Dog Days of Summer

Shiloh is back home again.

He went up to UCD a few days ago for them to re-evaluate his leg and decide whether to do surgery. The decision was yes, do surgery. He was actually at UCD for several days, arriving home yesterday, with instructions that he is to have strict cage rest for six weeks. Yikes! Puppy in cage constantly for 6 weeks. And he has to wear the collar for 10-14 days to keep him from biting at his stitches, which he is literally itching to do!

He can go outside on a leash to pee, but that's all. Yesterday didn't seem to go too badly. He slept a lot and whined a little. But this morning he is feeling better, so is less happy at sitting in the cage all day long.

We've come to a compromise that he's willing to live with.

Polly is happy about the compromise.

Since Polly is happiest with 23 hours of lap time a day, she thinks this is just about the best thing since doggie beef jerky. As for me, I've watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which came from Netflix this week, and most of the things I've recorded on DVD. If I'm going to sit in a chair for the next six weeks, I may have to take up soap operas.

Actually, Ashley is looking into having one of the vet school students foster Shiloh, which would be nice because they have the expertise (and experience of putting up with crying puppies in cages!) But if a vet student foster home can't be found, I'm fine with keeping him here.

I took him outside this afternoon to pee and instead he flopped down in the grass and went to sleep in the sun. I figured the sun exposure on his stitches, briefly, might be a good thing, so I just got a chair, sat down and watched him sleep.

As for Miss Polly, her weekly ordeal is over again. She trembled all the way to Petco and licked me happily all the way home again. Ashley says she's getting better being at Petco and doesn't hide all the time any more. She also lets other people touch her, which is a very good thing.

Then Ashley sprang a surprise on me. She is thinking of having another SPCA volunteer, who is a behaviorist, take Polly to her house and foster her and work with her on overcoming her shyness. I was surprised at how my stomach did somersaults when she said that. Someone ELSE foster my Polly? It was at that moment that I realized how sad I'm going to be when she leaves here. She's been here nearly 9 months--it will be 9 months in a week, longer than any other foster we've had. In my heart of hearts, I know I don't want to adopt her and that she needs her own home. But it will be sad to turn her over to someone else. I love this little girl.

Ashley says if I want to keep her until they find a home, that's OK too. I told her that what I wanted was whatever was going to be best for Polly, and that I would leave that decision up to her (Ashley). So we'll see what happens.