Lucy - BIO

LUCY  (a.k.a "Lucy Goose" or "The Goose")

Age:  between 2 and 3 years old
Gender:  Female
Breed:  Staffie Mix
Weight:  approx. 60lbs.
Spayed:  YES
Chipped: YES (lifetime registration with AVID)
Housebroken: YES
Rescued:  July 2012 - has been with a foster family since

Current Medical Condition:  all medical issues have been resolved - she is perfectly healthy and very fit.  She is cured from Demodex, but her coat is still regrowing in certain patches.

Photo Credit:  MaoMau LaBeet

Personality:  gentle soul, wise, loving, grateful. I find myself hugging and kissing her all the time out of respect for what she's been though, and appreciation for her amazing demeanor.  She is a life-companion dog.  She has eyes that look right into you and communicate with you.  I am a runner, and if I could keep her myself, I would make her my running partner.  She goes with me on errands, goes to work meetings with me...she is a do-everything-with-you kind of pet.  People are always surprised when they find out her age because she is so mellow.

Socialization:  Very good-natured and definitely people-oriented.  She wants nothing more than to be with you.  She is friendly with other dogs - we "meet and greet" lots of other dogs on our walks.  She enjoys the dog park and doggie daycare, and plays best with the big dogs.  I don't know whether she is "cat-compatible" or not - it is untested as I don't have a cat.  Definitely child-friendly - I have a 4-yr old, and she comes with me to the park and on playdates.  She loves going in the car and is a good traveler.

Photo Credit: MaoMau LaBeet

Training:  She knows:  SIT, DOWN, SHAKE, STAY, COME, LEAVE IT, GO TO BED.  She is good on-leash, and while she doesn't know "heel" yet, she doesn't pull and is enjoyable to walk.  She has the run of the garage, and has never gone potty there - she only goes potty on walks, so I consider her housebroken.

Bad habits:  If she is outside and has a bone, she will want to bury it.  She's a good digger, so I don't give her any toys outside she will feel compelled to bury.  She is thankfully NOT a barker, or a chewer!

Background:  I found her and her puppy in July 2012 on the streets near LaBrea/Stocker in Los Angeles, and took them (in exceptionally poor health) to a vet.  They were then transported to a shelter in South Central.  I adopted them from the shelter the day they were scheduled to be euthanized, because I knew that with medical attention and TLC they would make wonderful pets and deserved to be placed in a family.  Her daughter, Charlie, got a terrific home in December.  Though I would LOVE TO, I can't keep Lucy myself because our dog is aggressive toward other dogs on his 'turf'.

Charlie - BIO (Adopted 12/31)

CHARLIE - (status:  no longer available - found a home 12/31)

Age:  approx. 1 year old
Gender:  Female
Breed:  Pitbull Mix - presumed Shar Pei
Weight:  approx. 40 lbs.
Color:  black with white paws and nose
Spayed:  YES
Rescued:  July 2012 - has been with a foster family since then, getting healthy

Current Medical Condition:  all medical issues have been resolved, but still taking Ivermectin as a longer term treatment for (non-contagious) Demodex.  Skin and coat markedly improved and will continue to restore.  

Personality:  goofy, dopey, loving.  I vote her most likely to get bitten on the nose by a snake.  She is fascinated by butterflies, feathers, and will literally levitate when surprised.  She snorts like a pig, likes to carry around my reading glasses when they fall off my head, and chomps ice cubes.  She makes me laugh every day.

Socialization:  Very good-natured and definitely people-oriented.  She wants nothing more than to be with you.  She is friendly with other dogs (though tends to gregariously jump into play before the sniffing ritual is complete).  She is kitty-curious, but since she is always on leash, I don't know whether she is "cat-compatible" or not.  Child-friendly (I have a 4-yr old).

Training:  She knows:  SIT, DOWN, SHAKE, STAY, COME, GO TO BED.  She is good on-leash (I use a Gentle Leader so she doesn't pull), and we sit and stay when other dogs go by to practice impulse control.  She is either outside or crated, so while she is crate-trained (doesn't go potty in her crate), it is untested in house.  I suspect she would do fine in a house if she is let out to potty or taken for walks regularly.

Bad habits:  as every puppy does, she likes to pull stuffing out of her bed, or chew on something.  I make sure she always has chew toys.  She jumps up on you when excited, which can knock over a small child, so she still needs to learn to stay down.

