| SNOWBALL |
STATE: NH
AGE: 8 YEARS
WEIGHT: 55 lbs
SEX: FEMALE
NEUT/UTD: YES/YES
COAT COLOR: WHITE
DOCKED TAIL: YES
CROPPED EARS: NO
CHILDREN under 4: YES
CHILDREN OVER 4: YES
SEPARATION ANXIETY: NO
OTHER DOGS: YES
CATS: YES
CRATE TRAINED: NO
HOUSE TRAINED: YES
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: SOME
LEASH TRAINED: YES
ATTENDING OBEDIENCE: NO
MICROCHIPPED: NO
ADOPTION FEE: $150 (FEE WAIVED IF ADOPTED FROM SCBR IN THE PAST!)
AGE: 8 YEARS
WEIGHT: 55 lbs
SEX: FEMALE
NEUT/UTD: YES/YES
COAT COLOR: WHITE
DOCKED TAIL: YES
CROPPED EARS: NO
CHILDREN under 4: YES
CHILDREN OVER 4: YES
SEPARATION ANXIETY: NO
OTHER DOGS: YES
CATS: YES
CRATE TRAINED: NO
HOUSE TRAINED: YES
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: SOME
LEASH TRAINED: YES
ATTENDING OBEDIENCE: NO
MICROCHIPPED: NO
ADOPTION FEE: $150 (FEE WAIVED IF ADOPTED FROM SCBR IN THE PAST!)
UPDATE 1/7/06 - Hi all! Snow has been with us for two months now and she is such a sweet dog.
She is laying on the couch watching me while I write this :) We are still working on trying to get her skin
issues cleared up. She is going in for a skin biopsy on Wed and hopefully that will give us a better idea
of what might be going on. The vet seems to think that she may have some kind of bacterial infection?
Obedience is going very well. Snow does well with most of the commands, however we are still
working on "down" and "stay" but she is getting better everytime we work with her. I'll try to send out
an update after wed when we find out what might be going on with her skin. Happy New Year's
everyone :)
UPDATE 12/8/06 - Ok I'm late on Snow's one month update sorry :( Crazy week! So I just have to
start by saying that Snow is just by far the sweetest most lovable dog I have ever seen!!! It was a
matter of hours after we picked her up and Joe and I were just totally in love with her. We seriously
couldn't have picked a better dog if we had tried. Her skin is finally starting to look really good and
almost all of her fur is back. She has been so good through all of the treatment and the poking and the
washing and the shots. Her and Tyson are getting along really well after sort of a rough start. She was
very unsure of him for the first week even though he tried soooooo hard to get her to play. I'm happy
to report that they play almost non stop now...including in the house, which with two dgs tearing around
and around in a cozy little farm house is like a three ring circus :) I have some great pictures and videos
of the two of them together...but alas I have not yet figured out the camera....it's still on the to do list. I
have to say it again that Joe and I just adore her and she is such a wonderful dog and it is a pleasure to
have her as part of the family. I hope that I can figure out the camera soon so I can send out some
pictures. More updates soon. Thanks all :)
11/5/06 - Snowball has been adopted!
10/12/06 - Don't I look cute in a pumpkin hat? Please take me home for Thanksgiving!
I am the sweetest girl and would love to play with you and your children. I am a very good girl and easy
to have in the house. I am a great companion for you and your children. I prefer to be inside - as I was
left alone outside day and night much of my life and get nervous going outside with out the assurance I
can come back to be inside with my family.
I am okay with other dogs and cats, although I do find those fury small things pretty interesting.
I love to ride in cars, go for walks and play fetch with soft toys. I am not sure what to do with those
hard, round things mom calls a ball but I am learning. I learned to sleep in my fluffy dog bed and you
can find me curled up taking a nap after dinner. It took me a while to figure out what that soft stuff was.
I am such a nice dog. I know you will love me as much as my foster mom does. Actually, she says, I
have no bad habits at all and my heart is as pure as my pretty Snow-White coat. Please make this my
best Thanksgiving ever. I promise you to will be thankful that I came into your family's life. I really love
kids and think playing with them is the best. Don't worry, I am a very gentle girl and always mind my
manners indoor or out!
Thanks for thinking of me
SnowBall.
