Foster Dog #4 - Welcome Cricket!

I say this every time.

Am I insane for adding more crazy to my life? Can I take more on? How?

Well, I don't know how, but I know it warms my soul. It helps me somehow.

There's something special about saving someone who needs saving. 

Meet Cricket. Foster dog #4. 

She's a goofy ass, almost 2 year old Doberman. Her ears were botched. Ugh. 

I don't know much of her history, but what I do know is that she was in rescue twice. 

I'm not entirely sure why or how she ended up in rescue the first time, but she was adopted out back in November and at that time, she tested negative for heartworm. 

After her new owners had her a few months, took her in to the vet for a check up, and she tested positive for heartworm. It can take up to 6 months to test positive, so it's no one's fault...and no one would've known. 

Treatment is about $800 and it's not so much the cost that is the hard part (but it is annoying, of course) but it's the treatment itself that is super lengthy. 

The owners stated that they could not afford the treatment and asked the rescue to pay for it. The rescue offered to pay for $500 of the cost, but the owner still didn't like that solution apparently. They said they wanted the full $800 or they'd return her to the rescue. That didn't sit right, so we took her back.

I'm not gonna lie, heartworm treatment can seem intimidating. 

She just completed 30 days on an antibiotic, which is used to weaken the heartworms. She's also on a preventative, so that prevents the mature worms from reproducing. 

When she was tested, they did not find baby worms in her, which is good, meaning it was caught early enough that the adults hadn't had the chance yet to reproduce. 

So after 30 days on the antibiotic, we wait 30 days to allow the worms to weaken. 

Next she will get an injection that will kill off the worms. 

Here's where it gets a little tricky. After the injection, she will need to be on strict crate rest. 

She cannot raise her blood pressure because we don't want the dead worms to cause an embolism in her heart or lungs. 

30 days after the first injection, she goes back for back-to-back injections two days in a row. 

Then it's another 6 or so weeks of crate rest. Apparently over time, the dead worms reabsorb into the body. 

So yes, this is like 6 months of treatment from when she started on the antibiotic. She won't be "done" until June. Then we retest. 

Wiener meet Cricket

Cricket meet Wiener

A lot of our time this past month is teaching her how to "dog" properly. Even though she's not quite 2, she's been to 3 different homes. 

She did come house trained and she knows how to sit and lay down on command, but doesn't know how to stay in those positions. 

She is constantly moving. 

I'm learning a lot about the Doberman breed.

Bred to be protectors, I can see why. 

She's not scared of much. She will climb, jump, walk, crawl, whatever, over almost anything. 

She paces. A lot. 

I'm not sure if it's because of the breed, anxiety or what. The vet I took her to said to give her time, which of course makes sense...but part of me thinks she's a bit nutty. 

She's either ON. 

Or OFF.

She can absolutely lay down and snuggle on the bed. For HOURS. But the second you get up, she's up, pacing and circling. 

Not gonna lie, feels kinda nice having these guys watching the house. 

Meeting chickens. 

So we will see what happens with her. Part of me really wants to keep her. But 4 dogs? That seems like a lot...doesn't it? 

I mean, Bella is two feet out the door, I can tell you that. She's getting old and she's losing control of her bladder and bowels...so I can't imagine she has that much longer. 

Cricket desperately needs manners. She barges through doors, paws to get out of the crate, demand barks. But here's the thing. She's suuuuperrrr smart. I know she's got it in her to be a really well trained dog. 

If we keep her, I will be sending her off to board and train. 

I feel like I can't judge her yet until she's able to be exercised and trained appropriately. It's so not her fault that this is the start she got. I want to give her a chance. 

I don't want to get ahead of myself - let's get her healthy first.