Zoe 04-363

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Announcing Zoe, a 7 week old Golden/Lab mix who came to RAGOM with a sibling, Prince 04-362. She is a real snuggle bug.

Zoe, like her brother, is also suffering from poor nutrition and lack of activity due to the unfortunate surroundings they came from. So, at this time, she will need to remain in foster care for a few weeks to make sure she is happy and healthy for adoption. I will be sure to keep you updated on this sweet girl and her brother.

They will both melt your hearts :)

At a Glance #04-363

Breed not specified Born: May 2006
Female Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

Announcing Zoe, a 7 week old Golden/Lab mix who came to RAGOM with a sibling, Prince 04-362. She is a real snuggle bug.

Zoe, like her brother, is also suffering from poor nutrition and lack of activity due to the unfortunate surroundings they came from. So, at this time, she will need to remain in foster care for a few weeks to make sure she is happy and healthy for adoption. I will be sure to keep you updated on this sweet girl and her brother.

They will both melt your hearts :)

Updates

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Zoe is now 6 months old and is still growing like crazy. She is about 45 lbs. and still just a bundle of love. Doing really well with the potty training....no accidents as long as she gets let out on a regular basis. She loves it when she gets the chance to snuggle up next to someone on the couch for one of her naps and still lives to play with our dog Luca.

It is really hard for us to believe that we have not even had one nibble of interest for our sweet girl. The only time we even remember that she has a condition at all is when we have to give her her daily meds, but otherwise she is as happy and go lucky as any dog. She has a very calm, unassuming personality, gets along great with every living creature she meets, and would just love it if she could become a special treasured member of a forever family :)

Zoe getting cozy with her foster siblings....

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Our wonder dog Zoe is now just over 5 months old. She weighs about 37 pounds and is still growing like a weed. She was in for her final round of tests last week, and it has been determined that her heart defect is permanent, but she has done wonderfully on her medication, Diltiazem, and the doctors say her arrhythmia is noticeably better because of the meds. Clinically, she has really blossomed on her meds....honestly, no one would ever suspect there is anything at all wrong with her, least of all, her :), as she is now full of spunk and energy. She loves to go on walks, and can keep pace with our Golden, playing, running, jumping and all the other fun stuff pups can find to do together. She will most likely need to stay on her medication the rest of her life, she takes it twice daily, and she actually loves the sound of pill bottles, because it means treat time! The medication is also fairly inexpensive, I paid about $13 for a month's supply of pills. Her vet said that she looks as healthy and happy as any other pup her age, and that we should just let her be a dog. We are in agreement with that here. So, really, she has no restrictions at this point. She will need closer follow up care than most dogs, a check up twice a year, instead of yearly, and EKG's now and again. Because none of her doctors have never really seen this condition in a dog her age, there are no guarantees (but who gets those anyway) and they all just say she is a SPECIAL case. Everyone is just hopeful that she lives a long and happy life. So far, she is really doing great, considering where she came from, and she is just the sweetest dog ever. She is so tolerant of everything and everybody, including our 2 yr. old, our 4 cats, and anything else she comes in contact with. She does not resource guard and she is really coming along on the potty training. We have gone 3 days now without an accident. She has not decided on what sign she is going to use to let us know she has to go out (working on getting her to ring a bell, like our dog does) so we still take her out for potty breaks every 3 hours at least during the day. She is still crated at night and sleeps at least 8 hours now. She has been trying out some counter surfing, and she really thinks she should be eating what anyone else is when they are eating, but we are working on this, and it too shall pass. She does well on her Gentle Leader now, we need to use it when we walk, or she will pull like an ox :). She has a lot of power in her little body. She doesn't jump up on people, comes to her name, can sit and is doing really well with OFF. I sure hope I am conveying what a wonderful addition she would make to some lucky family, because everyone that meets her says she is such a good girl, and with every day that passes, it gets harder and harder to think of letting her go...

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Finally...an update on our sweet Zoe!

She is now 4 months old and weighing in at just over 30 lbs. The reason she has been MIA for the past few weeks is that we have found that Zoe has a heart condition. This was discovered at her last vet appointment for her routine shots and check up. So far, she has had several tests, including an EKG and echocardiogram, and it has been determined that she has a defect in the valve on the left side of her heart, between the atrium and ventricle. It does not close completely as it should, which is causing an arrhythmia. The cause of this condition is unknown, but the doctors are theorizing that it is a result of her poor start to life; no nutrition and unhealthy surroundings after she was born and her heart was still forming. At this point, the cause is irrelevant, and we just need to find the best course of long term treatment for Zoe to enjoy a happy, healthy life. RAGOM has been wonderful in supporting Zoe (not to mention her foster family) through all of this, and it has been decided that she will stay in foster care for another month to finish out the recommended tests and treatments, so we have the best information and treatment plan to pass on to the family that is lucky enough to adopt Zoe.