10/10/06 - Snowball had vaccine for rabies and distemper on Saturday. Her family sent her with
outdated meds for her ears in a bag that had her former Vets name and phone number so we called
them to get her vaccine record. She had not seen a vet in two years and all her shots were outdated. If
you remember, my vet said her autoimmune system was in overdrive trying to respond to the severe ear
infection, flea and scabies infestation and secondary skin infection so he wanted to hold off on all
vaccinations until her immune system was able to tolerate vaccinations. So, the good news is she is well
enough to have her vaccinations and her ears are finally healthy! Yea, Snowy. She has also gained 5
pounds.
However, as I mentioned her skin was so bad that it will take months for it to completely clear up. After
about a week off her antibiotics I noticed her elbows, feet and tail were again getting red and she
started scratching again. So, we found her skin infection is not entirely better so she is again on another
round of antibiotics and back to the 3 times a week shampoos. Darn!
I am working with her every day so she can learn basic obedience commands and to walk better on a
leash. My first try was not too sucessful as she had no interest in sitting on a command. Finally, she sat
and I gave her with a bit of a hotdog as a reward and she spit it. Who knew she was into only healthy
treats! She prefers bits of kibble instead.
Snowy still has no idea what to do with a ball or squeaky toy but loves her stuffed teddy. She enjoys
playing with me by retrieving the teddy and running loops in my back yard. The running is helping to
establish better muscle tone. Snowball does not chew or destroy anything, has no separation anxiety. I
working with her to ensure she knows the command leave it, and how to greet people at the door,
especially after dark.
She is a very bright, energetic boxer girl and I highly recommend that she be placed with a family that
has small children, even very young babies as she is very gently and loves them the most. She is a
great companion but aloof enough to give you some space should you want it. She enjoys sleeping in
her own dog bed ( finally got her off the hardwood floors) while I knit or watch TV. I find it is hard to
knit with a dog in my lap! :)
9/18/06 - I went on my first overnight to visit my foster nana in Rye, NH this weekend. I loved riding
and didn't squirm too much in my seatbelt.
When we arrived in Rye, Mom opened the windows so I could smell the salt air. Mo, who loves the
beach started barking as soon as he saw the Atlantic Ocean but I remained quite as I am not much for
carrying on and barking..
My foster nana welcomed me to her home and kisses and hugs and lot of wiggles abounded. I met two
strange fury things - that did not look or smell like any dogs I have seen before. Mom explained they
were kitties and I had to be careful with them. Mo and the kitties seemed like old buddies and Max
decided right away he liked me. He came over and laid right next to me but the other one was more
reserve and kept his distance. I guess if everyone else thinks the kitties are okay, they are okay with
me. But, truthfully, I was a bit uncomfortable while they were around.
Mom took me for a walk boy does this area smell funny! Suddenly I was walking on this soft mushy
stuff she said was beach sand. (Don't tell her but I really prefer firm footing, with dirt and grass!)
When I arrived at the “beach� I recognized some kids and we all walked to the end of the sand.
Then next thing I saw was this moving water which was pretty scary. If that wasn’t scary enough,
mom tried to get me to my pretty white feet wet. I protested at first, but decided it was better than the
squishy sand. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the sights and different smells but after a time, walking on
the EDGE of he water was okay.
When we returned from our walk, more of my new friends arrived. I especially like babies and like to
sit real close and lick noses and toes. Just so you know, my kisses are special and I don’t lick any
one except babies! Babies are my favorite! The two moms didn't mind because the are used to boxers
and I overheard them saying just how sweet and gentle I am.
Everyone I meet seems to love me and I like everyone too, especially all eight of the kids! After
dinner, some of the older kids played fetch with me. Everyone patted me and told me what a beautify
girl I am. I liked that the best! I was sad to see some of the kids go home to their houses but I was
poOped from all the new encounters.
When Bedtime came around, mom encouraged me to try this weird, round, climbing device she called
a circular stair case. Morgan went right up, but I was too scared to step past the second step so my
new nana let me sleep with her in the downstairs bedroom - and that was fine with me.
I was a perfect guest and had a good time. I was happy to come home last night to my own house but
I like going for rides – Visiting is a good thing! Snow-White the Princess
9/15/06 - Tomorrow will be Snow-White's second full week with me. She has absolutely NO
behavioral issues.
She is the calmest, sweetest boxer girl ever. She now plays with some toys and loves to retrieve her
soft teddy bear the most. She is still not sure what to do with squeaky rubber toys or balls. I am sure
she will catch on soon enough. She is absolute wonderful with children and loves to play with them.
She has been around babies as young as 2 months, and toddlers from 18 months to 3 years, as well as
older children from 6-14, and loves them all. She is very gentle with babies and is aware of their
presence inside my home
and outside. During outside play she was careful not to knock any of the little ones over.
