January 26, 2022:

Paris has enjoyed her fall of walking on the trails, playing in the leaves and helping us clean up all the sticks and branches in the yard. It’s like each one she picks up is a big prize! Paris enjoys playing with every dog she meets and has learned to be respectful of older dogs that may not want to engage in as much play as she does. Paris has now learned to find her toys when they “disappear” down the clothes shoot and an empty plastic water bottle seems to be just as much fun as a brand-new squeaky toy.

Paris recently visited a smaller, local pet store where she could explore all the great smells and test out the toys. Of course, being the opportunist that Paris is, she nabbed a few cookies that were at her eye level quicker than any of us could intercept her. That was a great outing for her while it’s been so cold out. Paris was on sensory overload and came home and had a good long nap.

Now that winter has set in, Paris has been on “vole patrol” when she is out in the yard. She takes protecting us all from the tiny voles and mice that hide out under the hydrangea bushes very seriously. Paris knows all of their hiding places and it’s hard to get her to come in the house when she’s “working”.

This coming week Paris will turn 2 years old. I’m sure she’ll be taking advantage of everything she can on that day, although she pretty much gets whatever she wants anyway. We’ve fostered Paris since she’s been 8 months old and it’s fun to see the “grown-up” girl that she’s becoming. We’re still working on training with Paris; when barking is appropriate and calmer introductions when people come to the door. I don’t know many 2-year old’s who don’t need some guidance now and again. We’re so happy that she’s here to stay!

September 9, 2021:

Since our last update in June, my husband and I have decided to adopt Paris. We’ve been through many months of surgery recovery, figuring out nutritional issues and lots of toddler training and couldn’t imagine not having her in our home. She’s come a long way and is a very happy girl. Paris always has a big grin on her face!

Paris has been on a couple of additional boat rides and enjoys looking at everything going on around her on the water. We do need to watch it when birds are floating in the water and then start to move away as we get close. I’m sure she thinks that she can catch them, so she’s always on a leash for now.

She especially like it when we have visitors – and when they bring their dogs with them all the better. Paris made another new friend with our nephews 1 year old Golden Doodle. What could be more fun than running around in the yard until you’re exhausted, then rest and repeat?

Paris has also become an expert at greeting the Amazon delivery person and bringing the packages in the house. And recently, with fall starting to sneak in, she’s been picking up apples on our walks and loves bringing them home as well. We’re excited to have Paris as a permanent member of our family and look forward to sharing many more experiences with her.

August 12, 2021:

Paris has found her forever home.

June 7, 2021:

Since the last update, Paris has had a couple of new experiences that she did quite well with. The hair dryer introduction was good preparation for Paris’ first grooming session. The mobile groomer said that she was a very good girl during both the shampoo and the blow drying. I think Pari was very excited that she got a lot of attention and pampering and of course we made a big deal of how pretty she looked and how good she smelled!

We’re continuing to work on training with Paris every day in different situations and with different items (toys and food) to see what she will respond to as her “reward”. We’re trying to balance the food treats carefully with her sensitive digestive system, but so far, so good. Parishad a good report from the vet with her last check up and she’s seems to have settled in a nice weight for her frame.

The nice weather means that Paris gets to go on a lot more trail walks and be outside much more -which is great for an active younger golden. She enjoys keeping the yard free of birds and squirrels and would chase the barn swallows all day if we let her.

Memorial Day meant Paris was able to go to a new house with us and meet more new people. Paris gets very excited when meeting new people or dogs and has been slowly getting better with those introductions. She absolutely loves both, and enjoys showing off her toys and her personality. She’s been very respectful of dinner time and lays down underneath the table when everyone is eating. Paris also had her 1st pontoon boat ride last weekend. She was a little tentative going out on the dock, and then onto the boat, but once she was on the boat, she climbed right up on the seat and made herself right at home. Paris loves being outside on the patio (when it’s not too hot) watching everything go by. She definitely enjoys her “outside time!”

