Missy's Story, Page one

Missy is our ARF dog. (Animal Rescue Foundation) We have the privaledge of being her family on her way to good health and a loving home.

Missy has been here only 6 days today. How can you come to love so much in only 6 days? She is calm and quiet and loves to cuddle. I don't know if that is because she is not feeling well or it's because she knows if she moves around very much she will have an attack of coughing. Maybe it's just that her life has not been the kind one of playing and being happy. There is a lot of wisdom in her big brown eyes mixed with the sadness.
She has 4 more days of antibiotic to take them we will go to the Vet and find out when she can begin the heart worm treatment. I am giving her vitamins, fish oil, and premium food in an attempt to build her system up. There are so many illnesses in the pound that she was exposed to. I hope she will be OK.

It's turning cool here but her loving foster Dad bought her a pretty sweater so she won't be cold when she goes out to potty.:-) If love and good Vet care can save an animal and make them happy then she will truly be a happy, healthy dog one day.

Day 8

I'm feeling better and I have gained 1/4 pound since my foster Mom picked me up at the pound. It seems like a lifetime ago. I have plenty of good food to eat, a soft bed for naps and the big bed with my new parents at night. There are NO fleas here!
I didn't much care for Bella and Buddy the first couple of days here but now I like them. They like me. Buddy and I take naps together. Bella shares everything I want with me. She's silly but I know she is young. I heard she is only one yr old.
My Mom gives me medacine every day and vitamins and stuff too. She says It will help me to feel better and it's working. She tells me every day that she loves me and she is going to help me feel really good. She says my coat is going to shine like Bella & Buddy's and I won't be so skinny in a month or so. I love to sleep in her lap and to sleep with my Dad in his big chair too. Sometimes she looks sad and she keeps saying " I love you little girl. I wish I could keep you but you will have a home with someone else after Christmas. I will make sure they are good to you and I will never forget you." Maybe I will have a home with kids to play with. I may go to a home where an older person lives and I can sit with her or him all day long. I don't know where I will go but I know my Dad, Mom and ARF will make sure I am safe and happy. I am a lucky girl.

Still coughing

I still don't feel well. I just want to sleep or stay very still. I have a bad cough. It wakes me up at night and I don't like it. I am taking med every day and I eat a lot. Mom says I am looking better and after 10 days she says my coat shines now. She says it's the food and vitamins I eat that does it. I like to eat and sleep. I like to sit on a human's lap best of all. I crawl up in anyone's lap who visits us. Mom says I'm her "Velcro Baby".

I'm getting better.

Mom gave me a bath today and I didn't mind a bit. I smell so good and I shine like silk. I have one more day of antibiotics left to take and then I will get my vaccinations. A week or so after that I start my heart worm treatments. Mom says I am going to be fine soon. I heard my Dad say he wants to keep me! Mom said if they keep me they can't foster another little dog because there is no place for 4 dogs here. I don't know how I feel about that. I'll think about it.

Visit to the Vet.

Mom took me to the doctor today. Buddy is still sick so he had to go and she made me go too! The doctor smiled real big. He said I gained 2 pounds and my skin looks good, my hair is shiny and I am good to go. ???? I didn't know that meant it was time for my vaccinations. It was not bad. Jennifer held me and Mom talked to me while doc gave me the injections. I didn't even cry. He told Mom we will start my heart worm treatments on Mon. the Nov. 27th. My Mom says I am going to feel much better when that is finished and then I will get a Spay. Spay? It must be something good cause everyone wants me to get one. I wonder if that means I am going to have more babies? I've had a lot of babies at the place I used to live but they never let me keep them. People came and took them away from me one at a time. Dad says I am the puppy here. That's kind of nice cause it's sad having a lot of babies and seeing them all go away. Well I am feeling good and look good too and I have been here only 15 days today.

I am loved.

Mom and Dad are so good to me. Dad holds me a lot. Mom makes sure I eat enough and she gives me vitamins so I will be strong. They said I have to go for heart worm treatments Monday. Mom said I will feel bad and be sick but then I will get very healthy and have a long happy life. They say I will feel like playing and running in a few weeks. I don't know what all that really means but I know they will do what is best for me.

Feeling OK

I was not feeling so good yesterday. I didn't eat much and I just wanted to sleep. I feel some better today. I ate and my Mom and Dad let me sleep in the big bed with them last night so that made me feel better too. Today was OK. I did have 2 coughing spells. I have to go back to the vet again next week for another heart worm treatment. :-(

Doing better today

I have been feeling so bad. I didn't eat but a few bites for 3 days. Mom and Dad took me to the vet twice in 3 days. He gave me meds to take and after a couple of days I do feel better. I am eating and going out to potty by myself again. My chest hurt and the vet said I have an infection in my lungs and lots of fluid too. I just hope this heart worm thing is over soon. I want to play with Bella and Buddy.

Visit with Santa

I'm feeling good now. I am eating and everything. Today was fun! Mom took me and Buddy and Bella to Petsmart to see Santa. I was good of course. I asked him to bring me some Greenies but most of all I want to get well. I also told him I like it where I am now and I'd like to stay here as my "forever home" if he could work that out. He smelled just like my Dad and I know it WAS my Dad. I saw my people sister and Nephew there and my cousin Doobie too. I was so happy to see Miss Missy there too. I gave her a kiss. She's the one who saw me at the pound and promised to help me. She did! She took my picture and I was so scared and confused and I couldn't stop shaking. She kept her promise to me and I will never forget that. Anyway, I had a good time even though I get kind of scared when I am around a lot of people or animals. I had my sis and brother there and my Mom too so it was good. Lot's of the volunteers with ARF held me and gave me snuggles and asked Mom about me. Miss Bonnie was so sweet to me. They all love animals and help all the animals they can. Mom and Dad say they are God's Angels. I'm so tired. I can't wait for Mom and Dad to take me to bed. I am going to snore tonight.

I feel so bad.

I stopped eating. Mom got real upset cause she said I am not breathing right too. My chest hurts and I am not hungry. My eyes are watering and I just feel so bad. I don't want to be with Bella and Buddy or do anything.
Mom took me back to the vet. He said I don't have fever and after a good check up he put me back on 2 steroid pills a day. I am almost finished my antibiotics. I was doing one steroid every other day but I got very sickly again so he said for now to take 2 a day. I have another treatment for heart worms to take but the doctor said I will not be able to do that one as schedualed because I am just not strong enough. Boy is my Mom mad!!! She said if she could get her hands on the people who had me she would give them a piece of her mind....and not the nice piece. She said there is no reason on Earth for anyone not to give heart worm preventative to their dog. She cried on the way home from the office and I just hugged her. Poor Mom. Poor me. I am going to ask my Dogster Pals to say prayers for me. I sure need them. The doctor reminded my Mom how hard the treatments are and that some don't make it through. He said it is very hard on small dogs like me. Ya, No kidding Doc.