I feel sorry for her because she has had to have her ears washed and medicated 3 times daily and has
to tolerate 3 back to back shampoos every week. I know she comes to the tub only because I am
asking her to do so. She never balks when I ask her to get in, but does move ever so slowly when I call
her to the bathroom. The worst part for her, is that she has to stand wet for 10 minutes between each
shampoo to allow the skin treatments to work ( 20 minutes of standing wet) - she is VERY tolerant of
all this being done
to her. I guess she just knows I am helping make her better. She allows me to clean her ears and
medicate her ears. I think I mentioned that she doesn't drool, snore, or make a mess eating or drinking
from her dog dishes
(Getting used to eating from raised dishes was funny to see. She would reach in take some food and eat
from the floor) or get into the trash. She doesn't attempt to take any thing from the counters, or coffee
table she is
very respectful of everything in my house.
She was so funny when we went to vet for her follow up on Tuesday - I think she thought she was the
official welcome dog to the facility. She wiggled at every dog, cat and human she encountered. The staff
just loves her. She has not displayed any aggressive behavior in any situation we have faced - new
people, new dogs, new situations, food, or treats, or cats. She is great on a leash and loves to go for
walks with Morgan and me in the morning and when I come home at night. Some times she pulls a bit
but responds, if I correct
her. I seldom take the same route, so it is all still very new to her and stopping to gather in all these new
smell is understandable. She will urinate on her walk but prefers her back yard for doing her other
business.
I have allowed her to go where ever, but I will train her to go in the mulched area of the yard instead of
the grass, like my other dogs have.
It took some time, but now she sleeps in her dog bed if I am busy, BUT, as soon as sit down, she
likes to sit on the floor very close to me, and an lay her upper body across me with her head on my lap.
She is welcome to climb up to sit next to me on my couch, but seems afraid to jump up on it ( am not
encouraging this because I am not sure her new family will want her on furniture). She does sleep with
me at the bottom of bed every night. She loves to be patted and I can touch every part of her including
inside her mouth. I have taken her food dish away while she was eating to see her response and there
was none. She just backs away and allows me to do what ever I wanted to do and then resumed eating.
The vet and I are concerned with the 5 lumps on her back. He had hoped they would shrink after using
the medicated shampoos. He is trying a topical peroxide (I think ointment). At least they are not
infected. She began her second round of antibiotics - Oh, I think I forgot to mention she smells as sweet
as can be now. Besides the skin infection she must have been sprayed by a skunk at some time. Every
time I wash her, the tissue around her face smelled like skunk! How she must have hated to smell so
badly for so long. Even the skunk smell is gone.
I can't wait to send you new photos on Monday. She has new hair growth on all her legs, and her back,
and the only irritated areas are a couple of red spots on her elbows, and a short red line across her
paws. I am waiting for the Revolution to come. I think something bites her and she reacts to the bite.
Revolution will kill fleas, and mites. The delay was because there was some confusion at PET Meds
where I ordered it and the authorization for the prescription was held up. I called and had my vet refax
the prescription to them 3 times. Hopefully, when I call today - they will tell me it is on the way for her.
I know, another shampoo - the poor girl. I cannot emphasize how gentle and understanding this girl if of
me performing all these strange things to her.
I am not sure I mentioned that she has a slight heart murmur and still somewhat anemic, and she on her
second round of ear meds. I think I mentioned the vet said she such a bad bacterial skin infection,
secondary to allergic reaction to fleas, and perhaps mange that it will take about 3 months for her to
fully recover.
9/6/06 - Snow is better, but yesterday and today she is miserable because she iches so much. She is
due for another round of shampoos tomorrow. She is happy when she is not itchy. Sits and looks at me
and whines when I stop patting her head and talking to her. She is going to make someone a wonderful
additon to their family. She is very gentle, quite, patient and easy dog to have around. No bad habits at
all. She prefers the floor to a soft bed. So unboxer like. She doesn't snore or drool either! But she has
mastered the boxer lean and wiggle. For her write-up yes she is house broken but not crate trained.
Hates the crate. She obeys simple commands sit and laydown. She walks very nicely on a leash too
and comes when I call her. Loves to play and fetches toys. Loves small babies and children of all ages.
Especially fond of my 12 year old grand-daughter. I noticed she is careful not to bump the small
toddlers over. She is aware of their presence in the yard and always runs around them while she is
playing. She let my three year old walk her on a leash in the back yard - never attempted to pull her.
