Clarification about my poisoning.....

WOOFS to all my furiends! Well, the momma and I just want to make sure that some things are clear about my poisoning.

Firstly, momma did not see me ingest it.
Secondly, momma and no one else has found poison at our dog park, or in the wooded trails outside of the park where we walk almost daily.

We have talked to many people we know that dead rats have been found recently in the wooded trails where we walk and don't appear to have outward signs of injury.

We have heard many reports of canned dog food, treats, bags of chicken bones, etc. that have allegedly been tainted or poisoned, but at this point, we are waiting for verification that the foods have been tested.

We have told reporters, all of them, that our park could be a possible place where it happened, but that we or no one else has seen any. There have been other sick dogs at the park, and some have been diagnosed with Leptospirosis. Our vet said I did not have Leptospirosis. Reporters have said "Mo was poisoned at Westcrest Park" which is NOT what we said. We said it was a possibility.

So, we don't know if it was an intentional act aimed at dogs in the woods, or an careless, unintentional act by a household near the woods leaving rat poison around their property, or if someone threw something in our yard.

If and when we get any verified information, we are gonna let everyone know!

Until then, we know that I almost didn't make it, and 9 days later, I am feeling great! About 85% of normal!! Now, THAT's news, and GOOD news!!

Love,
Mo and the momma

Holy cow!! I'm DOTD!!!! Thank you!!!!

Thank you so much HQ, for this incredible honor!! I am speechless!

Thank you to my furiends, old and new, who have sent me love, rosies, gifts, pal requests, stars, and support and prayers for my recent illness. It is gonna take my secretary awhile to help me reply to everyone, but I just want everypup to know how much all this Dogster Love means to me! ((((((HUGS)))))))

I am getting stronger every day, and just this morning ate kibble for the first time. (I was only eating hamburger and cottage cheese for awhile, and wasn't even interested in that too much). My appetite is returning to normal, and I have played a little bit too!

I hope that sharing my story about my recent suspected poisoning can help prevent any of my furiends from getting sick, or help pawrents to know what to do in case something awful should happen.

WOOT, WOOT!!!!

Thanks again everypup!!

*MUAH*

Survivor of Katrina, now a survivor of Rat Poisoning!!

First of all, I want to take a minute to say how very grateful I am for my Dogster pals. The love, prayers, support, pmails, rosettes, gifts and new friendships have made a huge difference at our house, that's for sure! I believe all the prayers truly helped to make me a survivor again.

MUAH!!! I love you all!!

Now, let me back up and try to go through what happened since Monday, January 28th. Monday was an ordinary day. Had breakfast, went to the dog park, played with my furiends there, had dinner. Momma and Dad watched a movie in the evening. Halfway through the movie, momma noticed me make some funny noises from my dog bed where I was laying. She asked Dad what I was doing, and he said I was "dreaming". Well, Dad when to bed, but momma was still up. She went for some water about 10pm, and noticed that I had moved to the dining room floor and it looked like I was sleeping. Only when momma walked by, my eyes were open, and I let out two very quiet whimpers. She knelt down and lifted my head and I was completely limp. She shook me and nothing....jello. She yelled for Dad to come, that we had to go to the vet right away, and we did. We were at our emergency vet withing 5-7 minutes.

When I got to the vet, they took me right to the back. Mom and Dad had to wait in the lobby. Well, ten or so minutes later, the doctor came out and said that I had started to have hemorrhagic (extremely bloody) diarrhea. I was losing a lot of blood, and they didn't know why. The vets did lots of tests and determined that I wasn't able to clot blood, and I was bleeding internally in my intestines. It was critical. I received two blood transfusions and a plasma transfusion. The vets suspected that I was suffering from Rat Poisoning, and started giving me vitamin K1 injections (which is the antedote for rat poison). Momma and dad had to go home without me that night, and the vet's prognosis was "guarded".

I stayed at the vet for two nights, hooked up to iv fluids, and getting lots of tests and 24 hour care. Wednesday morning, they let me go home. It is Saturday night now, and I am feeling better, but still have a little ways to go. My energy and appetite are not like before, but it has been a very long week.