Background:  I found her in July 2012 on the streets near LaBrea/Stocker in Los Angeles, with her mother, and took them (in exceptionally poor health) to a vet.  They were then transported to a shelter in South Central.  I adopted them from the shelter the day they were scheduled to be euthanized, because I knew that with medical attention and TLC they would make wonderful pets and deserved a family.  I have been fostering them since then.  I can't keep them myself because our dog is aggressive toward other dogs on his 'turf'.

Charlie's Surgeries - DONE!

Charlie needed to have two surgeries: 1)  spay 2) eyes, to correct her Entropion.  Thanks to the integrated team at VCA West LA, I was able to have both surgeries done under a single anesthesia, which is often difficult to achieve.  Dr. Jeanine Au did her spay, and Dr. Michael Chang did her eyes.  I had terrific experience with both doctors - professional, caring, and very expert.  Charlie was in good hands!

In order to ensure proper healing I had her medical boarded at VCA for four days after her surgery.  She plays hard with Lucy at home, and I was afraid she would damage her incision areas if I brought her home right away.  This proved to be a very good decision because she had made significant progress with her healing (and was off her pain meds) by the time she returned.  Lucy was a good mother and did not bother her.

Keeping a cone on her at home was another issue entirely.  She is a MONKEY.  Her nickname was Houdini, because she managed to escape 4 cones before I figured out how to keep her in one.  Thankfully she was not too interested in scratching her eyes or licking her incision - she just wanted to be liberated.  Typical woman.  

We see Dr. Chang again this Friday, 12/7 to get her eye sutures removed, and Dr. Au will check her spay incision.    

DOG is my copilot

Lucy and Charlie LOVE going in the car.  Lucy can jump effortlessly into the hatchback when I open it.  Charlie aspires to, but always comes up just a little short and needs a boost.  She's working on it.

Before and After - Great Progress

I was staring at Charlie and Lucy today, thinking about how far they've come since July.  It's fairly amazing what a little love and TLC can do.

Here are a couple of photos to show you what I mean.

Before (Charlie)...YIKES!

Now (Charlie).....AWWW.

It's hard to capture, but Charlie's coat is really looking great these days - it is a thick, jet-black.  Her wrinkly Shar Pei side is really coming through.

Before (Lucy)...RAGGED

Lucy Now...REGAL

Halloween - Grease Is The Word

Given that Lucy is street-smart and, well, got 'knocked up' early, and Charlie is a wide-eyed, naive optimist, I thought it fitting to dress them as Rizzo and Sandy.
Lucy did not love the idea of wearing a costume.  She seemed a little humiliated by it all.  Charlie, on the other hand, wore it like she belonged in it.

Lucy as "Rizzo"

Charlie as "Sandy"

Scrub a Dub Dub

I wish I could communicate HOW BADLY the dogs stank when I found them in the street.   They smelled like a commune of homeless men - some horrific concoction of urine, grime, and body odor.  It actually took several weeks of baths for the smell to subside and finally disappear.

So needless to say, we bathe a lot.

Because their skin was so bad from the mange, I use a soothing shampoo with Chlorhexidine in it (Duoxo or Dr. Foster and Smith, both of which are medicated and smell great).

For their ears (which were caked solid with grime when I found them) I use the Virbac Epi-Otic solution each time I bathe them.  

On Tuesdays each week, we walk down the street to the Self Wash area at Bubbles Pet Spa.  The Self Wash area is an enclosed stall, so I can bring both dogs;  one just lays down and watches while the other gets scrubbed up.   They also get a kick out of watching the little fluffy dogs get groomed there.  They never bark at them or make a fuss - I'm very happy that the bathing routine is not a stressful outing.

They love getting a bath, are very good girls for the process, and appreciate the life of a clean, fresh-smelling dog.

 

Lucy's Spay

When I adopted Lucy and Charlie, the adoption fee covered spaying for both dogs.  Shelters will typically not release a dog that has not be spayed or neutered.  But they didn't do the surgeries because The Girls were not healthy enough, and they told me I needed to bring them back to the shelter at a later date to complete the process (or have them spayed at my local vet at an extra cost).  

After the whole experience (and cost) of getting them healthy again, I was not quite prepared to take them back to the shelter environment, especially for a surgery.  Eww.  I just had a bad feeling about it, even though I had already essentially paid for it and it would have been the cheapest way to go.  

Don't tell my husband. 

So I made Lucy's spay appointment with Dr. Quinn at Bay Animal Hospital here in Manhattan Beach.  The Girls have been under Dr. Quinn's care since their adoption, so I was happy to be going there - the docs and staff love on The Girls when they are there, so I knew she'd be in good hands.  