She is a great boxer!
9/1/06 - Snowball is less red every day. I noticed she even has new hair growing in on her calloused
areas on her hips, feet and elbows. Last night was her first experience in a human bed. I feel so bad that
she sleeps on my carpet and will not venture on to the dog bed I bought for her. She just stand on it
nervously. She is loving to play fetch with a her dog teddy but it appears she has never seen a squeaky
toy. She just tilts her head and stares at it. Last night I invited her to sleep up in my bed with me and
Morgan. (Now that she is finally flea free and smells good) this too was a new experience for her. She
stood on my bed and looked at us for about 30 minutes before sitting down. Finally, after a while she
laid down and slept until morning. My guys like to get comfy and sleep with their heads on their own
pillows and Hannah liked to sleep under the covers.
She is just a delight to have in the house! She has no issues with anything. She is a medium energy dog
that is calm, submissive and friendly to all she meets. Fine with men ( bearded, bald, sun glasses etc.)
She has no fear or aggression with other dogs, food or toys. I guess after living outside 24/7 she is
happy finally to be clean and fed. Snowball loves to be patted, scratched and hugged. I am sorry my
pictures of her didn't go through to you all. Kills me that she was not taken care of properly.
Medically, she is doing great except for the large sores on her back. They are no longer infected but
have not gone away. One of her ears is of normal color and size. The other more infected one still is
very red and sore. The ear flap is still thick and inflamed. We go back to the vet next week for a check
up. She will probably need more ear meds. Other than that medically, she is making great progress.
8/30/06 - Hi all, I just finished talking to the vet about Snowball's (aka: Snowhite) blood work. All
good news - Her blood work results was typical for a dog suffering with a severe skin allergy( a couple
of results were elevated and globulin was low). All skin scrapings were negative. This includes
Demadex(Spelling) and sarcopitic mange - but he cautioned that sarcoptic can be tricky and suggested
I continue the plan to apply Revolution as it kills mites, fleas, and can be used to prevent heartworm.
Her blood work did show that she does have mild anemia ( normal is 37 and she is 35.7) but he feels
it is probably due to fleas and worms or it is typical for the body to reduce red Blood cell output under
severe allergy conditions. I am sending in a stool andurine sample tomorrow.
He is extremely pleased that SW is responding so well to the antibiotics, shampoos and flea meds. As
I reported earlier he skin has calmed down so much now she is a light pink color, down from the
salmon color of yesterday and no longer bright red and swollen. The large sores are much less infected
and he thinks she just has infected hair follicles. The first round of shampoos made an immediate
difference. I think just getting her skin clean not only made her feel better but calmed the inflammation
too.
Her heartworm is negative but she tested positive to Lyme disease and will be on medicine for that.
Did I mention she was spayed? Tonight is second round of shampooing. Three baths a week for the
poor girl! That's me - the poor girl! Only joking. Happy to help her out. She is just a delight. I hope by
Thursday my daughter will be sending pictures of
her(SnowWhite-the princess).
8/28/06 - Snowball has arrived and the smell is much better today as she starts to heal. Her skin was so
red it looked like she had been scalded. It was better after the shampoos, down to a raspberry color
and this morning the skin in most places was the color of cooked salmon. We are making progress. She
has callouses on her knees, ankles and hips that we will be working on clearing up. Hips are the worst -
she has two melon sized spots from her bones laying on a hard surface.
You should see the look on her face the first time I put her outside. It was so sad. I think she thought
she had to remain outside again. She is so happy to have a house to come into and people to touch and
talk to her. She came with some expired ear medicine that appers it was not used & her ears were let
go untreated. When the vet checked her ears, she cried a bit when he gently tried to clean them - as he
progressed, she never growled or raised a lip at him but hearing her wince he decided to sedate her to
clean her ears better. He said she's suffered enough! To see a vet with tears in his eyes is not a
common sight for me. He was very compassionate and washed her up a bit for us and spent nearly
2hrs cleaning her wounds on her back and ears.
Thanks Dot for recommending that I add Pumpkin to her diet. OH, my 4 year old grand-daughter calls
her Snow White and she comes right over to her! Yes, she surely is a princess! The vet did a skin
scrape to see if he could find anything, but couldn't positively rule out scabies. Part of me hates to put
another strong chemical on her body this week. She has to have two shampoo treatments three times a
week. Her skin looked better after the first round of shampoos. I am hoping it is a reaction to fleas as I
did find some flea dander under that nasty rotting collar of hers that I threw out. God I hate to put
anything around her neck until it is clear. She just wears a chain (not in choke configure) when we
walk.. In the house she is naked! No hair no collar.
