Tag for Blue - Shared with me by Dreamy

A friend of mine is missing. His name is Blue - officially Yukonwind's Doobie Blues.

I still believe that he is alive and I still believe that he will be found. I have to believe... what would I do if I were missing? Would my humans look for me... would they still look for me after 2 months? after 6? Would other people help them or would they be all alone too? Would someone find me and try to make me theirs? Would I wonder searching for food and shelter? I'd be scared... this I know

Blue is alive, I feel it, but he's scared. He wants to come home and he wonders if anyone cares... if anyone is looking for him.

My humans live many miles away. They have never met Blue or Blue's humans but they are trying in any way to help... help spread the word, help find blue.

So... why help strangers, why help find a dog you don't know?
For many reasons, but mostly because they know that this could just as easily be me. How helpless would any of us pups, kitties or humans feel? Who else could we turn to who would truly understand? We do this because we put ourselves in the shoes of Blue and Blue's humans and because we've come to know that even as strangers, we'd be there for each other...

We do it for our own pack. We do it for the friends we've made here - we do it because we know if any one of us is in need, we will be there for each other.

We do it because Blue needs us... and we all have something to offer, we can all help and add to a sum that is so much bigger than just one.

Please help us - please post this in your diary. Please click here to go to WhereIsBlue.com and help us get Blue home!! and share it with your friends, ask your humans to share it with there friends. Please pay this forward - we would do the same for you.

Blue, a black and white Siberian Husky (4 year old male, brown eyes, microchipped) has been missing since May 8, 2007 from Brighton, MI.

Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/620507

Website : WhereIsBlue.com

E-mail: inform@whereisblue.com

Telephone: (313) 550-6095
Reward offered for his return, no questions asked.

Permission and gratitude for cross posting. Thank you!

BEING LOST -- FROM A DOG'S PERSPECTIVE

The gate was left open
one bright sunny day
So I thought I would go,
explore, run, and play.


Seeing new things,
this is such fun!
But where do I go,
now that I’m done?

Was it back this way,
or maybe that
Where is my home?
I want to go back.

I have on my collar,
it’s red, white and blue
But, I don’t have my tags
to give someone a clue.

A man comes and gets me,
puts me in his truck
He’s taking me home,
Oh, what luck!

Wait a minute,
this isn’t my home
I’m stuck in a cage,
scared and alone.

People come see me,
so I wag my tail
I love the attention
I get in this jail.

The food is okay,
and the bed is too
But I really miss home,
yet what can I do?

I miss my yard,
my bed, and my ball
But, I miss my master
the most of all.

Where is my master?
It must have been weeks
I know he will come.
He really loves me.

Then someone takes me
down a long hall
I’m confused and uncertain,
I stare at the wall.

I feel a prick,
things start to go dark
I think of my master
and me in the park.

I’m going to sleep now
with him on my mind
Little do I know,
my fate has been signed.

I pray when I wake,
he will be there
Holding me close,
stroking my hair.

I’m sorry I strayed,
who knew the cost?
But it doesn’t have to happen
when dogs get lost.

Lisa Williams

This poem is dedicated to the "stray" animals that do not get reclaimed

Enough is enough

Yesterday I was poked, prodded, had my nails clipped, annoyed by an English bulldog puppy and told I needed to lose weight.

What could possibly be left to irritate me????? I tell ya -

A BATH

Sheesh.

On the bright side, mom says I can open my birthday package from Sassy today!!!

xoxo from the very clean,
Shiloh

My latest date with the Vet.

I'm back from the vets - The news wasn't as good as we had hoped for, but it wasn't too bad either.

First the good news:
The hookworms are gone - I have to take a dewormer in 2 weeks to ensure they don't come back.

My abdomin is no longer tense, the vet says this indicates I'm not in any discomfort.

We are starting to treat the Anaplasma today - I'm on Doxycycline 4 pills a day for 30 days.

Now for the so-so news:
My spleen is still enlarged which means it (along with the fuzzy liver edges and high liver values) was not a result of the hookworms.
Now we wait for the Anaplasma treatment to end and check everything again.