March 22, 2021

Paris has been doing much better with her food issues these past couple of months and that’s making all of us much happier. We’ve even been able to add steamed vegetables to her meals (which keeps her from getting bored of her kibble) and some dried fruit for her treats. We’re now on the hunt for her “jackpot” treat that will keep her engaged with her training sessions but not have us take any steps backward with her stomach issues.

Since February was so cold for quite a long period of time, it was a tough month for Paris,. We weren’t able to stay outside and play for long, so we tried some new indoor games. We hid banana chips under tennis balls in a muffin tin so she could use her nose to find the treats. Another indoor favorite game was having Paris stay in the living room and then hiding her stuffed toys all around the house – under the covers in the bed, in a closet, hanging from the dresser, in the bathtub, etc. She had a great time trying to find all of them and bring them back to the living room.

This month Paris had fun participating in the Lucky Dog 5K. We got to walk in a new neighborhood with new sights and smells. It was great to be able to be outside more and burn off some of that pent up 1 year old energy! Paris also met another neighbor dog Charlie, who is about 1/10 of her size. They had a great time walking together and Paris was very gentle when greeting him. His little legs kept up with Paris and we walked about 4 miles a day.

Paris continues to enjoy car rides to wherever we may be going – Grandma’s house, the vet or just driving through the bank. She loves to be included in the “fun” but has also been a very good girl when left home. We’ve been introducing Paris to the hairdryer as we know that pretty soon she’ll be due for a grooming session. She’s been very tolerant of both the noise and the air blowing all over her. That’s not always been the case with the ear cleaning, but with more repetition, she’s getting better at those sessions as well.

January 25, 2021

Since the last update, Paris had her first birthday on January 20, boy the time goes by quickly! We have continued to try and find a food that will work well for Paris. This is a long process of trying new foods, eliminating ingredients, observing her reaction and then repeating the cycle again. Paris is working with a GI vet and a vet the specializes in nutrition so we have good partners to helps us work through this process. Even through this food trial, Paris has been able to put on a couple more pounds, so she is starting to be at the right weight for her frame.

Paris is continuing with her training, but in a more limited way as she can’t have any “jackpot” treats while we are going through the food trial process. We’re trying some food puzzle games to keep her engaged and I often catch her checking out the compartments just in case something new might have snuck in there when she wasn’t looking.

We’ve had quite a bit of snow that Paris is really enjoying. Since she just turned 1, this is the first time she’s been able to experience all the fun a winter snow brings. Rolling in it, eating it, jumping through it while you’re shoveling, digging for toys and running through the snowbanks while we’re on our walks. When it’s really cold or slushy on our walks, we have a set of boots that she wears. I’ll say that she doesn’t love them, but she tolerates them and has mastered them quite quickly. Plus they keep the ice chunks from forming between her pads, so I think she’s liking that part of boots.

Paris continues to have play dates with some of her other golden friends to help burn off some of that extra energy. She’s always so happy when she sees her friends at the door!

December 12, 2020

Paris had her stitches removed in the middle of November. The vet said that she healed great and her incisions looked really, really good. We’re so happy that all the cone and diaper wearing paid off. They also did another cysto at her appointment and she came back with the all clear. No bacteria present-yea!. For Paris that means no need for cranberry chews, medicated wipes and best of all no more diaper! The vet said she was now able to go on longer walks and play with other dogs – finally! Paris has had many doggy play dates since then. She’s met new dog friends and is getting along great with all of them. She’s so happy to be able to run around and chase balls, dogs, us – you get the idea. The weather has been nice enough so far that she can still enjoy her daily trail walks. There are always plenty of new smells to keep her occupied.

Paris was having some tummy issues this past month after her surgery, so we worked really hard on finding a food that agreed with her. She was eating a lot of chicken and rice during her recovery and finding the right food proved to be a challenge. We got that part figured out and are now concentrating on trying to determine what foods set off her constant scratching. I know which ones don’t agree with her, but we’re going to need to work through the process of finding the right balance and right nutrition for this growing puppy. At least we’re getting her to eat actual dog food – as long as we mix some canned food in with her dry. Even with all of this, Paris has gained 2 lbs, which we’re very excited about.

