JACQUI
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3/30: This pretty gal is enroute to outdoor boarding; something we do not like to do for
more than a couple of days, however, she was scheduled to die today at 5:00PM...which is worse?
Our friends at WGSR ..thanks Nancy...have pulled her from the County shelter for us but now we need a safe place for her to go.
She is said to be somewhere between five and six years old but cannot confirm before seeing her. She is affectionate and calm and wants to be close to people, was non reactive to dogs at the pound and well behaved in the car. Jacqueline is intact, has an ear infection and made just a quick stop at the vet's for an ear cleaning...no exam yet as the vets are off at noon today. She weighed in at 70.4 pounds and did not stop wagging her tail despite what had to be a painful ear assault.
We are unable to provide any additional info about Jacqui until we are able to get her into a foster home....anyone, anyone??
She had a quick bath and if still matted will be visiting the groomer for a thorough brushing. A vet visit is also on her schedule. So far she has been good in the house, accepts crating but obedience-wise, knows nothing; not even "sit." Once any health issues and spay are addressed, and she settles into her new environment, there's a class in her future. Our impression is that Jacqui was a backyard dog. She tolerates. walks with or ignores Noah, who wants desperately to play with her, however she's not quite ready to engage. She appears to be housebroken, craves and will compete for human attention and is a calm gal to be around.
Please check back as we learn more about her.
Jacqui is a pretty, coated (long hair) GSD, average size for a female. She's chipped, licensed, house and crate trained, vaccinated and will be checked to see if she needs to be spayed. UPDATE 4/6: Our girl is settling in nicely and really starting to show her personality...even frisky now. She and Noah play together well; initially she was pretty "bossy" and all of the toys were hers to be hidden or buried, however, they have each established boundries with one another and are enjoying each other's company. Other than "my crate is mine and mine only" Jacqui has learned and accepted the concept of sharing. Here's today's foster report: "She's doing really well. She actually initiates play with Noah now and hangs right with us all the time. She finally understands what treats are too. Had 3 little boys here with a house load of company last night, age 2,3, and 5. They were typical boisterous, active, loud little guys and Jacqui never flinched. They were, of course, very nice to her so she didn't have reason to be concerned but we were careful to make sure both she and Noah were comfortable at all times. So good news is that we've learned she has no distress around children. She also showed no signs of concern when a small, loose dog came toward us on our walk. Very stable girl."
Jacqui will have her full medical work-up next week. UPDATE 4/13: Jacqui had a very comprehensive examination at the vet yesterday. We drew blood for a full work-up, checked her ears, eyes and hips, did a fecal exam and checked for a spay scar. She weighed in at 66lbs. While not nearly as bad as they were on rescue day, her ears did require additional cleaning and treatment and she went home with an RX that we know will do the trick. Being an indoor gal now will certainly help. She might have had some hearing loss as a result of neglect but, so far, it doesn't appear to be significant. Her fecal was negative for parasites/worms and her eyes were fine. Her right hip was very sensitive to palpation; we're awaiting the results of her Valley Fever test before moving forward with any X-rays. She was also on the streets for however long and could just have a soft tissue injury. This will be revisited. Her initial lab results confirmed a high positive for Erlichiosis (Tick Fever) and antibiotics will be started this weekend, and for the next 30 days, after which she will be retested. All of her other values and organ function numbers were very good. We were finally able to really have a good look at her mouth, etc. for aging and found that she is far younger than the shelter estimated. She has slightly pitted canine teeth..usually the result of a significant infection when a puppy and/or from medication taken while her canines were erupting, which led some to think she was older than she is. We and our vet put her at about three years old. There was no indication that she was spayed but that will have to wait until she's finished her medication. We should have her Valley Fever results within a day or two. Considering all of the poking, prodding, turning and twisting done to her, she was a model patient..tolerant, calm and forgiving...demonstrating a sound core temperament. This sweet little girl was seemingly parked outside with little sensory input and human interaction. It is so rewarding to see her discover so many things that we sometimes take for granted; playing with instead of burying toys, dropping into play posture, 'smiling' and giving kisses. And oh, how that tail wags now. Jacqui also spent hours with us at the K9 Trials over the weekend..a very noisy and chaotic environment.. and though a little bewildered at it all, was a real trooper.
UPDATE 4/15: Jacqui's Valley Fever test was negative!
UPDATE 5/4: Jacqui was scheduled to meet her public at the Pet Expo this Saturday but as luck would have it, she went into heat; we knew this was a strong possibility and were hoping to get her spayed before this occurred however luck was not on our side. We will now have to wait about eight more weeks before our gal can be spayed.
