 4 times.

22 Apr 2012, weighed Shirley she is exactly 10 pounds.

Shirley has been well loved by her foster family, it shows, she loves to cuddle and be patted. She is a very loving little girl who wants to be loved and who will give 100 % back to you. She gives kisses to your nose.

Mon, 23 Apr.
Shirley is eating so much way more than Sugar ever did and that is saying a whole lot. Her coat is coming out still and I think she is going to be more blonde than red. She is so smart and has learned so much about our daily routine. She is so loving, really knows how to cuddle and pushes her head in close to mine and kisses me on the nose.
She doesn't drink very much water.

Tues, 24th, out in the car to the mall. Got her a little pink dog toy and a few plastic golf balls that make a nice sound on the floor. They have holes in them, are lightweight and are the right size for her to carry around. She really likes them and has learned to play soccer with them.


Shirley and Lola playing

25 Apr 2012, Wed, Shirley is now starting her first week. This morning when I put her and Lola on the deck and went out to check on them and Shirley was off the deck and running around the backyard. Thank goodness she came to me as soon as she saw me. If it had been any other dog she would have been long gone. Not sure how she got out. Took her for a walk around the block, first time, she did well. Left Lola at home, she doesn't do the block walk very well any more.

27 Apr, 2012, Fri, Had Shirley out in the car and when I came home she hoped out of the back onto the driveway before I could lift her out but as luck would have it she ran to the front door and sat there until I picked her up.

Shirley likes to play with her ball, she chews her chew stick and she carries little twigs when we go into the woods for a walk. She is a ball of fire and would play 24 hrs a day with Lola if only Lola could stand it. She goes to bed at 9 and is up at 7 and hardly closes her eyes in the daytime. She still continues to eat me out of house of home, I don't know how many plates of food she would eat at one time if I put it in front of her.  This morning, she grabbed a dandelion that was going to seed and had to spit out the seeds.

Unfortunately when she is on the deck she barks at the neighbours.
Shirley seems to have lost most of her puppy coat. She plays very well with Lola. They play tug of war with an old sock, Lola's fav thing to do.
She chews on a chew toy by holding it in her two hands like Missy Gold use to do. She chews on the wicker bed like Cindy use to.
She walks on top of me in bed like Ceilidh use to and quickly kisses me on the nose or mouth like Ceilidh as well.
She scoots her two paws in front of her to get you to play like Sugar use to do.
She is very good when you take her for a walk, she will go away off the beaten path to do her business.
Shirley has become a mini-me for Lola, unfortunately she gets in a huff when she hears other dogs and becomes chargie, she barks at people she sees on the street.
She scratches her ears, and licks and shakes herself just like Lola does. All these things I would rather Lola didn't do now Shirley does them as well.


She has been here a month and is a sweet little dog but doesn't seem to like Trixie, the black Pom who is growly and barky.
Trixie is starting to growl and bark less but Shirley will bark at noise and strangers especially when she is on the deck.

Shirley's fav toys are her golf practice ball and her chewy.

23 May, 2012, 3 months to the day that I took Sugar to the vets and she later died the same day. First visit to see Dr Bruce in Berwick, was given Dolpac dewormer, 1 tablet. Later on the worms were in evidence somewhat like spaghetti as Dr said they might be. 

She loves to pick up things in the woods or along the road and carry them in her mouth. She pulls the tops off grass and weeds. She loves to go for walks but when she walks she pulls to walk faster, making a problem as far as I know for her trachea. She loves to roll in the grass and sometimes lately after a walk, Trixie will play in the grass with her.
15 Jun 2012,Today I gave Shirley her first bath, she was nervous in the water but then started to enjoy it and then she was terrified of the hair dryer but after holding her on my lap close to me she started to relax and I was able to continue using it on her. She looked very pretty when I was done.

18 Jun, 2012, Shirley and Trixie are now playing on the deck.

Have to spray Shirley with water to keep her from barking at everything, especially at the neighbours when she is on the deck. She is learning much faster than Trixie.

Today she found a baby's toy rattle in the park and carried it all the way home.

I think I spotted dark spots on her tongue like Lola has.

Sugar really enjoys the popcorn treat now, when she hears the corn poping in the microwave she gets excited and then follows me into the computer room where she has here share.