As of right now, Zoe is on a trial of anti-arrhythmic medication, and will go back for a repeat EKG in 2 weeks, and then will also start a month long course of antibiotics, to treat any infection or possible lyme's disease. After she is at least 2 weeks into that treatment, they will do a follow up echo to check her heart again, looking for any changes. I will be sure to keep you all posted as events unfold. The team of doctors at Animal Care Hospital has taken unbelievable care of Zoe to this point, and I'm sure they will continue to go above and beyond to make sure she has every opportunity to live a wonderful life.

What they have determined is that Zoe should be able to be adopted, but will need a family that can take her special needs into consideration. She will more than likely be on medication the rest of her life, and will have to be restricted somewhat....like she should not be allowed to run to the point of exhaustion, or anything else, such as playing, swimming, or overheating. She really should just be leash walked for exercise, or possibly in a fenced yard supervised. She will need to stay at her ideal body weight, not get too heavy, which would put extra stress on her heart.

She will also need to have extra care taken for any surgical procedure with anesthesia, and will always need to start a course of antibiotics two days prior to any procedure, even teeth cleaning, to avoid an infection getting to her heart which will be susceptible to infection with the valve not functioning properly. And she will need regular follow ups to keep track of her heart and how she is doing with her meds.

Now, on to the good stuff. Potty training is progressing nicely. Zoe still does not have any set signal, but is catching on to the right location to do her thing, and a treat now and then doesn't hurt :) She is sleeping through the night in her kennel, 8 hours, which is wonderful....and has no accidents in the kennel when she is left for a couple hours here and there. She has a very sweet and calm personality. She is not a typical active all the time puppy, some of which may be her heart condition, but she is very easy to live with. She absolutely loves our 1 year old Golden, and wants to be with him at all times. I think it would be nice for Zoe to go to a home with another dog, just not one that would play non-stop. She has not yet been without a dog companion, so really not sure how she would do. She is still curious about the cats, tries to get them to play every once in awhile with a pounce towards them or a bow and a bark, but to no avail. She is wonderful with kids (even our 2 year old), and really is great with people of any age. Everyone that meets her says that any family would be so lucky to get a dog like her, laid back, smart, affectionate. She is a real sweetheart.

We finally saw signs that she really is a puppy the other day (she so seldom does anything wrong). She had fun unrolling the bathroom toilet paper and running through the house with pieces in her mouth, waiting for anyone (dog or human) to chase her. The vet will actually be glad to hear this, as we are hoping her meds give her a bit more pep and energy, and this could be a sign that we are moving in the right direction :) More to come on Zoe in the next few weeks!

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Zoe is growing like a weed. She is now 9 weeks and weighs 15 lbs. She is making leaps and bounds towards full health. She is such a sweetheart. She's a bit more cautious then her brother Prince, but is still curious enough to investigate things. She seems a bit more independent and has the cutest little white patch on her chin.

Both pups are in the very early stages of potty training, still needing to potty every half hour or more, and very much into puppy playtime - lots of biting, chewing, romping, wrestling and just general doggy fun, with the occasional snuggle and cuddle thrown in when they are sleepy. They love having our one year old Golden to play with. Our family has a 2 1/2 year old, as well as an 11 and 13 yr. old, our resident Golden, 4 cats and lots of neighborhood kids that want puppy kisses, so they get lots of varied socialization. They are being kenneled at bedtime and when we leave the house, and are getting daily walks on their leashes - not an easy task with the two of them as well as our dog :)

Both pups will go back to the vet in about 10 days, and will hopefully get the final ok and be ready for adoption! I will let you know the minute these 2 sweeties are ready to meet their forever families.

Thursday, November 4, 2004

Zoe had her first trip to the vet, and weighed exactly the same as her brother Prince, 11 lbs., 2oz., and had her first set of shots and worming. Her tummy feels much better now! She is the more adventurous of the pair, always leading the way outside, and not as timid with new situations. She is getting more spunky each day, and it is so neat to see her, as well as her brother, blossom into happy little puppies!