8/27/06 - Snowball is an 8 year old owner surrender as they said she has been living outside 24/7 since
Spring as she smelled due to skin allergies and due to living outside all day and night. The kids were not
allowed to touch her anymore either due to the smell. They did not want her to freeze in the winter by
living outside, so they contacted our rescue to get her healthy & find a new home. Pictures & updates
soon.
She is laying on the couch watching me while I write this :) We are still working on trying to get her skin
issues cleared up. She is going in for a skin biopsy on Wed and hopefully that will give us a better idea
of what might be going on. The vet seems to think that she may have some kind of bacterial infection?
Obedience is going very well. Snow does well with most of the commands, however we are still
working on "down" and "stay" but she is getting better everytime we work with her. I'll try to send out
an update after wed when we find out what might be going on with her skin. Happy New Year's
everyone :)
UPDATE 12/8/06 - Ok I'm late on Snow's one month update sorry :( Crazy week! So I just have to
start by saying that Snow is just by far the sweetest most lovable dog I have ever seen!!! It was a
matter of hours after we picked her up and Joe and I were just totally in love with her. We seriously
couldn't have picked a better dog if we had tried. Her skin is finally starting to look really good and
almost all of her fur is back. She has been so good through all of the treatment and the poking and the
washing and the shots. Her and Tyson are getting along really well after sort of a rough start. She was
very unsure of him for the first week even though he tried soooooo hard to get her to play. I'm happy
to report that they play almost non stop now...including in the house, which with two dgs tearing around
and around in a cozy little farm house is like a three ring circus :) I have some great pictures and videos
of the two of them together...but alas I have not yet figured out the camera....it's still on the to do list. I
have to say it again that Joe and I just adore her and she is such a wonderful dog and it is a pleasure to
have her as part of the family. I hope that I can figure out the camera soon so I can send out some
pictures. More updates soon. Thanks all :)
11/5/06 - Snowball has been adopted!
10/12/06 - Don't I look cute in a pumpkin hat? Please take me home for Thanksgiving!
I am the sweetest girl and would love to play with you and your children. I am a very good girl and easy
to have in the house. I am a great companion for you and your children. I prefer to be inside - as I was
left alone outside day and night much of my life and get nervous going outside with out the assurance I
can come back to be inside with my family.
I am okay with other dogs and cats, although I do find those fury small things pretty interesting.
I love to ride in cars, go for walks and play fetch with soft toys. I am not sure what to do with those
hard, round things mom calls a ball but I am learning. I learned to sleep in my fluffy dog bed and you
can find me curled up taking a nap after dinner. It took me a while to figure out what that soft stuff was.
I am such a nice dog. I know you will love me as much as my foster mom does. Actually, she says, I
have no bad habits at all and my heart is as pure as my pretty Snow-White coat. Please make this my
best Thanksgiving ever. I promise you to will be thankful that I came into your family's life. I really love
kids and think playing with them is the best. Don't worry, I am a very gentle girl and always mind my
manners indoor or out!
Thanks for thinking of me
SnowBall.
10/10/06 - Snowball had vaccine for rabies and distemper on Saturday. Her family sent her with
outdated meds for her ears in a bag that had her former Vets name and phone number so we called
them to get her vaccine record. She had not seen a vet in two years and all her shots were outdated. If
you remember, my vet said her autoimmune system was in overdrive trying to respond to the severe ear
infection, flea and scabies infestation and secondary skin infection so he wanted to hold off on all
vaccinations until her immune system was able to tolerate vaccinations. So, the good news is she is well
enough to have her vaccinations and her ears are finally healthy! Yea, Snowy. She has also gained 5
pounds.
However, as I mentioned her skin was so bad that it will take months for it to completely clear up. After
about a week off her antibiotics I noticed her elbows, feet and tail were again getting red and she
started scratching again. So, we found her skin infection is not entirely better so she is again on another
round of antibiotics and back to the 3 times a week shampoos. Darn!
I am working with her every day so she can learn basic obedience commands and to walk better on a
leash. My first try was not too sucessful as she had no interest in sitting on a command. Finally, she sat
and I gave her with a bit of a hotdog as a reward and she spit it. Who knew she was into only healthy
treats! She prefers bits of kibble instead.
