Ginger Joanne 07-614

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Sponsored by: Stephanie J & Family
in loving memory of Riley 

 

 

My name is Ginger Joanne and I am nine years old.  I just arrived in foster care thanks to some WONDERFUL transport volunteers.  I’ve had a REALLY big day, what with the drive up from Iowa and all.  In my foster home I’ve met the two resident dogs and we get along just fine.  I’ve explored the whole house and the back yard and I’ve decided I’m okay with hanging here for a while.  Foster Mom’s gonna get me into the vet to get me checked over.  I came with lots of vet paperwork so my history should become clear once it all gets sorted through.  We’re also gonna ask for a reassessment on my age 'cuz Foster Mom says I have way more energy than any nine year old SHE’S ever seen.   

More to come as I get acclimated here and as Foster Mom gets to know me.

Foster Mom’s had a little trouble getting pictures of me.

Oh.  Maybe I should have asked if dogs are allowed on the furniture.  Too late!

  

  

At a Glance #07-614

Golden Retriever Born: October 1998
Female Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

Sponsored by: Stephanie J & Family
in loving memory of Riley 

 

 

My name is Ginger Joanne and I am nine years old.  I just arrived in foster care thanks to some WONDERFUL transport volunteers.  I’ve had a REALLY big day, what with the drive up from Iowa and all.  In my foster home I’ve met the two resident dogs and we get along just fine.  I’ve explored the whole house and the back yard and I’ve decided I’m okay with hanging here for a while.  Foster Mom’s gonna get me into the vet to get me checked over.  I came with lots of vet paperwork so my history should become clear once it all gets sorted through.  We’re also gonna ask for a reassessment on my age 'cuz Foster Mom says I have way more energy than any nine year old SHE’S ever seen.   

More to come as I get acclimated here and as Foster Mom gets to know me.

Foster Mom’s had a little trouble getting pictures of me.

Oh.  Maybe I should have asked if dogs are allowed on the furniture.  Too late!

  

  

Updates

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Ginger here with an update.  It’s been ten months since I left FM with tears in her eyes and moved to my forever home. She didn’t notice but I had a little tear in my eye too as we drove away. You see, I wouldn’t have made it without her when I was sick and recovering. Thanks to RAGOM and all the wonderful foster parents out there, dogs like me get a second chance. And thanks to the sponsors who make our medical treatment possible.  My health has improved dramatically and I am now drug free.  I am very energetic and can run and swim as fast as my much younger sister. In my new home, I have two people (aka Mom and Dad), who take care of me, and a furry sister to play with. Four months after I moved in, the mom brought home a scared and skinny golden retriever stray from the shelter where she volunteers.  I remembered how nice the resident dogs treated me, when I was in foster care, so I treated her the same. She followed me everywhere and wouldn’t leave my side because she didn’t trust people. I knew better and now Misty does too.  You can see from the picture that I taught her how to live a golden life.  Gotta run…I think I hear a biscuit jar rattling.  One of my people will finish the update.

Hi, one of Ginger’s people here to finish the update. We haven’t regretted, for one minute, adopting a senior golden. Ginger is everything her FM said she would be—sweet, wonderful and gorgeous. If anyone reading this is considering adopting a golden, please don’t overlook a senior. Even though we didn’t share the first ten years of Ginger’s life, the last ten months with her have been a joy.  And we are looking forward to many more.  Thanks RAGOM for a happy ending and a new beginning.


 

Friday, April 11, 2008

Dear RAGOM,

Mere barks cannot express my gratitude to you. I know that my medical expenses have been extraordinary and I bet it was probably a tough call given my age but you took a chance on me. I can truly say that every day is a gift for which I’m grateful. I’ve come a long way from the sickly dog that spent days in ICU at the University following my two surgeries. I even beat the odds by recovering from the septic peritonitis that developed during my illness. While my own will to live was strong, I know that that alone would not have been enough. I am a testament to the commitment RAGOM and all of its supporters make to dogs that need help. If I could, I would personally thank all the RAGOM volunteers who were genuinely interested in my recovery and who routinely asked about my health, my attitude, even my poops. I want to thank my day care mom for opening her home to me and my sponsors, Stephanie J and her family for opening their checkbook.