Shirley is really afraid of the vacuum cleaner. I don't know if she got this from Lola or not. I use to put her in her crate when I vaccumed but now she goes into  it by herself.

Had her out in the car for groceries and when I came back, I put her on the ground and she ran right into the house. 

Shirley is a high energy Peke, when she isn't eating, which is her all time fav, or walking or running I should say, she is playing with toys, especially those that make a noise and that she can chew. She also loves to play with her ball. 

She picks low bush blueberries and eats them.
She had a feed of fresh caught Mackerel given to me by  neighbour and loved every bit of it. 

September 2012, Shirley actually seems to be improving when she is approached by a stranger. She doesn't bark or back up as much.  
Shirley digging for hidden cookie in flower pot

Sunday 4 Nov while walking down Philips Ave, Shirley was attacked by same dog who attacked and mauled Larkie. She had bites around her front leg where she was grabbed but she was able to walk and ate her supper so I didn't take her to the vet. I did call the police and animal control. The police started a file. Animal control said they would issue two fines over $500 but after a month still haven't done anything except put up 3 signs in our area.  


Noticed Shirley has yeast in both her ears, been trying vingar and water solution like they suggested on line.  It seems to have worked. 
Shirley came out to the kitchen and sniffed the stove when the turkey was cooking on the day Todd and family came down to celebrate Christmas with us. Sugar always use to let me know when the turkey was cooked. I never had to worry about it being over or under cooked. 

Shirley is a very good little girl, a good walker, she does what she needs to do when she goes out. She is always ready to play or go on the deck. She eats good and is easy to brush or do anything for. Her biggest problem is the chewing. She got one of the plastic icickles off the Christams tree and had the top chewed off it before I realized it.



11 Jan 2013, Surolan, $40 for her ears. She has the same yeast infection in both ears that Peaches arrives with in the summer. No problem putting it in her ears or cleaning them. I previously tried cleaning them with vinegar but it didn't help.

Shirley has a light colored spot on her nose, right in the middle, just like Sugar use to have. I wonder if it has anything to do with Cushings Disease. She also sheds a lot and eats and plays a lot.
18 Feb, 2013, Shirley's nose is a lot lighter now that she has gone through a winter. She is still chewing on wood, she has ruined the dog bed that was Frosty's and Sugar's and did not have a mark on it when they  both had it. I had to take it away from her, should have done so when she first started. I will have to sand and fill and paint the corners on the woodwork that she has chewed but will wait until the dogs can be out  on deck for long periods of time before I do so. Then I will put hot sauce on the spots to keep her from doing it again.
Shirley barks a lot when she is on the deck. She has to wear the collar and then she stops immediately.

The most common cause of a fading nose is called “snow nose” or “winter nose,” because the dog’s nose will fade to pink or white during the winter months, and return to black once summer arrives. Some dogs  have noses that change from black to brown or pink as the animal ages. The cause is thought to be a breakdown of a certain enzyme called tyrosinase, which is responsible for producing pigment. Apparently, the enzyme becomes less efficient as the dog ages, causing the nose to fade from black to brown or pink. Tyrosinase is also temperature sensitive; it works more effectively in warmer weather, which explains the fading of the nose during winter months.

Physical ailments and medical conditions may also cause a dog’s nose to fade from black to pink. Sometimes, the dog will lose pigment due to an illness or trauma, and then recover the pigment once healed. If your dog’s nose is scraped or suffers abrasion, it will usually turn pink as it heals, then to black once the scabs are gone. Contact dermatitis can also cause loss of pigmentation in the nose. Certain dogs are sensitive to plastics in food dishes, and the continual irritation will cause the nose to turn pink; the lips will also become inflamed. Switching to stainless steel food and water bowls will eliminate the possibility that your dog is suffering from contact dermatitis.
I also notice this on dogs that have a lot of red in their coat.
Shirley needs to wear a collar when she is on the deck to stop her from barking.

13 Apr, 2013, Shirley had a tick on her head. I found it in time and pulled it out with the tweezers and put some rubbing alcohol on the spot.

Jul 2013 Shirley likely is now 2 years old.


 


Shirley and Lola play on deck, Jul 2013.


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