Snowy still has no idea what to do with a ball or squeaky toy but loves her stuffed teddy. She enjoys
playing with me by retrieving the teddy and running loops in my back yard. The running is helping to
establish better muscle tone. Snowball does not chew or destroy anything, has no separation anxiety. I
working with her to ensure she knows the command leave it, and how to greet people at the door,
especially after dark.
She is a very bright, energetic boxer girl and I highly recommend that she be placed with a family that
has small children, even very young babies as she is very gently and loves them the most. She is a
great companion but aloof enough to give you some space should you want it. She enjoys sleeping in
her own dog bed ( finally got her off the hardwood floors) while I knit or watch TV. I find it is hard to
knit with a dog in my lap! :)
9/18/06 - I went on my first overnight to visit my foster nana in Rye, NH this weekend. I loved riding
and didn't squirm too much in my seatbelt.
When we arrived in Rye, Mom opened the windows so I could smell the salt air. Mo, who loves the
beach started barking as soon as he saw the Atlantic Ocean but I remained quite as I am not much for
carrying on and barking..
My foster nana welcomed me to her home and kisses and hugs and lot of wiggles abounded. I met two
strange fury things - that did not look or smell like any dogs I have seen before. Mom explained they
were kitties and I had to be careful with them. Mo and the kitties seemed like old buddies and Max
decided right away he liked me. He came over and laid right next to me but the other one was more
reserve and kept his distance. I guess if everyone else thinks the kitties are okay, they are okay with
me. But, truthfully, I was a bit uncomfortable while they were around.
Mom took me for a walk boy does this area smell funny! Suddenly I was walking on this soft mushy
stuff she said was beach sand. (Don't tell her but I really prefer firm footing, with dirt and grass!)
When I arrived at the “beach� I recognized some kids and we all walked to the end of the sand.
Then next thing I saw was this moving water which was pretty scary. If that wasn’t scary enough,
mom tried to get me to my pretty white feet wet. I protested at first, but decided it was better than the
squishy sand. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the sights and different smells but after a time, walking on
the EDGE of he water was okay.
When we returned from our walk, more of my new friends arrived. I especially like babies and like to
sit real close and lick noses and toes. Just so you know, my kisses are special and I don’t lick any
one except babies! Babies are my favorite! The two moms didn't mind because the are used to boxers
and I overheard them saying just how sweet and gentle I am.
Everyone I meet seems to love me and I like everyone too, especially all eight of the kids! After
dinner, some of the older kids played fetch with me. Everyone patted me and told me what a beautify
girl I am. I liked that the best! I was sad to see some of the kids go home to their houses but I was
poOped from all the new encounters.
When Bedtime came around, mom encouraged me to try this weird, round, climbing device she called
a circular stair case. Morgan went right up, but I was too scared to step past the second step so my
new nana let me sleep with her in the downstairs bedroom - and that was fine with me.
I was a perfect guest and had a good time. I was happy to come home last night to my own house but
I like going for rides – Visiting is a good thing! Snow-White the Princess
9/15/06 - Tomorrow will be Snow-White's second full week with me. She has absolutely NO
behavioral issues.
She is the calmest, sweetest boxer girl ever. She now plays with some toys and loves to retrieve her
soft teddy bear the most. She is still not sure what to do with squeaky rubber toys or balls. I am sure
she will catch on soon enough. She is absolute wonderful with children and loves to play with them.
She has been around babies as young as 2 months, and toddlers from 18 months to 3 years, as well as
older children from 6-14, and loves them all. She is very gentle with babies and is aware of their
presence inside my home
and outside. During outside play she was careful not to knock any of the little ones over.
I feel sorry for her because she has had to have her ears washed and medicated 3 times daily and has
to tolerate 3 back to back shampoos every week. I know she comes to the tub only because I am
asking her to do so. She never balks when I ask her to get in, but does move ever so slowly when I call
her to the bathroom. The worst part for her, is that she has to stand wet for 10 minutes between each
shampoo to allow the skin treatments to work ( 20 minutes of standing wet) - she is VERY tolerant of
all this being done
to her. I guess she just knows I am helping make her better. She allows me to clean her ears and
medicate her ears. I think I mentioned that she doesn't drool, snore, or make a mess eating or drinking
from her dog dishes
(Getting used to eating from raised dishes was funny to see. She would reach in take some food and eat
from the floor) or get into the trash. She doesn't attempt to take any thing from the counters, or coffee
table she is
very respectful of everything in my house.
