Dasher

[Mandy]

Well, it looks like we may be getting our first foster, Dasher! Dasher is 11 yrs. old and a red smooth. He was turned in to a kill shelter by his family, who didn't have time for him. Lisa Woods (who is really working to get the shelter to be a no kill shelter, and also a dachsie mummy) was able to get him out. He is staying with Jean Smith in Pittsburgh at the moment. Jean is not a member of DRNA, but has helped out several times it seems. She and her husband are even willing to drive Dasher to us!

All I know about him so far is that he is 11 yrs old with cataracts....and seems to be very friendly, good with people, dogs, and cats, and is spunky. He sounds like such a sweety.

I will keep you updated and let you know how he is.

[Roxane]

Great, Mandy. Eleven years old and they "didn't have time for him"? I wonder how he spent his first ten years? On second thought, I really don't want to think about that.
Shoot some pictures our way, if you are able.
Roxane and crew

[Heather]

Hi Mandy, glad to see that you have jumped right into the swing of rescue!

Buyer beware though, before you know it you will have Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. It's like a potato chip, you can't have just one....

I could not resist!

[Mandy]

Here's the scoop on Dasher....I spoke with Jean tonight on the telephone and she and her husband will be driving Dasher here on Friday afternoon. We are pretty excited about our first foster. We bought his own leash when we were at the store tonight (because of course every dachsie must have a leash of his own color and no one else may wear that color of leash....http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/mutant.gif).

Heather...don't dare say anything about all of those dachsies...Bart is already talking about adopting Dasher and we haven't even met him yet.....he was figuring out how many dachsies we need to make the entire cast of all of the Christmas Reindeer too......

We weren't even going to foster quite yet....we were going to start off slowly in DRNA....well... I guess it's like cold water...it's easier to just jump in and get wet all at once.....so here we go.

I will definitely give you som eupdates as soon as I know anything. I have got to get some photos scanned in. We got a new camera for the holidays and I still don't even have Henry and Jakey posted yet. I still haven't gotten any documented medical care for him, so he may be getting the works at the vet. I am scheduling his appointment ASAP so that he can find a forever home and get settled in soon. I'm afraid that if these people didn't have time for him that he may have been neglected in many ways. Roxane..I understand exactly how you feel...I'm sitting here cursing the people who would rather have him possibly killed than to find a good home for him and who took away the family that this poor pup has had for the past 11 yrs....everything that he knows.....http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/angry.gif

But his life can only look up from now, right! Please send lots of positive dachsie rays Dasher's way and hope for the best!

[Dolly's Mom]

Wow Mandy! You and Bart jump right in with both feet! Congrats! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/bounce.gif


Sandi

[Oscar's Mom]

Thats great Mandy!

[Mandy]

Dasher made it here this afternoon. He needs a rabies shot, fecal exam, total exam, heartworm test, almost definitely a dental (his mouth smells very rank and his teeth are yellow and gray). His cataracts are fairly bad and I am also worried about his hearing...I don't think he hears us a lot of the time. He could also use a little fattening up.

The worst part is that he doesn't think he deserves attention, food, or companionship...let alone love...http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/angry.gif His former family must have rarely paid him any attention.

Jakey loves having him here and the two of them have been playing a bit all day. Henry sits on his throne (my lap) and watches them, acting so mature. Actually he sits on my lap with his baby as if to say "This is MY mommy and this is MY baby."

Dash is really coming around though. He has never been taught commands, but he learned wait when the boys got an extra special treat of cheese. He hadn't been on furniture before and his eyes were wide as he watched Henry and Jake sitting on the furniture. He loves to sit right up next to me now (although he doesn't do it for long). I sat him on our bed and he didn't move, acting like he didn't know what to do, and he probably doesn't. But he is really coming around and has learned where the dog beds, water, and such are located.

He is such a sweety and just needs some love and attention to bring out the dog in him (Jake is teaching him all sorts of dachshund things). He is blending really well. He didn't eat at Jean's until this morning, but he has eaten twice since he got here.

Bart has all of the boys in the kitchen, "teaching them to make cut-out cookies. I think Dash is really going to prove to be a wonderful little guy for some lucky person! Send dachsie rays on Monday, hoping for good results from the vet.

