Wednesday, November 21, 2012

November 21, 2012 Update 8 on Mabel, the Rescued Cocker

Mabel & Suzi in front of the heater
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Mabel is enjoying life with Cindy, Suzi and Bette for the winter. I think of her often and get updates on her progress that I want to share with you. I frequent a pet shop called Wags here in Hendersonville and have found the perfect gift for my fospices girl in Alaska. It’s a surprise but I’m sure you will see pictures of her wearing it soon!



Sharing the bed with Bette & Suzi
Mabel continues her daily meandering and enjoys the company of the other girls in the house. In fact, she has decided she prefers the girls to the butt-sniffing males that she tolerates at TBTB Dog Camp. All it takes is a little snarl and they tuck their tails and leave her alone, but there is none of this at her winter home.

Mabel is a tough broad that knows exactly what she wants and doesn’t want, and is doing better than we could have ever imagined. All she needed was some love and patience, a few canines to make her feel at home and a vet to diagnose and treat her health issues. Having all of this has resulted in an amazing recovery of the little black cocker pulled out of a ravine near death just five short months ago. She’s like the little train that could. . . 

Before I left Alaska I was picking Mabel up in my arms, giving her hugs and gently lying her down on her pillow where she would fall fast asleep. Cindy discovered Mabel only likes to lie on her left side. When she told me this I realized it was indeed the side I put her on. She’s probably arthritic on her right and it hurts, but on her left side she sleeps for hours. It’s the little things we figure out that matter.

Rolling. . .
Mabel takes short naps, lying beside Suzi on the throw pillow in an arrangement of
dogs around the house that is hilarious. Lots of comfy beds adorn the place. Everyone has a spot and Mabel has her heart-shaped pillow that is coveted by Bette. Bette sometimes gets to rest on it until bedtime and then she is kicked out so that Mabel has her designated sleeping spot for the night.
Rolling. . .
Rolling. . . paws in the air!
She continues to be a finicky eater. Why, you wonder? Well, probably because she can be now that most of her meals are cooked for her. She gets bored easy, so food has to be varied to keep her interested. She loved halibut for two days and then turned her nose up at it, the same is true of salmon and hamburger but she always seems to go for the chicken. Cindy found that by grinding up all the food she had previously turned down, gave her a new attitude. She gobbled up the entire meal. LOL. 

Eating is Tiring. . .
Occasionally Mabel goes on strike refusing to take her morning meds served in the baby food she normally loves. So, out comes the liver pate! That’s right, Cindy is preparing a liver pate that she freezes, to make medicine time a little easier. When Mabel becomes bored with the pate dollops, then it will be back to the baby food. Of course any form of medicine takes a bit of coaxing before she actually agrees to take it – especially if it’s in the morning. Mabel is definitely not a morning girl, preferring instead to start her day around 2. So, Cindy is on her hands and knees spoon-feeding Mabel her meds all the while hoping she won’t spit it back out at her – this usually takes about 30 minutes. This can be extremely frustrating or laugh-out-loud funny, depending on whether you are trying to get to work on time or have the extra time needed to pamper her. 

Mabel is always so happy to go outside. Sometimes it takes a while for her to get her walk on, but one thing that never changes is the wagging tail. It’s almost like the tail winds her up and then she takes off walking. It is very funny and she’s always excited to go out for a pee in the snow. She loves meandering on the deck but when it’s cold? Well, she doesn’t stay out long – who can blame her? She prefers her bed in front of the heater when the temperature drops below her comfort zone. And, she sleeps much better at night after a few drops of the Passiflora/Valerian Root tincture that we order for her.

Woof-Woof! Mabel wanted me to say to all her fans, and tell them that she is doing fine at Cindy's. “I get tons of bedding to help me keep the memories of my doggie friends at Tails-By-The-Bay Dog Camp. I also have a deck to meander around on, and a warm heater to snuggle with my sisters Bette & Suzi. Sometimes I fall off my pillow couch and end up sleeping with my paws straight up in the air!”

Thanks to all of you who continue to support this little girl. No donation is too small so please consider giving to the Mabel fund at http://mabel.chipin.com/meds-for-mabel-the-rescued-cocker. All monies help Cindy and I with meds, specialty foods and wee-wee pads – did I mention how much Mabel likes to pee on these? They remind her of squatting in a meadow.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Woof! Woof!

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