It’s time now to tell you that I have picked out my forever family. It’s true. I’m adopted!! Some VERY special angels have decided that they need a bouncy, energetic nine-year-old gufihownd (that means beautiful princess in another language) to grace their home. AND their boat. I’m gonna be a river dog! I now have two humans of my very own who love me already and soon I’ll have a fur brother or sister. And, in case that’s not enough, there are TWO veterinarians in my new family! I am the luckiest girl in the history of the planet. So, I’m off to begin the next stage of my life’s journey. I’ve said my good-byes to Foster Mom and the loads I lived with for the past five months and I’m taking with me my rope toy, my bully stick, and my Christmas stocking…as well as a piece of Foster Mom’s heart.


Are they here yet?  Are they?
Hmmm…why do my foster sisters seem as anxious as I am?  They’re not going anywhere.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Ginger here. I thought I’d take a break from playing in the snow to update my blog. I went to the vet this week to get my heartworm preventative and flea/tick protection. My appointment was with the vet that did my first surgery. She came out into the waiting room, looked me in the eye, and walked right past me saying, “Ginger? Where’s Ginger?” I said, “Doc, I’m right here.” She said, “Oh no, you must be mistaken. I’m looking for Ginger Joanne 07-614. You’re too energetic, too healthy looking, too bright eyed.” Ha! She didn’t even recognize me! During our visit she oohed and aahed about my transformation. And then she stuck a stick in my ear and told me I had an infection. Other than that, things are still going great for me.

Foster Mom and I had a chat the other day about my forever home. She told me she’s thought about adopting me but she decided that perhaps that wouldn’t be fair to me. You see, the loads…I mean, dogs in this house WON’T PLAY!!! Foster Mom knows I desperately want that so she’s decided that she’s not the perfect home for me. BUT…she made it clear that she’s content to keep me for as long as it takes to find my perfect forever home. Obviously she loves me. Duh. Like she could help it. So, I guess I’ll get to just hang out here some more until my special angel comes along. If you think that might be you, you should send an email to placementatragom [dot] org 

Woof to Stephanie J and family.


If you’re going out, can you pick me up an economy sized bottle of Selsun Blue?

Sunday, March 9, 2008

What a blast!! PetSmart was SOOOO much fun. I got to meet lots of nice people and lots of nice dogs and we were nowhere near the rawhide bar so I didn’t even get in trouble. A lot of people paid me lots of attention and I soaked it all up. I especially liked the kids cuz their faces are closer to mine. AND we got some new treats so the cupboard no longer looks like it belongs to Mother Hubbard. I was exhausted when we got home so I took a long snooze on the floor in the sunlight. When I woke up, I couldn’t find Foster Mom. Rather than hunt around the house for her, I devised a system that minimizes wasted effort. I sit on the stairs and wait til I hear her. That way I’m exactly half way between the first floor and the second. I am brilliant. Foster Mom thinks I’m pretty clever, too. She took a picture of me while I was strategically positioned.

Big, sloppy kisses to Stephanie J and family. I hope to meet you soon.

 

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Ginger here, with a report on my life and times. I must say it feels SO good to feel good. Foster care is still going really well for me but it’s a shame the two canines in this house won’t play. It seems they’re both a couple of loads and, try as I may, I can’t engage them in a game of tug or even a chase! I’ve tried to use Foster Mom as a substitute and she tried to make it work by wearing gloves and stuff but apparently she didn’t have much fun because now she draws the line at playing Smack Down. So it’s back to tennis balls and Kongs. Woe is me. I would just love to find a forever home with another dog who wants to play. That’s really my most favorite thing in the world. Perhaps you are a family with an energetic dog with room for lil ol’ me…? I could warm your bed and give you chin kisses and be your very best pal. Send an email to placementatragom [dot] org if you think you’d like to make a love match.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

