Babe

Babe - 8 month old female

Little Babe's going places - May 18

Babe has settled into her new home seamlessly. Surrounded by pug brother and sister Chester Puggy-Sue (4 years old), and human brother and sister twins Samuel and Olivia (3 ½ years old), Babe has gone from wandering the street, to a happy family in a month.

Adopter Requirements

Babe is home from her spaying. She had a tooth removed and an umbilical hernia repaired as well. Her eye scratch has responded well to the drops, and her runny nose from kennel cough has disappeared. Everyone at the vet clinic was impressed with her gentleness and eagerness to be cuddled. Back at home she happily sniffed humans and foster brother alike, and within minutes began to hump and initiate wrestling with Jackson. Very quickly she snuggled on the bed for a nap and foster brother Jackson cuddled in close to keep watch over her.

After recuperating for a week or so, Babe will be ready for her forever home. She is so smart it’s amazing how quickly she’s picked up some basic commands. She responds to her name, comes, sits and is doing very well with her toilet training. She’s happy to eliminate on walks, and in the house uses a pee pad if we’re not there to open the back door. She’s willing to sleep in the open crate, and would probably sleep on the floor in a pet bed (I just would want to be more sure of her toileting before giving her free run of the house at night).

The X-ray taken while babe was unconscious showed that her hips sockets are slightly out of line. Normal hip joints are covered 75% by the socket, Babe's are covered about 60%, so she likely has hip dysplasia. While this does not require immediate surgery - and may never require surgery – someday it may. An active puppy, Babe will need to have her more exuberant activity restricted to keep the hips safe. If she needs the hips done at some point, that will be about $4,000 to $6,000 worth of surgery - depending on what the surgery is and how extensive. Babe will also be more prone to arthritis due to her hips.

Babe would be a wonderful addition to any home. She’s fine with all the cats and little children she’s met. She gets along with other dogs of all ages and sizes. Babe has enjoyed Jackson’s company, so much I’m not sure how much she would enjoy being an only pet, but she’s extremely adaptable. Any potential home would have to be willing to monitor her hip condition and be better for the financial and recovery issues that could arise in the future.

Foster Update - April 25

The vet had lots to look at with this gentle girl. From head to toe: she has an old unstitched cut above her left ear; the edges of her ears are a bit frayed (ear mite issues that will resolve on it's own); a left top tooth broken off at the gum line (which will be removed when she is spayed); her left eye has the start of an ulceration (being treated with 4 X daily drops); possible kennel cough (she's on antibiotics); thinned patches of hair on her left flank (the hair is growing in)there is a click in her left hip (an x-ray will be done of her hips when she's out for her spaying); she may be just finished or starting a heat cycle; and redness between her toes which could indicate allergy problems (she's now on origen). That's a lot of issues for a 13 pound cutie.

On the home front. Babe is a sweet, gentle girl who gives the softed nuzzly kisses. A typical puppy, she romps and plays with Jackson, taking turns mouthing and humping, then flopps fully extended into a sound nap. With people she is inquisitive but slightly tentative, and all the little girls have enjoyed hugging her and waling her up and down the sidewalk. She is very good about heeling, but obviously has little experience on the leash as it's always getting tangled up under her (most dogs know how to manoever much like sailors avoiding the boom). She has no eating issues and is eager to earn treats. Most pugs will pounce for a lap as soon as it becomes available, but Babe prefers to rest a bit away from people, although she enjoys a neck or belly rub. It will be a while before this girl trusts anyone completely.

I'm so proud of this tiny dancer, in two days she has already learned to sit, although she still starts out stretching on her hind legs to reach for treats. She responds to come, but hasn't figured out her new name. Both Babe and Jackson have the same middle name "Getoutthegarden." After the first few nights of experimenting with crates and locations, we have her quietly settling for the night in our bedroom in a large cage.

Her biggest behavioural issue is with toileting. Initially she would pee in her crate, but since the first day as stopped that. We've been working really hard on getting her to recognize the right place to eliminate (I stood outside for an hour one midnight just waiting for her to pee and I've been taking her to work so I'd be able to watch her all day to reinforce a successful outdoor pee). She may have been severely disciplined for peeing inside as she prefers to be secretive about her toileting. Luckily the weather has been so nice that we've been able to spend so much time in the backyard.

Jackson's main hobby is peeing on every vertical surface he can reach on our walks, but Babe hasn't been paying attention to his example. She's very good about pooping on her after-meal walks, but she has the bladder of a 300 pound trucker. I know she peed about 11 p.m. and was crated silently (well almost - she slurped away at the cheese-filled kong them gently snored) until 6:45 a.m., but out in the backyard I never saw her squat. I eventually had to leave the dogs in the hardwood family room with a pee pad by the door to go to work, so I don't know what I'll find when I go home in a couple of hours.

As long as she doesn't come into heat she is scheduled for spaying and x-ray early in May. Then we can know what to do about her hips.

Foster Update - April 21

This puppy seems to have collected the name “Babe.” Out of the pound, examined and bathed by her transport, this little girl doesn't seem to have as serious back-end issues as first thought. She has a red left eye, and recent scar over her left ear, hair loss at the edges of both ears, raspy breath, and a thin patch of fur on one side. But she is a typical puppy - wiggly - kissy - friendly - excitable - inquisitive.

On the small side and underweight, she ate her dinner and breakfast with no problem. We have never seen her hop, or have any trouble using her back legs, even though they are certainly underdeveloped. Foster brother Jackson has humped, chased and wrestled with her, and she has done the same to him, with no apparent discomfort. She has been to the Wildwood park and meet other dogs and strangers happily. Her left eye is very red still, and she hasn’t appreciated having the drops put in. Housebreaking and obedience will be worked on over the next few weeks.

Much of her first afternoon and evening were spent outside in the hopes of reqarding any boily fluids with a chicken weiner morsel. In the x crate late afternoon, she peed on the pee pad and again in her crate overnight (X2). Her late-night walk resulted in a poo, and she excitedly accepted her reward. Again this morning, when I saw the tell-tale circling, I hustled her outside and she received another treat for a poop.

Babe only whined a couple of minutes when I put her in her crate at night. But after her pee pad was changed at 1:15 a.m., my daughter reminded me of a test she had the next morning, so instead of letting her whine for a few more minutes, I moved the crate to my bedroom and she settled down immediately until we stirred this a.m.

Babe goes to the vet for an assessment this afternoon, so another update about her condition will be forthcoming.

Introduction - April 19

This little girl was found as a stray, wandering the streets. She was surrendered to the Toronto Animal Services. One of our volunteers is paying for her vaccinations, fecal test and micro-chipping. Her back end issues are unknown-- she is highly mobile, but shows significant muscular atrophy and hops when running. This could be knees, hips or a cruciate injury. She is scheduled for a vet assessment on April 21st and will be going in for spaying and x-rays on May 2. We will then have a better understanding of what the issues are.