If all goes as we hope, my spleen will be back to its normal size and my liver values will come down. If not, the we x-ray again and have an ultrasound taken.

Lastly, the terribly bad news:
The new vet says I should lose 8 to 10 pounds.

I'm feeling really good and promise to take my medicine like a good boy. Mom's keeping me on the bland diet hoping the meds don't upset my stomach.

Mom is pretty mad at herself. I'm on Frontline Plus, which should have prevented the ticks from infecting me. She applied it faithfully every month, like the box says, but the vet said it stops working well after 3 weeks, so she should be applying it more often.

and... the heartworm preventative I take is supposed to work on hookworms too. She guesses she must have missed a dose and not realized it. She has promised me it will not happen again.

That's it for now.....

Of UTI's and Anaplasma

I have been a little under the weather lately.

First, I was diagnosed with a UTI and on antibiotics for 10 days, then, last Friday I started having horrible diarrehea.

Our long time vet has stopped Saturday appointments so mom called around and got me in at another one.
We looooove the new vet who shall now be our permanent one.

We spent 3 1/2 hours getting tests done and the findings weren't all that great.

Basically, I'm a mess, rather surprising to us since I get a yearly physical and mom takes me the vet at the least little sniffle, but hopefully everything can be fixed.

The new vet isn't totally convinced I ever had a UTI. The only abnormality in the test my old vet took was a slightly elevated pH level, I had none of the usual indications of a UTI.

The diarrehea may be caused by any one of a number of problems I have.
First I have hookworms (yuk, yuk, yuk)
Second I have Anaplasma (a deer tick transmitted disease).

The X-rays showed that my spleen is enlarged, my liver lobes aren't well defined and my upper stomach area is cloudy. These all could be caused by my body fighting off the infections, or it could be something else.

Our first step will be to clear up the diarrehea and get rid of the hookworms.
Next Saturday I go back and if my tests come back okay we will start treating the Anaplasma. The meds for this (doxycycline) will upset my stomach so I have to be on a very bland diet (boiled chicken and white rice) for quite a while.
After the Anaplasma is controlled we will start looking at the spleen and liver - hopefully these will clear up when the infections are gone, if nothing has changed I will have to undergo more tests.

The Anaplasma is kind of troubling, we have no way of knowing how long I've had it and the longer it goes untreated the more damage it does. It seems that there are different kinds of Snap tests - our old vet used a 3DX test, which tests for Heartworm, Lyme and Canine ehrlichiosis.
The new vet uses a 4DX test, which also tests for Anaplasma.

I'm feeling and acting pretty good now, although I'm not very happy about the meds or the "no treats" order.

Please keep your paws crossed.

Mom says NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few weeks ago I wasn't feeling very well. After some testing, and that horrid cancer word being thrown around, I was eventually diagnosed with a UTI and put on antibiotics. The main symptoms were that when I had to go potty, I had to go potty NOW, and it was uncomfortable when anything was in my bladder. I would lay on the sofa and make the most pathetic and sad groaning noises that mom had ever heard. She would IMMEDIATELY grab the leash and take me outside.

Fast forward 2 weeks. Tests show the UTI is gone and the ucky meds are gone too. I learned one very important thing during my illness that I must share with you all - if I lay on the sofa making the most pathetic and sad groaning noises mom has ever heard, I'll get taken outside IMMEDIATELY.
I like that.

Mom is thinking about getting some meds of her own. :)

Today's the day !!!

I've been with my family for 5 years as of today - WooooHoooo

Mom was telling me about how I was licking her hand at the shelter and being all friendly when she walked out with me, but when it was time to get in the car I wouldn't do it - heeheehee. She finally had to pick me up and put me in. Some say I instinctively knew about her driving habits and was rethinking the whole adoption thing BOL.

When we got home I ran into the living room and immediately broke rule number 1 by jumping up on the sofa. I looked so pathetic and scared that mom let me stay there temporarily. Let's just say it is now called "Shiloh's sofa".