Paris has also started working with a trainer to work on some of her basic commands that she selectively decides to forget – like coming when she’s called. We’re playing a counting game with food rewards, which is going well as long as we’re inside. We still need to work more on this when we’re outside. Paris is also working in not getting overly excited when meeting some people and not being so mouthy when she needs to be toweled off. The sessions are over a zoom call and are working well for the current situation.

Paris likes to go for car rides. We try to take her other places than just the vet so she doesn’t get the wrong idea about what a car ride should be. She enjoys visiting different places, especially going to Grandma’s house with even more fun toys. Now that she’s starting to feel better, her personality is starting to come out. She’s a very silly girl and knows how to turn on the charm!

November 11, 2020

Well, there’s been quite a bit going on with Paris since our last update. She has been to the vet several times and had a cysto done (where they insert a needle into her bladder) to determine if her UTI had cleared up. The vet gave her the all clear, but we were noticing that she had some spotting going on. It didn’t seem like the type of blood from a heat cycle, but it happened that she had another upcoming vet appointment with the surgeon for her vulvaplasty, so we decided to have them take a look and do a possible scope.

In the meantime, Paris needed to make a fashion statement – so she started wearing a diaper. Luckily, a GRRoW member had all kinds of pretty ones that she could use. Pink polka dots and purple flowers are her favorite ones to wear. As expected, she was not liking the diaper situation at first. She would go from bed to bed and sit down quick – like the diaper was chasing her. After a while, she didn’t seem to mind that it was on – except for the part when we actually had to put it on her. That was not so much fun, especially when I had to do it by myself. To try and distract her, we’d hang a bunch of her toys from the top of her crate so she could “free” them.

On October 29, Paris went in for her scope, spay and vulvaplasty. Her scope showed that everything was normal with her bladder and reproductive organs. It turns out that Paris was in heat, even though her symptoms weren’t as cut and dry as a normal heat cycle. The doctors performed her surgery and all went well. The staff said that Paris was a very good patient and that she was a sweet girl while she was there. The not so fun part for Paris was that now she had both a cone of shame and a diaper to sport at the same time. She was not a happy camper!

Now the tricky part begins. The first few days Paris was pretty sleepy, which was good since we were supposed to keep her contained and calm for 2 weeks. That’s not an easy thing to do with a 9-month-old puppy. We had to put her toys away, no walks, only going outside on a leash to go potty – no fun! Toward the end of her second week, you can tell she was about done with it all. This past weekend the weather was so nice, that we blocked her off on the patio while we were outside doing yard work. She loved being outside, keeping an eye on everything and enjoying the fresh air.

Paris was scheduled for her checkup and stitch removal today, however that appointment might move to tomorrow. We’re all excited to see how the surgeon thinks she is coming along. Next up, on Friday Paris will go for another cysto to make sure that she doesn’t have a UTI. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

All in all, Paris has been a very good patient considering all she had to go through. I’m sure she can’t wait to getting back to all the fun things that puppies like to do.

October 30, 2020

Paris has been through a lot in her short life one of which is constant urinary tract infections. It was discovered that the cause of the UTIs was from a hypoplastic vulva. Hypoplastic vulva or recessed vulva is a common condition in dogs in which the vulva is at least partially engulfed by the skin folds that surround it. The fact of a recessed vulva, in and of itself, would not be a serious issue. However, local skin infections are extremely common among these patients. Vaginitis, urinary tract infections, and even urinary incontinence are also commonly reported in these cases. This is how it happens: The extra skin folds in these patients act like a dam, thereby collecting urine. Moisture, heat, the absence of light and the accumulation of skin debris in such close quarters all serve to fashion an ideal environment within the skin folds for bacteria to thrive. Infection of the vagina and urinary tract occur when these bacteria travel upwards and into these regions. Episioplasty (aka “vulvoplasty”) is a surgical procedure designed to correct the defect. This procedure, in which skin from between the anus and vulva is resected, is considered the treatment of choice for dogs with these excessive peri vulvar skin folds. The previously recessed vulva is thereby exposed.

