Cassidy

Cassidy, age 1 1/2

MATCHED

Update 5/19/12:

This girl is ready to go!  With the all-clear from the vets, happy personality, and cute age-behavior appropriate antics in her pocket, she is looking to share all of her joy with a forever family of her very own!   Won't it be yours?

Update 5/11/12:

P.S.

May 10: Good news!! Dr. Winston stated that Cassidy is past the contagious stage of distemper and is ready for adoption. Can I just say how excited I am for this little girl?! :)

Update 5/10/12:

Watching happy, spunky, mischievous puppy girl Cassidy today, you’d never realize what struggles she’s been through in just the past couple of months. But just take a look at these excerpts from her file:

May 9: Onward and upward! At this point really the only trace of her battle to good health is some lingering roughness on her nose & a little runniness.  She’s around 53 pounds now, eats great, and has the funny habit of toting food bowls around the house. She’ll transport them from the kitchen into another room, drop them… then walk off. She’s great in her crate & does well baby-gated too. Loves children! She's fairly calm (a little bouncy) but a real wiggler. She only jumps when really excited, and she takes treats very gently.

She's grown into the pack of three other dogs here, though she’s a little headstrong and sometimes tries to dominate. She responds to corrections very quickly, but it is taking diligence to halt that activity as it causes friction at times. She rough-houses somewhat, but really enjoys tug.  She's still terrified to get in the car, but once there, she's getting more adventurous, even sticking her nose out the window! She's learning  to retrieve—she's up to about 50% return rate now.  And, she now sits on command! She will also wait (somewhat) patiently for her food. She is learning to wait at doors and to not go outside without being invited.

Since she's still basically a puppy, she has moments of wild abandon (chewing on baseboards, shoes, carpets, etc) but after a couple of sharp NOs, she will avoid those items. She will try to get into the trash if the lid isn't closed tightly. She naps on her back, rolls around, and even tumbled right off the sofa the other day. 

Cassidy loves to be brushed—even her big fluffy tail! She is shy around strangers, but is a lover and calm the majority of the time. She loves to stick her nose in your hands, face, ears and snuffle or lick. I think she'd prefer a home by herself where she can soak up all the love, but would be fine with other dogs, as long as she can be “top dog.” Lots of human attention is the key -- she is a happy dog who just wants to be close to you and get as much petting as she can. This little gal is a survivor who deserves all the best! 

April 19: Village Vet did a fecal retest on Cassidy. She tested negative – the coccidia is vanquished!

April 18: Do you have hands? Will you pet her? She loves you! Cassidy loves her people and looks for guidance constantly. She is a complete cuddlebug and will curl up with you wherever she can. She will follow you from room to room and just wants to be near you at all times. She is eating great -- 48 lbs and gaining! In fact, she’s figured out how to open the storage container for the dog food in the pantry. Sneaky li'l devil! Her nose is somewhat scabby and rough and some discharge - no worse than a dog with allergies! Cassidy is learning to SIT and WAIT to go outside. She's a smart little girl so teaching is fun. She likes to lie against the wall, roll halfway into the wall and then stretch her paws all the way in front of her to nap. She also loves to stick her head between your knees...which is cute, except when you're going up or down stairs!

April 13: Just wanted to shoot you a quick note about what is new... There is still some discharge at the corners of her eyes, but not nearly as bad as before... and she is actually keeping her eyes open!  The nasal discharge is tons better. She's eaten at least 3 full cups of food today. Plenty of water. Her temp didn't get above 101.5. As Dennis said she’s in "super obnoxious puppy mode." She's a chewer! :)

April 10: Cassidy's temperature has remained pretty stable. She's floating around 101.5 the past couple of days. It also looks as if her pneumonia may be starting to break up! She  seems to be breathing a little better now. Her energy level is pretty stable as well. She's eaten plenty of food the last couple of days and it looks like she may finally be putting on some weight. Of course, she is fed whenever the mood seems to strike her.   :)

April 9: Little Cassidy was  so excited to see a new person (my 16-year-old stepson is visiting over his Easter break)! She was wound up as could be and kept trying to take down the X-pen fencing in the kitchen. Her temp was down to 101.5 by 11:30pm and this morning she is still spry and temperature down to 100.5. She ate a full 2 cups of dry food yesterday (Nature's Variety Prairie Beef - it has small pieces) and she has the energy to dash out of the room when she sees the thermometer.  :)  Here's hopingl

April 8: Good morning and Happy Easter! Cassidy's temperature steadily declined throughout the day.  She is still coughing and there is still some discharge from her nose. But, she is alert and active and wants to play. She's in full puppy mode, meaning we keep having to stop her from grabbing things she shouldn't (a roll of packing tap, a rechargeable battery, the carpet...LOL!) She is eating and drinking pretty steadily. She has found an interest in Nylabones and antlers.  She even tried a couple of bites of my salad yesterday (with a little bit of oil and vinegar) & found it to her taste.  :)

April 6: Here are the results of Cassidy’s blood panel.  She is positive for:  Distemper (extremely high positive); Canine Adenovirus Type 2; Canine Parainfluenza Virus 3; Mycoplasma (serious – this is probably what caused the pneumonia – of the 4 things, this is the only one that responds to antibiotics). For the Distemper, Adenovirus & Parainfluenza, there are no meds to help.  We’ll have to wait & see how she does. Cassidy is very seriously ill & the outlook is grim. The encouraging news – Cassidy feels better today.  She is eating & drinking. She is more energetic than previously & walked/trotted/ran in the yard.  We hope that this trend continues.

March 30: Dr. Stried phoned & Cassidy has pneumonia. She was on IV fluids all day. Coughing, bleeding from nose. He changed antibiotics. He is keeping her overnight and will decide in the morning when she can go home. Poor little gal. She has had a rough go of it, between the spay complications & the pneumonia. 

March 29, after moving foster homes: First day went really well! We gave her some time to investigate the house before we brought our three in to meet her. She found the crate Monday and was more than happy to duck in it for a while.  We crated her overnight and she was wagging her fluffy tail when I came into the room this morning. Now the bad news. She is refusing to eat. We did get her to take a few treats and she ate a couple of bites of dinner, but she's walking away from breakfast this morning. Every few minutes she will pant heavily and dry heave and she's drooling non-stop.

March 26: Concerned that she’s not eating as she should & is feverish. Her spay incision looks angry and weepy. Vet determined she has an infection from her spay surgery. He re-opened and thoroughly cleaned the surgical site and started Cassidy on antibiotics.

March 24:  She was stressed in her kennel at the vet -- wouldn't eat & wouldn't stand. She has coccidia (intestinal parasite) & will need meds. Cassidy is a worrier.  She spends most of the time in my closet or under my desk. Very sweet gal.

March 23, note from the shelter: We’re at negative kennel space – can you pick up today? She came in as a stray from Hutto. Estimated age about 1.5 years. She is very scared and skittish.  Does not want to walk on leash.  One of our staff members carries her like a teddy bear. Just had spay surgery.

Updated 3/27/12

Watch this space for her story and more pictures soon!

Adoption Procedures