Foster Feature of the day by Shellie Bellinghausen
Butch the Dachshund – Part 3: Isolation
When we finally left the vet clinic, we headed home. I took Butch straight to the back yard and put him in his crate. Only he would be allowed to use the back yard for a couple of weeks; my other dogs would have to use the front/side yard.
After getting my three dogs fed and settled, I moved the crate upstairs to the spare bedroom, which I keep blocked by a dog gate. The rabbit cage was in the same room, so the two had to be placed on opposite sides. My dogs were, of course, excited about the new “stranger” and got rather upset that they couldn’t meet him.
When I brought Butch inside, it was straight to the bathroom for his first anti-fungal bath with the special shampoo the vet provided. I wasn’t quite sure how he’d react and was still well aware he could attack if he got to scared. But he was an absolute angel and very patient, as I had to bathe him FIVE times before the water finally ran clean when rinsing.
Isolation was tough for Butch. He really wanted to be with me and to interact with my other three dogs. I kept counting down the days for him, but it seemed to pass so slowly. And every time we walked into the bedroom and he saw his crate, his head hung low. He was always so good to go inside, but he was equally saddened.
He could hear them barking when I came home from work and let them out. He could see them playing in the hall when we’d come upstairs. But most of all, he felt left out of all the activity. He wanted my affection and time so badly, but he could only have it for a few minutes at a time.
For me, everything took twice as long, having to do the same thing twice, first with my gang and then with him. I changed his bedding twice a day, washing it daily.
The worming granules had to be given with a couple tablespoons of canned food, and then he refused to eat the dry. I had to mix a little canned with it for a few days, and finally he got used to the dry.
He started to get food aggressive, so I took the food from him, put the bowl in my lap, and told him it was mine and that I would share it with him, but he couldn’t growl or guard. I kept the bowl in my lap and let him eat there. Well, he decided that was a pretty fair trade and, after that, wouldn’t eat unless he could sit in my lap! That didn’t last long…I know that trick!
After ten days, and the mites dying off, I gave him his third anti-fungal bath and cleaned his ears. I told him I had a special treat for him when we were done. And special it was…he got to meet my pack finally!
To be continued…