It’s Ginger, checking in with another update about wonderful, gorgeous, healthy me! Things are still going perfectly for me. I have now gained back nine of the ten pounds I lost when I was sick and the fur that was shaved for my surgeries is all filling in quite nicely. I’ve discovered the magic of kongs for which Foster Mom is grateful because she doesn’t have to continually throw the tennis ball for me. I’m all done with day care now and that makes me kind of sad. I KNOW it makes my daycare mom sad. When I was saying goodbye to my daycare buddy Snowflake The Australian Shepherd, I was trying to explain to him how hard it is not to have a forever home and to wait for someone to want to meet me. I was telling him that, while Foster Mom says EVERYTHING about me has to be disclosed, there are things one is naturally reluctant to divulge. I’ve only been in foster care for a couple of months now but I have a lot of history just in that short time. Prospective adopters will already know that I’m a B-E-U-tiful Golden Retriever with all the best Golden qualities. And I know prospective adopters need to know that the enzyme I take costs about $100/month. I’m also prepared to tell them that I have A LOT of energy for a nine year old and that I’m a huge bed hog. But, the real question is…do I tell them how spitty I get the tennis ball? I just don’t know…

Foster Mom says that there’s a very special angel out there who hasn’t discovered me yet but soon will. She told me it might take a little bit because I’m not a youngster and because I have a drug habit but that I shouldn’t worry. So, I guess I won’t. In the meantime, here’s a picture of me with my face all nice and full again. I know…I’m a hottie.

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Isn’t life great? I’m having SOOOO much fun. I just love to go outside because there’s so many things to do! I can run after the tennis ball and then play keep away from Foster Mom with it. Or I can work on perfecting my snow angel technique. Or I can sniff the fence line for those wascly wabbits. When confronted with choices like that, I’ve learned to double up! Sniff the fence line WHILE making a snow angel. Play keep away WHILE rolling in the snow. It’s fun! I’m feeling so good now that I’m happy every minute of the day. My health concerns are totally under control now and I feel so good I can hardly contain myself. The meds are all done with the exception of the enzyme I’ll have to take for life and an antibiotic to clear up an overgrowth of bacteria that developed when I was sick. I get a special berry flavored treat now too called PepcidAC. Mmmm. I could also be done with daycare but Foster Mom said she thinks one more week since I have so much fun there. That’s good cuz my daycare mom loves me a lot and this way she won’t have to start missing me yet. And Snowball the Aussie and I have become fast friends and he needs someone like me to play with.

So, I’m still waiting for that perfect family. I need a forever home that will make sure I get my enzyme with every meal and one that will make sure I don’t inadvertently eat inappropriate things. Dogs with EPI are pretty much hungry most of the time so sometimes I might have a compulsion to eat what I shouldn’t. I don’t really need a fenced yard (although I couldn’t run free because I don’t come when I’m called) and I’m dog, kid, and cat tested. I give lots of kisses and I love to chase tennis balls. I’ll be your best pal while you’re watching TV cuz I’ll just curl up with my head in your lap. I would really enjoy having another dog to play with. Remember: if you meet me you’ll love me so serious inquiries only please.

Woof to Stephanie J and family.


