Jelly and the Little Purple Pill (aka update on her thyroid)

I mentioned several blogs ago that we discovered Jelly had low thyroid levels and that I would update you in a couple of weeks on how she was reacting to the new meds (aka "the little purple pill", hence the title). Wait till you see this little girl. Just take a look at her now! Just look at the energy radiating from her face! Her eyes are almost open here. Okay, so she is still very lazy and laid back, but she is starting to show a difference. Before the meds, she would drag behind in every walk and I almost had to pull her along. Now she keeps right up with the boys. She also attempts to inspect every drain pipe for the creatures that live in there. Her walks have taken on a new life for her. She also seems to be awake a little bit more. Okay, not much, but if you are around her all the time, you would see the difference. Now, I am about to say something that no one has ever heard me claim about a dog before. I usually like to give everyone the vices of the greyhound they are about to own, but with Jelly, I have not found a vice yet. She is intelligent, obedient, loving, and the absolute perfect greyhound. The squirrels in the backyard may tell you she has a vice as would any small, fuzzy animal, but she is trained to chase them, so you can't blame her there. One little story about Jelly will tell you how good she really is. I usually choose to open a pup's mouth and put a pill down their throat rather than try to trick them into taking it. It goes faster and usually they don't know what hit them. After a couple of times, they figure it out and will get away as fast as possible when they know I am coming with the bottle of pills. For Jelly, this is not the case. She has realized that after she eats she gets a thyroid pill pushed down her throat. Instead of running away, she finishes her bowl of food, then she walks into the kitchen and stands and waits until I give her the pill. If I forget, she will follow me until I do give it to her. Once I am done, I give her a quick pet on the belly and she gives me a Jelly kiss on the chin and goes and lays down. What more can you ask for, a pup that is responsible for her own medicine? Jelly is an awesome pup, you should come check her and Bean out. You may just find yourself walking away with Jelly and Bean!

Am I too old for a home

"Give me your answer, fill in a form, Mine for evermore. Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four." ~The Beatles

Bean here! I was listening to the Beatles today with my foster family and even singing along to it (See my singing the blues video). When I got to the end of the song, I got very sad. My family decided they didn't need me and didn't want to feed me before I turned 64. In people years, I am now about 63. I am hoping that someone will decide they want me before I'm 70!Anyway, I guess I will write new words... Here they are: "Give me your answer, fill out the app, my Forever home. Stuffies a plenty, play like I'm twenty, when I'm 70!"

Note from foster mom: I know how difficult it is to decide to take an older pup. I hesitated to take Bean as a foster dog. I am so glad I chose to take him and Jelly. What a fun, wonderful guy! Any amount of time with him and Jelly has enriched my life. I often have to remind myself of his age as he bounces around the backyard, throwing stuffies to himself and making them squeak. As I learned from Highway (my first greyhound) a dog can get sick and go to the Rainbow Bridge at any age. Highway left us 2 weeks before his 6th birthday and after only 21 months of touching our lives forever (It is very unusual for a greyhound to get cancer at such a young age). Bettis came to us at 4 1/2 years old. We were nervous about Bettis meeting the same fate as Highway and weren't sure we could handle it again, but Bettis has taught us that every dog is different and they all need homes and will greatly reward you no matter how long they stay with you! By the way, Bettis will turn 9 on 11 April!

Escape attempt?

After reading the Greyhound Rescue listing on Jelly and Bean, it has come to my attention that there is an escape attempt planned. This wouldn't be so worrisome if Mischief (see the first blog entry) was not back to celebrate St. Patty's day while his family is away. During his days in the "foster system", Mischief, together with his buddy Nan, escaped two times and nearly ended up in doggie jail one of those times. Fortunately my pitiful pleading with the dog catcher resulted in them spending only a short time in the cold, steel cages of the dog catcher's van as opposed to days at the shelter. Anyway, it seems that Jelly and Bean have brought in the expert on how to escape. In their defense, I'm sure it is a little unnerving to be a "foster dog" for a long time. I would implore anyone out there reading this to help keep Jelly and Bean "Off the Streets". I only hope that their escape attempts land them directly in a forever home!

A picture is worth a thousand words

From a nervous pup (Left) with bad teeth to a very happy dog (Right). There isn't much more to say. A picture is worth a thousand words. Wouldn't you love this smiling face to be part of your life?

Poor Jelly (aka confessions of a guilty conscience)

It only takes a short journey back into previous blogs to find the statements that are sparking this confession. I believe I have used the word "chubby" in reference to my foster dog Jelly. I may have also been guilty of calling her "a rug that I have to feed." There may have been times that I have told her she was the laziest greyhound I have ever met (and for anyone who knows greyhounds, that is pretty lazy). I believe the words "fattest greyhound I have ever met" may have escaped from my lips, too. So, to my little Jelly Roll (yes, I call her that, too) I am so sorry to have called you all those names and referenced your heftiness in such a negative light. Many of you may wonder what brought on this sudden wave of guilt. All I can say is that medical records and blood work make a huge difference. Poor Jelly seems to have a hypoactive thyroid. Never fear, though, meds are on the way and you will get a bit of a journey with her on her way to becoming healthy. Fortunately for me, Miss Jelly Roll is willing to forgive my cruel comments for a good belly rub and an extra chicken tender treat. Check back in a few days and see how Jelly is making out with her new meds (which will most likely arrive on Monday). I guess I should enjoy the sleepy Jelly while she lasts!

Small successes

Valentines day has come and gone and Jelly and Bean are now realizing that Jelly Beans are for Easter. These two are the sweetest Jelly (and) Beans around, and whoever gets them will have their sweetness around for a long time. Well, the blog was titled small successes. We had several of them this week. As you can see, Jelly found a new toy to play with. (I think we mentioned previously that she is prone to stuffed animal thievery). It seems that she found the duck in a rabbit disguise just in time for Easter. The funny thing about this duck/ rabbit is that it giggles and shakes (similar to tickle me Elmo) when you press the right spot on it's tummy, then pauses, then starts again and finishes out by saying "that tickles." Well, the "spooky" dog Bean decided to play with the duck/ rabbit. As soon as it started to shake, he jumped back and stared at it. Then it paused and he went back up to it. Just as he grabbed it, it started again. He jumped back again. This time, when the duck/rabbit finished off with a "that tickles," Bean cocked his head and tried to figure out what it was saying to him. Well, apparently my "spooky" pup was not spooked by this as he repeated the above routine approximately 5 times in a row. The next day, it began again!!

As for Jelly, I know it is hard to believe she does anything because every picture is of her sound asleep. Yes, that is pretty much what she does- Sleeps, eats, sleeps, steals stuffies, sleeps, gives her people kisses, sleeps, and will roll over on her back for a belly rub sometimes- did I mention she sleeps? Jelly's success came this morning. I ran out to pick something up and came home to find Bettis in the backyard. This is not unusual as he has a doggie door. However, I could hear Jelly in the backyard crying. I ran inside and, after chastising my husband for letting her out and forgetting to let her back in, I found out that she let herself out (yes, I had to apologize to hubby, too). One part down, she just has to figure out the getting back inside part!!! By the way, apparently Jelly is pretty smart as we have not taught her how to use the door at all. She just figured it out by watching Bettis, I guess!