She was so funny when we went to vet for her follow up on Tuesday - I think she thought she was the
official welcome dog to the facility. She wiggled at every dog, cat and human she encountered. The staff
just loves her. She has not displayed any aggressive behavior in any situation we have faced - new
people, new dogs, new situations, food, or treats, or cats. She is great on a leash and loves to go for
walks with Morgan and me in the morning and when I come home at night. Some times she pulls a bit
but responds, if I correct
her. I seldom take the same route, so it is all still very new to her and stopping to gather in all these new
smell is understandable. She will urinate on her walk but prefers her back yard for doing her other
business.
I have allowed her to go where ever, but I will train her to go in the mulched area of the yard instead of
the grass, like my other dogs have.
It took some time, but now she sleeps in her dog bed if I am busy, BUT, as soon as sit down, she
likes to sit on the floor very close to me, and an lay her upper body across me with her head on my lap.
She is welcome to climb up to sit next to me on my couch, but seems afraid to jump up on it ( am not
encouraging this because I am not sure her new family will want her on furniture). She does sleep with
me at the bottom of bed every night. She loves to be patted and I can touch every part of her including
inside her mouth. I have taken her food dish away while she was eating to see her response and there
was none. She just backs away and allows me to do what ever I wanted to do and then resumed eating.
The vet and I are concerned with the 5 lumps on her back. He had hoped they would shrink after using
the medicated shampoos. He is trying a topical peroxide (I think ointment). At least they are not
infected. She began her second round of antibiotics - Oh, I think I forgot to mention she smells as sweet
as can be now. Besides the skin infection she must have been sprayed by a skunk at some time. Every
time I wash her, the tissue around her face smelled like skunk! How she must have hated to smell so
badly for so long. Even the skunk smell is gone.
I can't wait to send you new photos on Monday. She has new hair growth on all her legs, and her back,
and the only irritated areas are a couple of red spots on her elbows, and a short red line across her
paws. I am waiting for the Revolution to come. I think something bites her and she reacts to the bite.
Revolution will kill fleas, and mites. The delay was because there was some confusion at PET Meds
where I ordered it and the authorization for the prescription was held up. I called and had my vet refax
the prescription to them 3 times. Hopefully, when I call today - they will tell me it is on the way for her.
I know, another shampoo - the poor girl. I cannot emphasize how gentle and understanding this girl if of
me performing all these strange things to her.
I am not sure I mentioned that she has a slight heart murmur and still somewhat anemic, and she on her
second round of ear meds. I think I mentioned the vet said she such a bad bacterial skin infection,
secondary to allergic reaction to fleas, and perhaps mange that it will take about 3 months for her to
fully recover.
9/6/06 - Snow is better, but yesterday and today she is miserable because she iches so much. She is
due for another round of shampoos tomorrow. She is happy when she is not itchy. Sits and looks at me
and whines when I stop patting her head and talking to her. She is going to make someone a wonderful
additon to their family. She is very gentle, quite, patient and easy dog to have around. No bad habits at
all. She prefers the floor to a soft bed. So unboxer like. She doesn't snore or drool either! But she has
mastered the boxer lean and wiggle. For her write-up yes she is house broken but not crate trained.
Hates the crate. She obeys simple commands sit and laydown. She walks very nicely on a leash too
and comes when I call her. Loves to play and fetches toys. Loves small babies and children of all ages.
Especially fond of my 12 year old grand-daughter. I noticed she is careful not to bump the small
toddlers over. She is aware of their presence in the yard and always runs around them while she is
playing. She let my three year old walk her on a leash in the back yard - never attempted to pull her.
She is a great boxer!
9/1/06 - Snowball is less red every day. I noticed she even has new hair growing in on her calloused
areas on her hips, feet and elbows. Last night was her first experience in a human bed. I feel so bad that
she sleeps on my carpet and will not venture on to the dog bed I bought for her. She just stand on it
nervously. She is loving to play fetch with a her dog teddy but it appears she has never seen a squeaky
toy. She just tilts her head and stares at it. Last night I invited her to sleep up in my bed with me and
Morgan. (Now that she is finally flea free and smells good) this too was a new experience for her. She
stood on my bed and looked at us for about 30 minutes before sitting down. Finally, after a while she
laid down and slept until morning. My guys like to get comfy and sleep with their heads on their own
pillows and Hannah liked to sleep under the covers.