My family and I are so grateful we found each other, for the rescue groups that enabled us to do so and for all the wonderful pups who have sent us p-mails, stars and rosettes. Each and every one is truely appreciated and we'll send proper thank you's soon.

Oh - and I got presents - a bear stuffie, some Dingo's and a Bully Stick again - WoooooHooooo

5 years ago.......

5 years ago today I was in a kennel at the Connecticut Humane Society.

5 years ago today mom had been looking for a pup for so long that she was about to give up.

5 years ago today neither mom nor I had any idea that within 24 hours both our lives would change dramatically.

5 years and one day ago mom looked into my eyes........

5 years and one day ago I came home........

Tagged !!

I was tagged by the adorable Jasper http://www.dogster.com/dogs/407919

Here are the rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary the rules & 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 to read your Diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

Here are 7 facts about me
1) I am a really really good boy.
2) I hate having my picture taken.
3) I have "fans" I meet on my morning walks who bring me treats.
4) No matter where my Grandma hides her cat's food, I can find it.
5) Given the choice between laying in the shade or the sun, I'll pick the sun. Even when it's very hot out.
6) I know my favorite toys by their names.
7) I dug into a yellow jacket nest once and ever since then, I am afraid of insects buzzing.

I've chosen 7 pup pals that I don't know very well. What a great opportunity to learn more about them!!

They are:

Link #468559
Khalua #585113
Riley Shiloh #586798
Princess #572074
Cody #421654
Poppy #529307
Missy #95270

I made mom so proud

A couple weeks ago during water torture day I heard my mom mutter something under her breath about how I was too heavy to lift into the bathtub.

My first choice, never having another bath, is apparently not an option. That left me with three choices: lose weight, have an outside bath with a hose or get in the bathtub myself.

Guess which one I chose?

That's right, with absolutely no coaching from mom, I jumped into the bathtub this morning all by myself!! Mom hugged me and called me the best dog ever!!!!

Don't misunderstand me, I still think the whole bath thing is barbaric and unnecessary. I am a dog, therefore, I should smell like one. Alas, mom sees things differently. At least she started using a shampoo that makes me smell like nothing instead of all perfumey.

Thanks for reading!!

xoxo,
The very clean Shiloh

Love Tag Part Deux

I've been love tagged by Rudy Patudy Sassy and Jovi. Believe it or not, as I was putting this together I received Jovi's tag - and Jovi was on my list to tag. BOL

We'll post what we have now and finish up tomorrow.

In case you've forgotten, the Official Rules are: Pick 3 dogsters who you think are just fantastic and tell a little about why you feel that they are so pawsome! Be sure to tell them how much they are loved with a star p-mail or a rosette!


Gibbon Gibby Gibby Gibby where do I begin? He is always friendly and upbeat. He cares about the plight of shelter pups as much as I do. But I would have to say the one quality he possesses that I admire most can best be summed up by the phrase "dance like no one is watching". I'm a pretty serious pup by nature, but when Gibbon's around, the craziness and fun are contagious and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for reminding me that everyone needs to let loose once in a while. We're just getting to know his little sister Mia, but we can tell she's going to be a special pup too - what a family!!

Clover - one of the first pups we noticed when we joined Dogster. We immediately fell in love with her sweet face (who didn't?). We were pleased to find that she is as beautiful inside as she is out. Clover is at the bridge
now, but she continues to provide love and support for anypup that needs it. A true treasure.

River - Of course, we love Clover's adorable little sister River too. Her face could melt an iceberg. Even though we are rarely on Dogster at the same time, we look forward to her morning posts wishing us all a good day. Reading her take on grooming, swimming and "accidents" makes us laugh out loud. We are so looking forward to watching her grow up.

Jovi - Jovi is an old friend who we are fortunate to have reconnected with lately. We just love him to pieces - he is always there with a kind word for everyone. He is fun and he is nice and he is adorable. We especially love the way he looks so sweet and innocent, even though the story is that he doesn't always act that way.