[georgette]

Hi Mandy, Just reading about Dash here - hope I can help him - he sounds like a keeper. - G

[Mandy]

Dash's dental and further tests will be done on Tuesday. Everyone send him rays on that day. Thye are going to cut his nails while he is asleep since they are soooo long. He has a couple of little tumors that will be excised. The vet was able to get some cells out of one and saw nothing bad. She couldn't get anything out of the other and said that it she might as well take them off while he is asleep. Other than that he is doing great!

It took him 5 days before he said anyhing...and then it was only to tell me that he really wanted on the bed with me...great progress for someone who used to hide and had never been on furniture. He even picked up a boned that was halfway inder the sofa. he didn't play with it, but I think that is a start.

I have started feeding him some Satin Balls (as someone suggested), with high fat ground beef, no salt - saltines, parsley, egg, and so on, to help fatten him up.

This is a great little guy...I hope he finds a really good home soon...he deserves it!

[Roxane]

Hi Mandy:
What a tremendous amount of adjustment Dasher is going through. Things he obviously missed during his first 10 years. How pathetic.
With his hearing and eyesight not being the best, I really think he is making great strides.http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/bounce.gif
Here are the http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif for tomorrow.
You and the family deserve mucho thanks for what you are doing,
Roxane and crew

[Mandy]

We dropped Dash off at the vet today for his dental and tests. This is the first time that he has been separated from Henry and Jake. He was terrified during the car ride and even worse when we got to the vet. The poor little guy was shaking uncontrollably. I think he thought we were dumping him off at a kill shelter like his former family did. He was so scared taht I cried after we left the vet...how could someone do that to him? These people make me soooooo mad http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/angryfire.gif !

On a good note...Dash has gained almost half a pound! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0> He still needs to gain more...but he is definitely making strides. I will tell you how he is doing after I find out. They said to call and check on him around 2:00 pm. We should be able to pick him up around 5:00....He will be getting lots of snuggles tonight!

Anyone want a really sweet little dachsie? If he doesn't find a forver home soon....we may not be able to part with him. I guess we don't make very good foster parents.....

[Oscar's Mom]

Poor little guy, its so heartbreaking.
Thats great he's gained a little!
Lots of rays to Dach today!

[Tanya]

Hi Mandy! You make the very best kind of foster parents. Hey, I decided after only 1 night I was keeping Ben! It just seems like foster families have to keep the first one or two! Keep us updated on Dasher...this is the same DRNA Dasher isn't it?? I hope all is well and I'll be checking back after 2:00 to see what the news is.
Tanya

[Mandy]

Spoke with someone at the vet's office. Dash is coming out of the anesthesia just fine. They should have a lot of the test results back by the time we pick him up around 5:00. Cross you fingers and paws that everything comes back okay!

Tanya....yeah, this is DRNA Dasher! Hopefully when he sees that we are picking up and taking him home, he will realize that not everyone is bad. Poor little guy.....I see Satin Balls and a blankee in his evening tonight, watching the telly with either Bart or myself....I can use the break too.

[pluto'slanie]

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif to Dasher. I hate to tell you but I think he has already found his forever home. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif Lanie, Pluto & Shana

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by pluto'slanie on January 30, 2001 at 03:11 PM</font>

[Mandy]

Okay..here's the scoop on the Dasheroo....

Bloodwork and urinalysis all came back fine! It turns out he was missing quite a few teeth to begin with, and lost five more during the cleaning...although the ones he has are pearly white now. One of the removed teeth was infected. The infection was so bad it had gone up into his nasal cavity. This was causing him not to feel good and for his nose to be drippy. He is on antibiotics which should clear all of that up. There is a hole between teh mouth and nasal cavity where that tooth was, but we were told that the hole should close up within the next week! He dragon breath is gone...maaking his kisses much more enjoyable (it was sometimes hard pretending not to notice the stench when he was kissing).

One of the was probably just a fatty tissue area...but the vet was a little concerned about teh one on his ear (that's why she wanted to go ahead and remove them). The one on his ear was black and she couldn't get any cells out. Results on that will be back in a couple of weeks...but so far it looks like Dash is doing great!

Thanks for all of the support!

mandy