Missy

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Update from Missy’s adopted home 4/16/03:

Just wanted to give you an update on my wonderful new addition! Missy has been blossoming in her new home. She and her new Springer sister, Gia, have completely fallen head over heels for one another. Missy follows Gia everythwere!

This little gem is amazing. You would be hard pressed to detect that she is blind. Missy has completely mapped out the ENTIRE downstairs of my home and can navigate her way anywhere in the house with no problem.  She almost NEVER bumps into anything anymore. We are very careful not to leave anything in her path, and she has become completely confident in her surroundings.

Missy has proved herself to be such a loving, sweet, beautiful little girl. She has such determination when learning something new, us humans could learn a thing or two about patience from this little blind baby.

Missy has been busy discovering new things in life. She has been introduced to the beach! She decided that she absolutely LOVES to dig in the sand, and she loves to stand in the water and bark, tail waggin wildly! She loves to get in the car and go, (as this always proves to be yet another adventure for her!).  She has a toy that is made especially for her. It is a ball that makes a mooing sound for 15 seconds after it hits the ground, and she can locate it…YES, the blind dog now FETCHES!!! And let me tell you, she is so proud of herself, you can feel it.

Missy has decided that her rightful place for sleeping at night is curled up cuddled between me and her Springer sister, Gia, and that is o.k. with the two of us. We are both quite smitten with her. However, the two of them give me about 10 inches of room in the bed. Yes, despite my original intentions, both dogs are officially allowed to sleep in bed with me!

I keep Missy’s day to day activities very routine, and this has helped in her confidence level. She anticipates feedings, walks, etc. With a blind dog, I have found that she is so confident when she knows what to expect.

Missy was originally labeled as “Special Needs” because of her blindness, however, to us she is just SPECTACULAR!

Update: 03/25/03

Missy went to a fantastic home that prepared the house just for her and can’t wait to have her!

Update: 03/12/03

MISSY IS HEARTWORM NEGATIVE! Missy went back tot he vet on 3/3/2003 for her heartworm recheck and has been cleared! Missy has revealed herself to be a wonderfully spunky, loving, endearing and sweetheart. Her vet has been amazed with every visit at how sweet and easy she is to handle, and her foster mom can clip her nails, and trim her hair without a flinch from her. On 3/7/03 Missy went to the ophthalmologist.  Unfortunately, though it appeared that her eyesight had improved some, it has worsened and the prognosis is that she will go blind due to a degenerating retina and should be considered blind now. She has cataracts developing as well, but due to the retinal issues, she is not a good candidate for cataract surgery.  On occasion I think she has some vision, again with bright light and contrasting colors) but in general she does not see very much at all. That said, it is important to add that the specialist added to her prognosis, “She is amazing!” Missy’s eye health will have to be monitored to ensure that if glaucoma should develop she gets the necessary daily drops that decrease the pressure that glaucoma causes and prevent eye pain.

Missy loves to play, LOVES all people and look out when she knows you have her leash in your hand because she will beat you to the door!  She has gotten along well with the multitude of dogs she has met after the initial fear subsided. She’s a wonderful dog that deserves a loving home that will cuddle her, love her, provide companionship and let her be the joyous dog she is!

Update: 1/6/03

Missy continues to do very well in foster care. She has come into her own and is very confident, playful and loving in her home. She has undergoing heartworm treatment and has completed the first round to kill the adult heartworms with no problems.  She is now in the second round which is to kill the microfilae or larvae stage heartworms in her bloodstream. It has been just under a week since she received that injection and she is doing just fine. Missy loves to challenge the patience of the resident dogs by eating slowly while they flank her sides waiting for a morsel to hit the floor. She doesn’t growl at them or attempt to protect her food at all, she just slowly and methodically goes for bite after bite. If placed with another dog who isn’t as patient around her food she will need to have some human intervention so that gets a chance to eat.  Missy loves to play and so far has done very well with other dogs, however if she is with another female dog she will try to dominate her.  In her foster home this isn’t a problem because the resident female is very patient and quite submissive too. She stands her ground with the male alpha though.  She will growl at new dogs in the beginning but settles down and wants to play with them in a few minutes. She and the female resident dog, love to play and are often found curled up on the same dog bed nose to nose.