I was such a good girl for my bath that Foster Mom gave me a treat.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Ginger here, with yet another diagnosis on my health.  My latest blood test indicates I have something called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.  That means that my pancreas isn’t producing the enzymes I need to digest fats and starches.  Symptoms of EPI are diarrhea and weight loss.  That’s me!  Treatment is an enzyme supplement added to my food so that what I consume doesn’t run right through me.  I just started on this new enzyme so we’re being cautiously optimistic but so far my output, while smushy, is better and less frequent than it has been.  It might have been good if the vet had mentioned that my poop might have bits of bright red in it.  We might have saved Foster Mom a full blown panic.  Now that I’ve been on the enzyme a couple of days, my energy level seems to be increasing.  I don’t care much for the new powder though so Foster Mom has been trying lots of ways to sneak it into my food.  Poking a hole in a canned food meatball doesn’t work because to get all the powder, it would have to be one HUGE meatball.  And, it’s really hard to get the powder into the hole.  Cheese hasn’t worked because it breaks rather than rolls and the powder sneaks out the sides.  Mixing it with canned food doesn’t work because I can still smell it in there.  Tonight we’re going to try a bologna appetizer.  If that doesn’t work…jello jigglers.  The jury’s still out on whether or not I have inflammatory bowel disease.  The vet doesn’t think so but it seems since I’ve been such a ‘challenging case’, she’s reluctant to commit.  To test the IBD waters, I’ll be winding down on the prednisone and I’ll finish the antibiotic but not refill it.  I’ll also continue on my low-fat food but it seems there’s some controversy on whether that’s the best route for EPI.  More to come on that.

All that said, I am still one happy girl.  My foster daycare mom loves me to pieces and is going to miss me badly when I don’t need to go there anymore.  Now that I’m feeling a little better I’m back to making snow angels, playing fetch in the yard, and not coming when I’m called.  C’mon…a girl can’t be perfect ALL the time.  Foster Mom says that even though I’ve been kinda high maintenance, I’m still welcome to hang my leash here for as long as it takes to find my forever home.  Ha!  She LOVES me!  I never have accidents in the house, I don’t shred anything, and I go to the foot of the bed when I’m going to sleep sideways.  Usually.  And now that we’ve got my health concerns nailed down (paws crossed!), things will get A LOT easier and I will be THE perfect house guest.  So, don’t be scared off by what’s transpired.  Foster Mom thinks we have a handle on it and going forward should be easy cuz all I need is a supplement in my low-fat food.  Who can’t manage that?


I see two typos and a dangling preposition....

 

Friday, January 4, 2008

It’s Ginger Joanne with another update.  Things have been going well for me, relatively speaking.  I still have some health concerns that we’re trying to get our paws around.  I’m continuing the regimen of prednisone and an antibiotic to clear up my diarrhea but we’ve had only moderate success.  And, although my appetite is HUGE, I’m not gaining any weight.  I had another blood draw last night and my doctors are going to try to determine the state of my digestive system.  All that said, I am still one happy girl.  I wag my tail all the time and I love to play with my Foster Mom.  I still follow her from room to room and I soak up all the pets and scratches she’ll give me.  I’ve learned that if I stand pigeon-pawed, hang my head, and look up with great big cow eyes, I get LOTS of attention.

Because I’m on prednisone, I drink a lot of water.  And you know what happens when you drink a lot of water!  So, now I’m enrolled in Foster Dog Day Care.  Every work day Foster Mom packs my lunch and drops me off at another foster home where I spend the day.  My Day Care Mom has four other dogs and we all get along fine.  My Day Care Mom says I am about the sweetest thing ever!  I bet if she didn’t already have four dogs, she’d want to keep me.  I’m really grateful that she can take me during the day and I would like to send her a big WOOF!

So, things are rolling along.  Even though I have diarrhea and drink a lot of water, I haven’t had a single accident in the house.  I even wake Foster Mom up during the night to go out and sometimes (most times) I have to work really hard at it!  Thanks again to my sponsor, Stephanie J and family.  I’m trying really hard to get all better so I can make you proud.


Here’s a picture of me with cow eyes.  They work 100% of the time.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Ginger here. Things are still going exceptionally well for me. I got ALL my staples out and had my blood rechecked. My proteins are still low, but given what I’ve been through, that’s to be expected. I’ll have a recheck in two weeks. My appetite is really good and I’m getting several meals a day as Foster Mom tries to fatten me up. If the resident dogs are evidence of her ability to do this, I’m not worried. I’m back to sleeping on the bed (yea!!) but I’m still not supposed to play yet (boo!!!) I would REALLY like to have another play date with my dog friend Sahara but Foster Mom says I have to wait a while.