She is just a delight to have in the house! She has no issues with anything. She is a medium energy dog
that is calm, submissive and friendly to all she meets. Fine with men ( bearded, bald, sun glasses etc.)
She has no fear or aggression with other dogs, food or toys. I guess after living outside 24/7 she is
happy finally to be clean and fed. Snowball loves to be patted, scratched and hugged. I am sorry my
pictures of her didn't go through to you all. Kills me that she was not taken care of properly.
Medically, she is doing great except for the large sores on her back. They are no longer infected but
have not gone away. One of her ears is of normal color and size. The other more infected one still is
very red and sore. The ear flap is still thick and inflamed. We go back to the vet next week for a check
up. She will probably need more ear meds. Other than that medically, she is making great progress.
8/30/06 - Hi all, I just finished talking to the vet about Snowball's (aka: Snowhite) blood work. All
good news - Her blood work results was typical for a dog suffering with a severe skin allergy( a couple
of results were elevated and globulin was low). All skin scrapings were negative. This includes
Demadex(Spelling) and sarcopitic mange - but he cautioned that sarcoptic can be tricky and suggested
I continue the plan to apply Revolution as it kills mites, fleas, and can be used to prevent heartworm.
Her blood work did show that she does have mild anemia ( normal is 37 and she is 35.7) but he feels
it is probably due to fleas and worms or it is typical for the body to reduce red Blood cell output under
severe allergy conditions. I am sending in a stool andurine sample tomorrow.
He is extremely pleased that SW is responding so well to the antibiotics, shampoos and flea meds. As
I reported earlier he skin has calmed down so much now she is a light pink color, down from the
salmon color of yesterday and no longer bright red and swollen. The large sores are much less infected
and he thinks she just has infected hair follicles. The first round of shampoos made an immediate
difference. I think just getting her skin clean not only made her feel better but calmed the inflammation
too.
Her heartworm is negative but she tested positive to Lyme disease and will be on medicine for that.
Did I mention she was spayed? Tonight is second round of shampooing. Three baths a week for the
poor girl! That's me - the poor girl! Only joking. Happy to help her out. She is just a delight. I hope by
Thursday my daughter will be sending pictures of
her(SnowWhite-the princess).
8/28/06 - Snowball has arrived and the smell is much better today as she starts to heal. Her skin was so
red it looked like she had been scalded. It was better after the shampoos, down to a raspberry color
and this morning the skin in most places was the color of cooked salmon. We are making progress. She
has callouses on her knees, ankles and hips that we will be working on clearing up. Hips are the worst -
she has two melon sized spots from her bones laying on a hard surface.
You should see the look on her face the first time I put her outside. It was so sad. I think she thought
she had to remain outside again. She is so happy to have a house to come into and people to touch and
talk to her. She came with some expired ear medicine that appers it was not used & her ears were let
go untreated. When the vet checked her ears, she cried a bit when he gently tried to clean them - as he
progressed, she never growled or raised a lip at him but hearing her wince he decided to sedate her to
clean her ears better. He said she's suffered enough! To see a vet with tears in his eyes is not a
common sight for me. He was very compassionate and washed her up a bit for us and spent nearly
2hrs cleaning her wounds on her back and ears.
Thanks Dot for recommending that I add Pumpkin to her diet. OH, my 4 year old grand-daughter calls
her Snow White and she comes right over to her! Yes, she surely is a princess! The vet did a skin
scrape to see if he could find anything, but couldn't positively rule out scabies. Part of me hates to put
another strong chemical on her body this week. She has to have two shampoo treatments three times a
week. Her skin looked better after the first round of shampoos. I am hoping it is a reaction to fleas as I
did find some flea dander under that nasty rotting collar of hers that I threw out. God I hate to put
anything around her neck until it is clear. She just wears a chain (not in choke configure) when we
walk.. In the house she is naked! No hair no collar.
8/27/06 - Snowball is an 8 year old owner surrender as they said she has been living outside 24/7 since
Spring as she smelled due to skin allergies and due to living outside all day and night. The kids were not
allowed to touch her anymore either due to the smell. They did not want her to freeze in the winter by
living outside, so they contacted our rescue to get her healthy & find a new home. Pictures & updates
soon.
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| Poor Snowball needs your help! SCBR has spent almost $900 on office visits, medications, shampoos, etc. to help Snowball get better. If you can donate anything to this sweet girl, please do....even $5 or $10 helps. Thank you! Click here to donate today! or Mail your donation to: SCBR PO Box 525 Woolwich, ME 04579 |