Lily 2

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Update 4/19/05:

Lily returned to her vet for the removal of stitches and a report on her mammary gland removal. This treatment is one that springers usually do very well with long term. In Lily’s case, the report commented that no evidence of spreading was detected and that this step may have be curative for her. To be on the safe side, periodic re-examination is recommended, probably annually with her normal check-up.

The best part of the visit to the vet’s office was that Lily met several children there around 10-12 years of age. While waiting, Lily had been staring at one of the children and was whining and pulling on the leash to get to her. With permission from her mother, the child came over and as soon as she did, Lily sat and just soaked up the attention. Then some other children came over and asked to pet her and Lily laid on her back for a belly rub. She couldn’t have been sweeter. The children got all excited and started asking their mother if they could adopt Lily. Sounds like a Norman Rockwell moment!!

This chance meeting confirmed her foster mom’s opinion that Lily must have belonged to a family with children. Her foster mom feels very comfortable recommending her for a family with dog savvy children. And she will be ready for that family very soon.

Update 4/10/05:

Lily came through her spay surgery and minor tumor removal like a champ and will have her sutures removed in a week. The anesthetic seems to have altered one of her compulsions, water consumption, and she no longer has to drink until every drop is gone. She is housebroke and voids in small amounts, almost like the female version of a dog’s marking.

At 35 pounds, Lily is now a trim little lady and looks great! She was a little slow to bond to her foster family. Maybe she was afraid she would lose them too. She now plays very well with her foster brother and gets along well with everyone. She is ball crazy, rough when taking treats from fingers, and loves food. Because of this, her foster mom thinks she would probably do best in a home with older children. Her foster mom is also working on some exercises to teach Lily the correct heel position, working up to loose lead walking.

Lily is a wonderful guest and a sheer joy to watch and play with. Her foster mom hopes she will only have to go through one more adjustment, the one to her forever home. This sweet, vibrant gal will be ready for that move soon and will surely attach herself to her new family as much as she has to her foster family.

Original:

Lily is a 17 inch, slightly overweight dynamo. She was turned into a Maryland shelter as a stray. When she arrived at the shelter, the staff reported that she had a “double set” of ears on each side due to mats, so they bathed her and trimmed her ears. Her foster mom finished the grooming job and re-bathed her. Through all, Lily acted like a pro on the grooming table, in the noose, and while being blown dry. She doesn’t mind handling of her feet or ears either. And with all of this attention, she is now quite a pretty lady!

Lily’s temperament is sound, but she is true to her gender stereotype and tells off the resident male dog in her foster home. Her foster mom thinks her activity level or anxiety level are related to looking for her “family.” She does not have anxiety separation but is vocal for a couple of minutes after separation from her foster mom. Lily seems familiar with crating and is sleeping in a soft crate in her foster mom’s bedroom at night.

Lily will sit on command and appears to recognize “hush.” Housetraining is questionable at this point, but she’s working on it. She appears to be a very bright young lady and could be a star in obedience or rally. With the way she loves tennis balls, she could be a superstar in flyball! And she brings the ball back. too!!

When Lily is spayed, she will have a small mammary tumor and a skin lesion removed. Hopefully her pending surgery will give her a clean bill of health and she can soon be someone’s special “Easter Lily.”