I got to go to a RAGOM meet-and-greet at Petco and I had a blast!! I was perfectly behaved too if you exclude the two times I tried to shoplift from the salad bar. I met lots of dogs and lots of people and I was spent by the time we got home. After a power nap, I hung out with Foster Mom on the couch and chewed my bone. Ah, life is good.

But it would be SOOOO much better if I had my own forever home. Foster Mom says I’m a very loving, lovable dog who’s happy all the time. I LOVE attention and affection and I love to play and I would be a wonderful addition to just about any family. You should email your placement advisor if you’d like to meet me. Based on my calculations, I still have eight lives left so you really shouldn’t let my age deter you. Consider this: have you noticed how, when a foster home adopts their foster dog, it’s usually a senior foster dog? Hmm… Just an observation...

I’d like to send a BIG woof out to Stephanie J and family.  I am honored that you’ve sponsored me in memory of your Riley.

Us dogs got a new dog bed as an early Christmas present.  It’s houndstooth.  Foster Mom thinks that’s SOOOO funny.

  

 

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

They sprung me!! It’s Ginger The Wonder Dog reporting in from foster care. Whoopee!! I got past the critical 3-5 days following surgery and my septic peritonitis is now ‘resolving septic peritonitis’. I’m doing just great now that I’m home. My appetite is healthy and my bodily functions all seem to be working properly. I have strict instructions not to run, play or jump until my MANY staples come out of my belly. Inactivity gets harder and harder as I feel better and better. I have to have a leash on me all the time so Foster Mom can control my speed. I would very much like to run up the stairs or jump on the couch but that’s not allowed yet. Not being able to get on the bed is the hardest. I even have to have a leash on when I go outside. Oh well. I’m just happy to be out of the hospital although I know the ICU staff is going to miss me terribly. They wrote some really nice things on my discharge papers about what a great dog I am. And the student vet would come and spend her lunch hour with me so me thinks she’s gonna miss me bad. And in case you need more good news, I don’t have irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. They sent the portions of my intestine that were removed in for testing. All the symptoms I’ve had are related to the objects that were removed from my GI tract. This means that once I recover from my surgery, I am, for all intents and purposes, the perfect dog. Ha! I knew it.

Don’t tell Foster Mom, but I’m playing her like a cheap fiddle. I muster up the saddest look I’ve got when she approaches me with the cone and then I run to the coffee table and put my head under it. This buys me several minutes because Foster Mom laughs but ultimately she manages to get the cone on. Just to prove there are no hard feelings, I kiss her when she sticks her head in with mine. I know my sad face is working though because she hardly ever leaves me which means I can be cone-free. I’m feeling SO much better that I bring Foster Mom toys so we can play a little bit. Soon I’ll go in and have my staples removed. That will probably happen in two sessions, several days apart. I’ll also have another blood draw to monitor my resolving septic peritonitis. I’m still on antibiotics for that but soon they’ll be done too.

So, I guess I’m like a cat with nine lives. Except better because I’m a dog.


I may be down a few pounds but I’m still adorable, don’t you think?

 

 

Monday, December 3, 2007

It's me, Ginger! From ICU! I'm feeling well enough to write my own update this time. In fact, when Foster Mom came to visit me today, I flew through the ICU doors, planted my nose firmly between her knees, and proceeded to fan the student vet standing behind me with my tail. After Foster Mom's shock wore off, she took me out to the play yard where I squatted (with authority!) and then sniffed all the new snow. On our way back, I went nose-to-nose with every dog I encountered and tried to follow every human we met.

My doctor here said he wanted Foster Mom to give me some lunch so we went off to one of the visiting rooms. Lunch turned out to be a plate full of chicken pieces. I LOVE chicken pieces!!! My doctor said that he would call me a goner based on my lab results. But then he said he'd have to stand corrected once he looked at me. I am perky, alert, eating, drinking, and ready to blow this pop stand! Is the theme from “Rocky” playing in your head? The doc says I'm not out of the woods yet but he's amazed at my resilience. The next 3-5 days are still critical so I'm gonna try really hard to stay strong so I can beat this. I’m gonna be Ginger The Wonder Dog! I know I have a stocking hanging on the fireplace at my foster home and I know that Santa Dog is prepared to stuff said stocking to maximum capacity, so I'm seriously motivated.