So, Momma and everyone was befuddled as to how this happened. Momma and Dad checked the yard all over and found nothing. Momma posted what happened at our local park, and our park's yahoo group, and pretty soon some alarming things started to come to light. Dead rats found lately in the park with no signs of injury, dog walkers with sick dogs. Then the whammy, in a park a couple miles away, rat poison was found stuffed inside bones and treats, and scattered around and under bushes. More information can be found here. There was also another blog about my story here.

Currently, momma and some other people in our community are spreading the word so people can protect their own animals. We contacted our local news, and they asked if they could talk with us this weekend.

For everyone's information, the initial signs of rat poisoning are subtle, and frequently by the time severe symptoms are present, it is often too late. Signs include lethargy, weakness, bloody cough, bloody vomit or bloody or tarry stools or diarrhea. Here is some more detailed information on Rat Poisoning everyone should read. It could save your dog or cat's life someday.

Also, if you ever see bright green or blue stools, that is a sign that rat poison was recently ingested. This is because the poison itself is usually bright green, sometimes blue. Get your dog to the vet asap! Rat poison has a very long half life, and it can take days for symptoms to present themselves. I will have to be on Vitamin K1 for several weeks, possibly more, because without it, my blood still won't clot properly.

Again, thank you to everyone who has sent their love and prayers to me this week, and always. It has made me, Momma and Daddy stronger, and helped me and my family get through this.

Bless you all.

Forever your friend,
Mo... Double Survivor!!!!

I am so honored!! Thank you Mr. Bubble Head and Misha!!!

I am truly honored! Mr Bubble Head and Misha hosted a contest, "fantastic pup", and I WON!!! I just don't know what to say. Thank you so much, for the stars and rosies from the hosts and judges. There were so many great photos! Go check out all the fabulous entries HERE!!!

Thank you again Mr Bubble Head and Misha for hosting this super fun contest!!

I feel like a star!!

WOOF!!!

Love, Mo

Hi everydoggy!! I have missed you!!

It sure has been a long time since my last entry. Momma got a new job and hasn't been able to spend as much time here as she would like. I am still here, and miss all of my furiends!

Well, we passed the 2nd anniversary of Katrina. You wanna know what I did on the anniversary? Well, let me tell you......I SWAM, for the very first time ever! Momma was speachless to say the least. It was like a timer went off in my brain, and I thought, well...I guess it is okay to swim now! I have done it several time since too!

I have had a good summer. I go with my brothers and sisters to the park at least 5 days a week. I have some pawsome furiends there that I love to play with. I just saw Apollo and Atlas a couple weeks ago at one of my favorite parks as a matter of fact, too!

How are all of my furiends doing? I would love to hear from you! And just know, if you don't see me too often, I am still here, and I think of all my Dogster pals every day.

Much love to everyone,
Mo

I am loved!!

We are loved!! Another game of tag!

Here's the newest dogster tag craze - being loved! Pick 3 dogsters you think are really pawriffic and paw a little about why! Let them know how much they are loved with a rosette or by paw mail! I'm guessing you can't love tag the ones that have 'tagged' you?!?!?

I am loved by Baylei!! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful friend, a fellow survivor, who always remembers her pals. I love you Baylei!!


Okay, picking only three is going to be so difficult. I have so very many wonderful friends that would give the coat off their back to a friend in need. I love all my friends so much!!

Well, here goes -

1. I love my special guardian Angel, Onry Onyx. Miss Onyx went to the bridge only a few months ago, after a long life. The first half of her life was awful, but then she was saved by a wonderful family, that loved her more than anything. Though she was almost completely blind, that didn't slow her down at all!! She is the kind of pal that is always there when you need her. I will always remember our night of dancing in the Swiss Alps Miss Onyx!! Thank you for being my angel, YOU ARE LOVED!!

2. I love my pal Bella Beans!! Bella Beans has a huge heart and so much spunk!! She is so conscientious of her friends, and always has a good time! YOU ARE LOVED Bella Beans!!

3. I love my pal Tessa Lee!! Ms. Tessa Lee is a wonderful friend to so many. She always helps her friends who are having a rough time, and makes sure to let her pals know if somepup needs help. Tessa has a heart of gold. YOU ARE LOVED Tessa Lee!!

I love all my friends so much, and I don't know what I would do without you all!! The spirit of Dogster is truly amazing.

WOOF!!

Love, Mo

Tag!!! Are you next?!?! WOOF!!

I have been tagged by Amore', Augusta, and Mulligan!!

The Rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged need to post in their diaries "The Rules" and their "7 Pawsome Facts."

Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and tell them to read your Diary, or send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

7 Pawsome Facts About Mo:

1. I hate hurricanes!
2. I am a love bug, a lap dog, though I am almost 50 pounds.
3. I love to bark at rocks, while playing with them in the sand.
4. Though I look mostly chow, my don't act like a typical chow, I love other dogs and I love to play!
5. I love my new family very much!
6. I am a smart boy, learning new commands very quickly, except the one "Leave the cat alone"!
7. I give the softest kisses ever!

Pups I'm Tagging:

1. Bella Beans
2. Honey
3. Beau
4. Vincent
5. N'walins gang
7. Gracie, by great friend from Pasado's

Have fun everyone!!

Love,
Mo

More wet stuff, but it isn't RAIN!!!

Hi to all my pals! Most of you know that I have been having a hard time with the rain lately, a little Post Traumatic Stress Disorder says the mom. Plus, Seattle has set a record for the most rainfall in any month ever since at least 1890!! Just my luck!! Well, I have gotten a little better with the rain the last couple weeks. The mom and the sister have been taking me for leashed walks every morning in the rain, just for a few blocks, to get me used to it. I haven't had a potty in the basement for a couple weeks, so the mom is really happy about that! I am getting a little better at the park too, but I still have a ways to go. I still am afraid to go into the woodchip area for some reason. Funny, cause I played there all summer as you can see in my photos. I think those woodchips are yummy!!

Well, now there is something else falling out of the sky. Something called SNOW! I never saw any snow in New Orleans!! Tell you what, at first I was weirded out by the white stuff that stuck to my fur. But after a day or two, I am starting to like it! Mom took me to the park yesterday, and I was the most playful that I had been in awhile! We are gonna get some more snow tonight, but then it is going to turn to rain again :( O well, it is supposed to dry up at the end of the week....

Well, I hope all my friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with tons of yummy Turkey, gravy and mashed taters!! We actually got Prime Rib this year (the dad isn't hot on turkey, what is he, nuts?)

Stay safe and warm everyone!!

Love, Mo

Oh...my....dog..., what a day!!!

Oh my goodness. Today has been something else! When I got up, momma went to the store to go buy some copies of the Seattle Times, something about me bein' in the paper. Well, she bought the last three copies, and there I was with my pals from Pasado's!! They did a story on us showing us a year ago, and us now, feeling much better. You wouldn't believe how scary we all looked a year ago!! Momma said I even smelled bad when I came home with her (and I did, it was that nasty mange that had ravaged my whole little puppy body, I was only about 7 months old). She didn't care though, she just gave me love, great food, oil supplements, a new bed, brothers and sisters to play with, and a warm home, oh, and LOTS of trips to the vet to help take care of me!! It has been like a crazy dream since I was in New Orleans, next to the river.

So, needless to say, I was pretty happy about this mornings events.

So momma got home tonight and was on the email, and Dogster wrote. They said, YOU, MO, are the Dog of the WEEK! Oh GEEZ, I couldn't even believe it! I already feel like dog of the year since being home with my family. I have so much fun with my pack, and with my hooman girl and momma and daddy. Well, I am so very honored. Thank you so much Molly Golightly for choosing me. I would kiss your paw if you had one, after all, I am a gentleman.

Well, Momma wants to tell everyone that she will do her darned best to get back to all the pmails, and thank everydog for the wonderful rosettes, as soon as she can. It is gonna take a little while.

I love you all so much. You have truly shown me what love and friendship is all about!

Love, Mo

YAY!! Some of my Katrina pals just joined!!

Hey everyone, two pals of mine that were rescued after hurricane Katrina by Pasado Safe Haven have just joined Dogster!!! I would like you all to welcome my good pal Desi, who I played with every day when I was lived at the sanctuary before momma adopted me. He is truly a miracle dog. He was nothing but skin and bones when they found him, curled up in a sink, unable to move. He is such a strong healthy boy now!! We are two peas in a pod I'd say.

Please welcome my friend Maddie, a wonderful sweet girl if I ever did see one. She was so sick from heartworm that she almost didn't make it either. I have to tell you, those of us who survived have one powerful will to live, that's for sure!! I am so happy that Maddie gets all the best love and care that any dog could ever ask for.

Welcome to Dogster my friends!!

Love, your pal, Mo