(I realize I sound like an over-protective nutcase right now.  It's a spay, not open heart surgery, I know.  But still.)

Lucy's surgery was on October 26, 2012.

For whatever reason I thought the spay process was a 'snip snip and you're done' kind of thing.  I had no idea that is a full hysterectomy with a sizable incision and 10+ day recovery.  Shame on me for not doing my homework.  So I brought her home and we started the drug and rest regimen.  

As they say, it's not a party 'til someone gets The Cone.  

Speaking of cone, it breaks my heart every time I have to put it on her.  But even though she hates it, she just puts her head down and lets me do it.

Charlie was not at all down with this whole "mom needs her rest" routine.  As soon as Lucy was awake the next day, Charlie went in to sit on her head and bite her ears.  And when I kept Lucy crated and put Charlie outside, Charlie would just sit and howl pathetically because he knew mom was still inside and he wanted her company.  So after a few days I let them have a couple (ok maybe a few) hours together in the afternoons to play together.  I inspected Lucy's incision every evening, and I started to notice some swelling in the area, especially on one side, and took her back to Bay Animal Hospital, where she was seen by Dr. Steen.  He said that Lucy's overactivity caused a Seroma, which is a fluid pocket around the incision area.  So she is now on Cephelexin to prevent infection, and I am doing warm compresses to encourage the body to reabsorb the fluid.   I'm feeling guilty about the Seroma.  Rest means REST.   I wish Charlie understood.  

I am in love with Lucy because she is such a survivor, a strong mother, yet has a gentle heart.  Per her usual, she has been a total trooper.    

status 11/8/12

The Heat Is On (Charlie)

I noticed Charlie started to get her boobies.

Then I noticed a little swelling in her, um, yea down there.

Then the spotting came, and I realized that this is what "in season" looks like (apparently the PC way to say it).  So I went outside to see exactly how tall the fence is around our house.

Then I went upstairs to get a diaper from my son's room.

Then I started googling, because I don't know anything about what happens when a dog is in heat.

Apparently it lasts 2-4 weeks (varies greatly dog to dog) and the level of bleeding is also quite varied.  We had minor blood spots on her bedding, and a little on the patio outside, but it was certainly nothing like a human period (as i had feared), though google warned me that some dogs personalities "change" during this time.  I can sympathize.  Charlie's didn't.  Her "heat demeanor" was as goofy as her out-of-season one.

As a novice I can't say exactly what day it started and ended, but she was in heat approximately for the month of October 2012.

I was examining Lucy rather inappropriately the whole time to see if there is a syncing that happens with female dogs too.  She didn't mind, she just rolls her eyes at me, looks skyward, and tolerates me.

It is apparently much more complicated to have a dog spayed while in heat, so I delayed her surgery appointment.  I will let you know when it's complete!

Photo from MaoMau

The founder of Love A Pitbull stopped by and went for a walk with us.  He is an excellent photographer, and took this picture when we were out enjoying the evening.  I love it - thanks Mao.

Quick Medical Update - Status 10-7-12

Here is the quick update on where Charlie and Lucy stand health-wise:

First of all - most people ask if they are spayed, and are surprised when I say "not yet".  Usually you are not allowed to adopt an animal from the shelter unless it is spayed/neutered, which is why they do that surgery at the shelter if necessary.  But Charlie and Lucy were in such poor health when I adopted them, that the shelter doctor deferred spaying until they reach full health again (making me responsible, and I have to send them proof once it's done).  So I definitely plan to spay them, and will pay for it.  

Lucy (mom)

• Last skin scrape was clear of  (non-contagious) Demodex.  Hooray!  She is still taking Ivermectin because the rule is that a dog needs two "clean" scrapes in order to be considered cured.  
• Otherwise, healthy and happy.  

Charlie (daughter)

• Last skin scrape showed (non-contagious) Demodex still hanging around, so we will just keep plugging away at it.  She will probably be on Ivermectin for a few more months.   Her skin is looking SO MUCH better, and with all the hair regrowth, Dr. Quinn and I are happy with her progress.  
• She is currently taking Simplicef for a secondary skin infection that arose when she was being boarded.  That regimen will conclude in a little over a week.  
• Charlie has an eye condition called Entropion.  This is simply where the eyelids fold inwards, which causes the eyelashes to scratch against and irritate the eyeball.   I keep her eyes lubricated, but would like to get her surgery to correct this so it's no longer an issue.  I am currently looking into the possibility of doing her spaying and eye surgery at the same time, so that she only has to be anesthetized once.  I also plan to pay for this.  
• Otherwise, healthy and goofy as ever.  