Missy’s eyesight and hearing are better than we thought and with regular and nutritious meals she is actually seeing better!  New environments are stressful for her at first but she will walk around nosing everything to learn the layout and usually does so within five minutes. She knows come, go lay down, and is learning sit.  She loves toys and bones and follows her foster mom everywhere. She does cry when she is kept from her foster mom by any kind of barrier in the house but quietly lies on the couch and waits for her to return when she leaves for work.  In a new environment she will need a few days or weeks to adjust to the new schedule and will probably have some separation anxiety at first until she knows that each time you leave, you will be back.

Missy’s new home will have to keep in mind that new obstacles are a problem for Missy in poor lighting, therefore, when guests come they need to be reminded that if they move a chair they need be careful it is not in a regular walkway for Missy.  In bright light and when looking at contrasting colors, Missy has no problem seeing what is in front of her.

Missy’s coat is growing in smooth, thick and soft after having to be shaved due to fleas.  She has a beautiful, endearing and expressive face and will be a joyful companion for some lucky family.

Update: 11/22/02

Here’s what I have to say about our foster girl:

If you are looking for an adoring fan, a cuddle bug to keep you warm on cold winter nights, a smiling face at the door when you come home and a partner for leisurely strolls, then Missy’s your girl! Yes, Missy is mostly blind, yes, we think Missy is hearing impaired, and, yes, Missy is currently HW +, BUT, you can hardly tell. She appears to everyone she meets as a happy, willing and loving companion who is surprisingly independent and just content to be by your side. 

Her first night in her foster home was a little stressful for Missy. 

“What were those crazy dogs doing?” “They sound like they’re wrestling and attacking each other. “Are they going to hurt me?” “I better let them know I won’t go down without an argument!” “Hmm, this lady that brought me here sure has a comfy lap.” 

These thoughts I believe must have been going through Missy’s head. Don’t worry, her fears subsided by day three and she still thinks her foster mom’s lap is the end all, be all! She has completely bonded with her foster sister and brother and loves to play with them. 

She mastered the layout of the house by day two and learned her way from the door to the top of the steps on the deck, down them and into the yard with no problem! and finds her way back too. Using a loose lead technique allows her to figure out where things are on her own and yet allows me to keep her out of dangers way in the process. She knows that the water bowl is on a middle of a mat in the kitchen so when she gets to the mat she noses up to the bowl for a drink. She let’s me know she’s hungry by going to the food container and sniffing around at dinner time. She loves her independence and prefers to figure it out for herself rather than to be be coddled and carried around. She does appreciate a little guidance though like, “Hey Missy, I’m over here” when she loses you walking around the house.

Missy is crated during the day but this is really a safety measure to keep her from running around and playing since she has not gone through her heartworm treatment yet. She doesn’t like to be crated at night and would prefer to sleep on the human bed but will settle down into a dog bed beside the human bed quite nicely. She is leash-walked at all times now to keep her from running while going through heartworm treatment, but she would love to explore the yard on her own and wrestle with her foster dogs. She bows down to them to say I want to play too, and it is just the cutest thing. She must be watched closely when outside and when being walked to make sure she doesn’t stumble but more importantly to make sure she doesn’t get poked in the eye as she doesn’t see branches and such sticking out at her. Missy likes to chew on hard bones, but doesn’t really know what to do with toys yet. She’s 37 pounds and is eating well. She is not food aggressive, and I have been able to take anything I want away from her. She loves everyone she meets and isn’t overly aggressive because she takes things a little slower due to the sight problem.

Missy’s “on hol”d” until she completes heart worm treatment, her eyes have been checked by an ophthalmologist to see what our options are as she does have some vision currently (VERY little) and she gets spayed. She also had some fleas, but they are gone now and the sores from the bites are gone too. I had to shave down her back because her hair was very coarse from being outside in the elements for so long, but her feathers are soft as can be and her hair is growing smooth and shiny. 

She would love a companion to take her on walks and help her explore the big world as a seeing eye person. In return you will get unwavering devotion and love and pure delight from this genuinely sweet, cute and funny little dog.

Original:

You would expect a visually and hearing impaired dog to be tentative, frightened and maybe ill-tempered. Missy is none of those things. She is sweet and friendly. She likes to sniff you before being petted, but she is just making sure that you are dog people. She loves to be petted and trusts people. She walks confidently on a leash. 

Missy has been sorely used. She is heartworm positive. As well, she has had at least one litter. The tragedy is that her puppies run a 50-50 chance of being blind too. 

When Missy is done with heartworm treatment, we will be looking for a special home for her. The ideal family will have a consistent home, patience and a fenced yard. In return, you will receive an adoring and adorable new member of your family.