Beefy’s Surgery

Samia August 4th, 2008

Hi it’s Samia, Beefy’s foster mom. I thought I’d let you know that the Beef came through his surgery just fine. He had total ear canal ablations on both ears. He had to spend two nights at the vets recovering so he could get extra oxygen and to help him with the nausea. The surgery was a long and involved procedure and lasted almost 5 hours. This poor little fellow endured a lot of pain, and yet he is still a happy boy. Personally, I think the vet’s office just used the excuse that he needed oxygen just so they could keep him there a bit longer. It seems the Beef has developed quite a fan base.

He’s still a little unsteady on his feet and has a bit of facial paralysis, but that should go away in a few weeks. While doing the surgery, they identified the facial nerve, but had to stretch it in order to perform the much needed procedure. It was not cut or damaged, so we have full confidence that he will once again be able to blink and that his drooling will stop. It is only the right side of his face that was affected as that was the ear that was the worst. The surgeon did a little creative improvisation on Beefy’s ears. When he stitched them closed, he did so in such a way that Beefy’s ears do not flop over like a cocker spaniel’s ears. Now, they stick out to the sides, a la The Flying Nun!

Beefy is on a lot of medication right now, but he’ll be right as rain by the time the stitches come out in 10 more days. He may still need eye drops 4-6 times a day for a month or so, but that is a small price to pay for this sweet frog to be pain and infection free for the first time in a long time.

I’m sure going to miss this boy when he boards the Bus to his forever home, but no one knows better than me (well maybe Beefy does) that although we love him, this is not the perfect home for him. He deserves to be in a home with one or two other dogs that like to play, and even better, a home that has dogs and kids. Could you be that home?

Here is a picture of the Beef so you can see how he looks with his newly positioned ears! Isn’t he cute!

Frenchie pool party

Tyree August 2nd, 2008

As the summer heats up, these dogs show us how they cool down.

Here are Chubs, FBVillage graduate Lulu, and Roxie, who all belong to our Kentucky volunteer Vicky Hatchel, throwing their own pool party. Looks a bit crowded!

Uh oh! Mom, Chubs peed in the pool!

Hey where did everybody go?

Healing thoughts for Fluffy

Tyree August 2nd, 2008

K-Kid Fluffy underwent intestinal exploratory/spay surgery a couple weeks ago. The resulting pathology supports a diagnosis of lymphangiectasis, an immune disorder that causes intestinal inflammation and does not allow proteins to be utilized correctly. This results in the body drawing protein from muscle and leads to subsequent weight loss and loss of muscle mass. Although not curable, it is definitely treatable and after careful deliberation, Fluffy’s foster mom decided to consult with a holistic veterinarian to determine the best course of treatment.

The vet recommended a diet consisting of one part sweet potato and two parts ground turkey along with some additional vitamins and vitamin B12 shots once a week for the next two weeks. Since starting this regimen, Fluffy’s energy level has increased and she is definitely more alert and interested in her surroundings. Although she currently weighs just a little over 13 pounds, we are hoping that this new higher protein diet will help put the weight back on her. The next couple of weeks will be a crucial period in her recovery, so please keep Miss Fluffy in your thoughts.

Moses has arrived!

Tyree August 1st, 2008

It’s true. The cutest Frenchie in Ohio has finally found his way to the Village and is enjoying life with his new foster family in New York. Moses is just shy of 2 years old and suffering seizures. Currently, he is having about one seizure per month. However, this does not keep him from being an absolute love bug to everyone he meets.

Did we mention he was cute?

A Sad Day for the French Bulldog Village

cccpups July 25th, 2008

Benny, our endearing little Shih-Tzu/Frenchie Mix will be leaving us.  Before coming to us, Benny had already had so much upheaval in his life that he was left permanently scarred, despite the best efforts of our French Bulldog Village volunteers to give him a sense of security.  Was he abused before he came to the Village?  We just don’t know.  We do know that he arrived leery of new people and afraid of men.

The warning signs were there, but we made excuses for Benny.  We sent him for a much needed hair cut, and he bit the groomer, but we reasoned that bite away.   After all, groomers get bitten all the time, don’t they?  He lunged at visitors, making perfectly clear his intentions to bite.  We even reasoned that away, saying, oh well, he can be crated, we’ll find him a hermit to live with and to love, because that’s what makes it so heartbreaking.   Benny was a loving dog.

He loved his foster mom, and he loved to play with her and the other dogs in his foster home.   How could such a loving little dog exist inside such a dangerous package?   Benny and his foster mom worked out their own truce, and we began to have high hopes for Benny’s future.  We even found him an adoptive home where we were assured that visitors were few and far between.  His foster mom delivered a crate to his new home with instructions to use it when visitors arrived.  Benny bit the cleaning lady.

While Benny sat on house arrest in Oregon with his adoptive mom, we were finally forced to take a long, hard look at Benny.  Neither love nor training had been able to give to Benny the self confidence he needed to tolerate strangers in his territory, to welcome them joyfully rather than with growls and lunges.   In Benny’s mind, he must always be on the ready to protect against any intruder. Now we were faced with the obligation to protect the people he would inevitably meet.   Benny posed an unacceptable risk to those people.  We simply could not trust him.

Everyone is heartbroken at this turn of events.  As a rescue group, the French Bulldog Village has to do the responsible thing, for the good of the dogs and for the good of the adoptive homes.  We wish that every story could  have a happy ending, but sometimes we will be faced with tough decisions.   All that we can do is remind one another how hard we tried.

Benny will not leave us in some sterile animal control facility.  His foster mom Linda will be with him, stroking his fuzzy little coat and reminding him how much he is loved.  Please wish him well in his future journey, where he will endure no more pain or fear.  We will all grieve the loss of Benny.

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