In case you are interested, their current vet is 

Dr. Hilary Quinn

Bay Animal Hospital

Lucy and Charlie love Angus

Surprisingly there is more than one Great Dane in the neighborhood.   Charlie and Lucy are very social on our walks, and want to meet EVERYONE (I think their feelings are hurt when other dogs aren't interested in meeting them).   One day this Great Dane named Angus (yes, Angus, best name of all time) came bounding out of his garage and ran right toward The Girls.  Their tails started to wag and they greeted Angus with a combination of caution (he is an absolutely gigantic dog), and enthusiasm.  They were a hilarious threesome.

Since then, Charlie, Lucy, and Angus play whenever they encounter each other on walks.  I am very proud of the fact that The Girls are nice to people (especially kids) and other dogs - I know that Pits have a reputation for being aggressive, and I think they make the example that the breed is actually quite gentle as long as people do not train them to be aggressive.

Anyhow, here they are loving on sweet Angus.

The Girls' TV Debut!

There was a segment on KTLA5 publicizing an animal behavior event called Keep the L.O.V.E. Alive Tour, and they wanted to also demonstrate some products that aid in good behavior.  So the producer suggested they use demonstration dogs that are up for adoption.

MaoMau LaBeet from Love A Pit Bull Rescue and Jennifer Rosen from Bullies & Buddies Rescue suggested Lucy and Charlie!  So they had an early pickup and were on the morning news on Channel 5.  At first the producer was not happy about having Pitbull mixes, but within just a few minutes Lucy and Charlie had the entire KTLA staff wrapped around their finger.

Charlie was her usual eager self, and Lucy managed to sleep through her big break.

Click Here for the clip of their "performance":

The Girls Go To Camp

I am am going out of town until August 21st, and since The Girls don't have a home yet, I had to board them.      This was tough for me.

I had long conversation with Mao Mau from LoveAPitBull.com, a wonderful rescue, and he suggested I go to Camp Best Friends, which is next to his work.  Mao said he would check on them regularly, walk them, and give them some extra love while I am away.  I am eternally grateful to Mao.

So today I took them into Kathy's loving care at Camp Best Friends.  I am like a nervous mother.  Even though I am only Lucy and Charlie's foster mom, I worry about them like they were part of the family.  (I hope to remain at least an Aunt once they are adopted :) )  Kathy assured me a thousand times that they will be in great hands.  She will continue their demodex treatment (meds and weekly shampoos) during their stay at Camp.

While I am travelling, if you are interested in adopting or fostering Lucy and/or Charlie, please contact:

Mao Mau
Love A Pit Bull
424.212.9361
maomau@loveapitbull.com

A HUGE thank you to both Mao and to Kathy.

Impromptu Playdate

Down the street from our house there is a small grassy area that is a common pit-stop for dogwalking.  It is also a social gathering place, where passers-by tend to stop and chat while their dogs flop around with each other.  Many owners bring their dogs here off-leash.  I had previously kept The Girls from interacting (initially because Charlie had Giardia, but after that, because I wasn't sure how well they "play" with other dogs).  The other day there was a really nice woman whose dogs were off-leash, and she invited The Girls to play.  I said I wasn't sure, and she said "well let's try it!".  So I kept them on leash and her dogs calmly allowed Lucy and Charlie to do their due-diligence-sniffing.  Then they had a great time flopping together.  I didn't get her name, but I was very grateful to this woman for giving me the opportunity to see how they do in a crowd.

Last night was similar, in that we went to the pee-pee spot and there was another canine congregation, large ones and small ones.  The Girls walked right up and started the sniff-and-be-sniffed routine, very anxious to get to the playing part of the dance.  I was so happy to see that they were enjoying themselves and so well socialized, that I gave my phone to a woman to snap some shots for you.  There was just no aggression to be seen with these two, and I feel like a proud mom.

Thank you, neighbors, for making Lucy and Charlie feel welcome.

 

Random Funniness

You. Me. Beach. Sunset.  Be there.

Lucy and Charlie are experts at making due with limited resources.  

Wow, now that's what I call colon blow.  Good food must've been, um, a shock to the system.

Lucy apparently told Charlie she was uncomfortable sleeping at night in her harness.  Because when I woke up, I found that Lucy had been 'liberated'.   Now they sleep naked.  

I don't know why they like to sit on the TOP of the lounge chair.  It always looks like a situation that is going to end badly.

The Routine

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