Paris was also bleeding from her vulva. The doctors did not think she was in heat. It was recommended that Paris have a cystoscopy to try to find what was causing the bleeding. A cystoscopy is a procedure that allows the doctor to examine the lining of the bladder and the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. A hollow tube (cystoscope) equipped with a lens is inserted into the urethra and slowly advanced into the bladder.

The vulvoplasty was a success. The cystoscopy showed that Paris’ bladder was slightly inflamed so she will need antibiotics. Otherwise, the bladder and ureteral anatomy is correct. The blood was coming from her cervix so she is in heat. Paris was also spayed at this time so she wouldn’t have to be put under anesthesia again. These procedures were done on October 29 and Paris went home the next day. The recovery is about three weeks.

The charges for these procedures came to about $3,500.00. Donations of any amount will be appreciated.

October 18, 2020

Paris has been with us for two weeks now. She is a 9 month old sweet girl that has plenty of puppy energy to go around. Paris has made herself at home pretty quickly and has settled in well so far. We’ve been going on lots of walks, 2-3 times a day and throwing the tennis ball to get her exercise in. Our noon walks are usually on the trails near our house which she really enjoys. Lots of new smells and surprises around every corner. Paris has an incredible vertical leap, and is FAST, so we’ve introduced her to catching a frisbee. She’s picked that skill up pretty well and I must say she is very proud of herself.

We haven’t had a puppy in quite some time, so it’s fun to watch her discover things for the first time, like the dry leaves blowing down the street. She’s very excited to go and see what they are – and then eat them once she catches them – go figure! She‘s also interested in “helping” with the fall yard cleanup. I put the chopped down plants in the yard bag and she pulls them out of the ground and runs around the yard with them -she thinks that’s great fun. She also enjoys looking out the window to see what the squirrels, birds, ducks, etc are doing.

Paris knows many commands and we are currently working on strengthening her response to the “come” command. Paris has met many dog friends and people these past two weeks. Walking was a challenge at first, but then we placed her in an easy walker harness and she walked much better. She’s a bit jumpy at first, but then settles down pretty well. We’ll continue to work with her on those introductions.

Paris loves the water- dropping her toys in the water dish, trying to “catch” the water coming out of the hose outside, etc. That apparently transfers over to water coming out of the shower head in the bathroom. We have a shower curtain that she loves to push back to get at the water. Paris usually has a wet head after I take my shower.

Paris has a Hypoplastic Vulva that will require surgery. She has had many UTI’s due to this condition, so she needs to be wiped off when she comes in from going potty. Her vet check showed she had a UTI, Coccidia parasites in her stool and an ear infection. Paris is doing well taking her oral medication- doggie yogurt is a wonderful thing! The ear drops were another story. At first, she was like a bucking bronco. It took us a while to figure out how to approach Paris without her having such a negative reaction. Now we wait until she’s resting and gently pet her and work our way up to the ears – bingo – that was the ticket! We’re also trying to get some weight on her. Paris is a picky eater, but we’re making some progress here with feeding her 3 times a day-which also works with her medication schedule.

I’ve been working from home, and Paris has been very good while I’m on calls. She either sleeps on her bed, or in a crate we have hanging out in the living room, or by me in the kitchen. Sometimes she needs me to throw a toy for a bit during a call – which I’m happy to do. The squeaky-squeaky makes my coworkers laugh! Paris has been sleeping through the night for the most part and is good about letting you know when she needs to go out. We might try to continue the doggie doorbell that she had previously been using – more to come on that. All in all, Paris is a very sweet girl that we’re happy to be fostering. More vet visits in the next two weeks will help determine the next steps for Paris.

October 3, 2020
Paris is new in foster care. More information will follow.