Natasha

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Natasha

Update 7/30/06

Tasha July 30, 2006

Mom said that I should let everyone know what’s been going on, now that I have been here in forever home, 3 months now!

Dad is starting to call me a wild woman – I am more active in general. I dance and dance when they come home at night, and give lots of finger, arm and toe licks! I roam more in the yard and have to explore everything – especially anything new or out of place [but one of my human still needs to be around somewhere]. I chased a bird off my patio! I have found my voice, I bark when strangers come to the door, and have even barked at the fence a couple of times – I am also starting to do different vocalizations, especially where food is involved – Dad hopes that I am not going to be too much like brother, Robbe. I also play some with Robbe – I have taken his toys and treats away a couple of times now, and he is such a big baby about it! Someone has to let him know that he is the youngest kid in this family.

I do have a few other things to do, besides eat, sleep, play and lay on momma – everyday I need to work momma so that she stays on top of things!

Here I am – we are doing yoga to stretch my spine – momma says I have scoliosis and spine arthritis, and we need to work to keep this from getting worse. I really like to do this, and Robbe [last picture] gets so jealous that momma has to do it with him, too.

Update 6/05/06

Tasha [AKA Natasha] has now been with us for little over a month and continues to make progress exploring her new world. For those new to the group, Tasha is a PMR special needs Yorkie – who in her seven years has gone through a lot – including recently multiple operations for cancer and benign tumors. She also has fairly severe arthritis [which is getting a bit better over the past month with treatment - despite how active she is].

Despite all her problems, Tasha is a very sweet girl, who loves [make that craves] attention. Although she still sticks close to me most of the time, she is getting much more comfortable with her home. She still doesn’t like to stay outside by herself [meaning without a human, Robbe her dog brother doesn’t count], but she is wandering around the yard much more now on her own – some times we are not even in direct sight! Yesterday, I had her out in the front yard with me, when Fred decided to take Robbe on a walk – she looked at me, looked at Robbe, looked at me again, and took off running after Robbe and Fred around our court!

We took her to our West Virginia weekend house 2 weeks ago – this was her first big trip since we adopted her – and it did stress her some despite all our extra attention [she was Velcroed to me most of the weekend], and was really glad to get home]. I took the dogs back again this past weekend, and she did much better. She insisted on taking her ducky with her – it quacks when she bites or shakes it. It also quacks with every little bump in the road [with all the gravel and dirt roads, that’s a lot of quacks]! She slept all the way home with her head on Robbe’s back [while the duck quacked!]

Tasha was also groomed last week – so now we can see her beautiful face much better.

Finally, I share a few photos…… why do all the really good ones not come out?

lori [mom to Tasha and Robbe]

Update 5/17/06

Tasha has been with us 2.5 weeks now, and times, they are a changing – and we are changing right along with Tasha. There are so many changes I don’t know where to start!

The first few days she was with us, she didn’t want me out of her sight, now that she is getting more comfortable she is exploring the house on her own. She has discovered that the kitchen means foods and treats. So any time there is any action in the kitchen, that’s where you will find both Tasha and Robbe. They both will eat almost anything and will even share bowls [but we feed them separately, since we are giving Tasha medicine in her food]. She is really growing to love Fred – any time he comes home, or even comes up from downstairs, she greets him with a dance and finger licks – and then she wants her belly rubbed and to be petted MORE! And she loves to sniff his beard.

Tasha really loves her toys, and she likes you to play with her with them. She is starting to catch on to the concept of doggie play - Robbe has been working real hard on this one – and now Tasha is staring to respond, but not for very long at any one time. For sure, if he grabs one of her toys, she will grab it back and take it to her bed. She lets Robbe groom her head and face, and has even given him a few face kisses back. And yesterday, I got my first kiss!

Tasha follows Robbe’s cue on a number of things – Robbe always takes his treats to the carpeted stairs to eat, and now so does Tasha, she begs for treats like Robbe [she hasn’t yet learned to shake hands like Robbe – that we will save until later]. In other ways, these two dogs couldn’t be more different – Robbe is a terrible barker, and Tasha isn’t [and we hope she doesn’t learn this one from him!]. Robbe is also a little critter tracker and catcher, and if wouldn’t bother us at all if Tasha never learns this. Tasha always comes when you call her, and Robbe might respond, but only if he feels like it. Tasha is very delicate in build and manners, and Robbe is more like a Mack truck [they are different breeds – Tasha’s a Yorkie, and Robbe’s a Norfolk terrier, but they are only 3 pounds different in weigh]. Of course, Robbe has 3+ inches of hair that makes him look bigger, and Tasha’s is still growing out from all her operations. In certain things Tasha is much more in command than Robbe - she is feisty enough to scale the little 12 inch wire shelf that we have always used to keep our dogs out of or in a particular room – Robbe is petrified of this “gate”, and Duncan, my Scottie wouldn’t go near it, although clearly he could almost walk over it without problems! Tasha just pushes it over [it makes a loud noise] and strolls right over it.

Today, she went outside for the first time by herself – usually, one of us goes with her because she won’t stay out and do her business without us being there – so we are making progress! If I am out working in the yard, she will explore – and likes to dig and put her face in the dirt, flowers and mulch. It is a little harder to keep her clean, but that’s just what being a dog is about!

Since she is being so active, her arthritis is acting up. In examining her, we note that her muscles are much smaller [atrophied] in her hind quarters, particularly on the right, which is the limb she favors. Although this could be in part due to her subluxing patellae, we also think that she has arthritis in her lower spine – so we have started her on treatment – and hope to report improvement in the not too distance future. Foster mom Robin pointed out to me, how lumpy her belly was from on the sutures that were supposed to self-absorb – some of these are working up to the surface, and I have been able to get several larger pieces of suture out [it amazes me that she just lays there as if you are doing nothing more that rubbing her belly – Robbe takes off when he sees the tweezers]. We have also been hot packing her belly and right leg, so this has also helped.

Finally, I share a few photos – it hard to get good ones of Tasha, except from a distance – if you bend down to take a photo, she comes right to you – I have many blurry photos!

We feel so lucky – Tasha is such a gift!