 


Does this gown make me look fat?

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

It’s me, Ginger. I’m enjoying my time in foster care and have settled in to the routine here. In the morning, I go outside and run several laps around the yard to get my cardio workout in. Then we all come inside and have breakfast. I LOVE breakfast. Then Foster Mom goes to work and us K9s assume our positions. Mine is the couch. Before you know it, Foster Mom’s home from work. Out we go and I turbo sniff the yard to see who visited during the day. Then it’s dinner time. I LOVE dinner time. Next it’s games of tug-o-war, maybe a walk, some bone chewing and then some laying my head in Foster Mom’s lap while she sits at the computer. A full day! In between all that, I find time to give Foster Mom lots of chin kisses. I can tell she really appreciates that. Then it’s bedtime. I LOVE bedtime. Sometimes during the night I roll over and plant a big wet kiss on Foster Mom’s face. I wonder how long she’ll think that’s cute.

I have an update on my health too. As I indicated in my last update, I came into foster care with a history of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The only symptom Foster Mom has seen is (and you’ll pardon my bluntness) smushy poops. She switched my food and is giving me a prescription med and things are already improving. I could undergo a whole bunch of medical tests to determine the source but my vet decided it’s just easier to treat the symptoms. So far a bland food and an anti-inflammatory seem to be doing the trick. Once I get past this it’s possible I could have occasional flare ups, but they’re easily treated. I would like it to be known that, even with smushy poops, I haven’t had a single accident in the house. And I’m in the house for a whole work day! I would also like it to be known that, with the exception of smushy poops, I am a happy, healthy, energetic girl. And I don’t have any of those other maladies that frequently afflict Golden Retrievers like hypothyroidism, allergies, or joint problems.

So, are you the forever home for me? Foster Mom thinks my ideal home would have a fenced yard and either kids or other dogs that will play with me. I have too much energy to be a couch potato so I need a family that will do stuff with me. Might that be you?


Calendar ready, don't you think?


This rope toy?  It doesn't look like that anymore.

 

Friday, November 9, 2007

Ginger Joanne here. Things are going just great for me in foster care. I had my vet check and learned that I’m pretty darned healthy. My ears, eyes, teeth, heart, and range of motion are excellent. I do have a fatty mass on my inner thigh that should be removed, but only if I get put under for something else. I’m to continue on my hypoallergenic food for a previously reported condition of irritable bowel syndrome. Foster Mom hasn’t seen any symptoms to speak of so we’re just going to assume I was a little stressed in my old home because I lived with Cujo. Oh, the vet also said I could stand to lose a few pounds too but I’m QUITE sure she neglected to consider my tall frame.

I’ve totally adjusted to life in my new foster home. My foster mom says I’m one happy girl. I like to follow her around a lot. We’re going outside? I LOVE outside! We’re going in the kitchen? I LOVE the kitchen! Bedtime has been a bit of a struggle. Well, not for me, but I move at mach three to stake out my spot on the bed. The resident K9 is no slow boat gettin’ up there either. Unfortunately, that doesn’t bode well for Foster Mom. We always get it figured out though. Foster Mom took a leap o’ faith the first day she went back to work. I was crated during the day in my previous home. Foster Mom really didn’t want to do that so she gave me the run of the house with the two resident dogs. She TRIED to last all day at work but she was a nervous nelly so she came home a little early just to be sure. She found me dozin’ on the couch. So, if you’re looking for a watch dog, I’m not your gal! I might add that Foster Mom found the house in perfect order. Man, I’m a good dog! I’m such a good dog Foster Mom said I’m welcome to hang my leash here for as long as it takes to find my perfect forever home.


Foster Mom says I'm a triple threat: sweet, smart AND cute!


Go ahead. Just TRY and resist this mug.