So, let me first start with how I met my new dog child.I head out to meet Christy with PAWS of NELA at the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter. When I get there, Christy is walking this precious 24 lb. black fur ball and trying to get her to stop long enough for a few glamour shots. These will be posted on Labs4Rescue's website in hopes that her forever family will see her cute little face and just HAVE to have her.
After a short while, Christy mentioned to me that she was concerned about Dixie's gait. It seems that she is limping and when she stands (when she is still long enough) she holds both legs almost crossed. It looks like she is doing a curtsey. We both can't tell if it is her hips or a leg or foot. Christy seems really concerned that she needs to be seen by the vet, we want to rule out hip dysplaysia. Part of me starts to get bummed and all I can think is... here I have offered to help and this poor baby is going to have big problems and I am going to be sick if she is put down (my imagination gets the best of me). After Christy places a call to the vet's office who looked her over before coming to OPAS, Dixie's story starts to take shape.
According to the vet, the Sherriff's office had found her running loose and brought her in. There, she was spayed, brought up to date on shots and given a heart worm preventative. She stayed with the vet for a week in hopes that the owner would come claim her. During her stay, the Vet said that at first she wouldn't put any pressure on her back legs, but as the week rocked on, she improved. He felt that it wasn't in her hips but either her leg was sprained or the limping was from an old break. Sad to think that at 4 months old, she could have even experienced a break. So, after being loaded up with toys and a crate, me and Miss Dixie head West.
Let me tell you that if you have never had (or not in a long time) a big dog in your house, OY!
Upon entering my house, Dixie sniffs EVERYTHING! Only does she stop when she reaches my kitchen counters...right where the dirty dishes are (that Chad left for me to do-thank you!). Now, I have two small dogs in the house; one is a rat terrier who is 12 years old and isn't about to do acrobatics and a chiweenie ( I know...ridiculous) who weighs maybe 10 lbs. I don't have to worry about them dining from the kitchen counters. BUT, with a moose like Dixie....you quickly learn to either wash those dishes or they are going to be on the floor in a thousand pieces.
It is then that I start noticing that my bread basket is within reach of LEGS. I move that. Then I think about the furniture that is in my kitchen...better move that, too. Before it was over with, I felt like I had child-proofed my kitchen all over again, except my "child" has four feet and a BIG pink tongue.
Now, on to the slobber. NEVER in my life have I seen so much slobber. This crazy dog drinks like there is no tomorrow and doesn't even swallow all of it before walking/running all over the place. My daughter, Aubrey looks at me and says..."I'll get the mop"...she's SIX! lol We had slobber on the floor, slobber on our hands, slobber on our pant legs, slobber slobbing out of Dixie's mouth in a nice singular strand of drool hanging from her mouth...just SLOBBER!!!
But, all in all before the night was over, she had a bath, met the other dogs and she made a friend with Daisy (chiweenie) and loved every bit of it. She slept most of the night and only has a small problem with ENTERING the crate. It's like shoving a watermelon into a laundry shoot, except the watermelon can turn around and wiggle.
I take Dixie to the vet tomorrow to have her legs, hips and feet looked at. Hopefully we will have good news.
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