UPDATE 6/12: Jacqui started obedience classes on June 4th and has been doing really well. Given that she knew nothing and was not very animated, she is now becoming "tuned in" to her surroundings and more engaging with people. She's a gal who undoubtedly spent her life in a yard and/or kennel with her primary exposure to other dogs. The class is more for opening up a new, people filled world for her than for actual obedience. Watching her progress is much like witnessing a flower open and bloom. She is a very laid back girl, an excellent companion for seniors or a retired couple. She will be spayed toward the end of this month then ready for new beginnings. UPDATE 7/1: Poor sweet little Jacqui...she had quite a day. She had a Pyroderma (skin infection) on her belly, her hips X-rayed, her rear dew claws surgically removed and she was spayed. She's been heavily dosed with antibiotics yet still thumps her tail at the sight of her human friends. Her hips are very arthritic yet the doc thought she moved exceptionally well given how much bone-on-bone she must be experiencing. A pellet, either from a shot gun or bee-bee gun was seen on X-ray but could not be located during surgery and is best left alone. She is on medication and is resting comfortably at home. The bandages on her legs will be removed on Tuesday or Wednesday and provided there are no complications, all sutures will be removed in 10-14 days. It is quite apparent that Jacqui has had a pretty rough and neglected life. Her age could be anywhere from three to seven years...difficult to tell when a dog's been what we call, 'rode hard and put up wet'..likely not as old as her old wounds would indicate. Regardless, she's a real gem and even the vet said, "...a really nice girl who would make someone a wonderful companion" Her expenses have thus far exceeded $850.00 so she is looking for some sponsorship help:
If you would like to help me on my journey to my forever home:
CLICK TO SPONSOR JACQUI Jacqui will require low impact exercise..no running or repetitive motion on hard surfaces; swimming is good. When she is all healed she will resume the last two remaining obedience classes and ready to move on to brighten someone's life. UPDATE JULY 3rd: Our gal took her time shaking off the anesthesia; very nauseous Friday evening, would not eat or take her medicine on Saturday. Our volunteer, Darlene stopped by for some pill administration techniques and this morning..now that her pain meds are on board...is more like her old self. She's standing by the door in anticipation of her daily walks..not until Monday, Sweetie.
UPDATE 7/6: Jacqui's bandages were removed yesterday and her tummy checked and all looks good..no infections, healing as expected. She's back on her walks when it's cooler and eager to get the 'cone' off her head. Unfortunately she can easily reach the sutures on her legs so when not closely supervised, it has to stay on until next week. FOSTER REPORT 7/7: "She’s doing AMAZING. Very interactive, very much seeking attention. Even leans against me now for snuggles. WOW! Not sure exactly what brought about the sudden changes, but I’m very happy to see that. She’s standing up to Noah again, which I like because he was really getting to be a bully with her because she was just ducking her head when he charged her. Now she’s giving him warnings when she sees him coming too fast at her or coming to take her food. He’s a bit dazed by it all, but it’s definitely a better balance between the two now" UPDATE 7/16: Jacqui had her final vet visit today, all of her sutures were removed, her eyes checked, and was given a clean bill of health. In about a month a PCR test should be done to confirm a true negative for tick fever. She is more than ready for new beginnings. UPDATE JULY 21ST: Jacqui looks and acts like a different dog since being pulled from the pound just hours before imminent death. She was what we call "flat", very typical of backyard and sensory deprived dogs. She was mostly dog oriented, undoubtedly from interacting more with them than people, not to mention being used for target practice, hence she rarely made eye contact. She was matted, dirty, tick infested and sick. Her ears were so filthy and infected that her hearing was reduced. When Jacqui greets you now, she looks right at you and briskly wags her tail, she plays with toys and has become very animated, just like a GSD should be. She has learned basic commands and how to swim; despite initially being petrified of the pool, she now jumps in on her own. Yes, she has significant arthritis, however, swimming and being walked regularly (thanks to her foster family) along with a steady diet of low impact exercise has made her completely mobile and able to run freely. Here's her foster report received today: "Here’s a new photo of Miss Jacqui. She’s actually holding a toy!!!! Awesome! Last night she was having a blast chasing a fly. That was so awesome to see because she has always seemed oblivious to anything to play with other than Noah. Then this morning, those two crazy dogs were having the time of their lives playing with a bone. Noah was tossing it across the tile and beating Jacqui to it then they’d tear through the house and out the door, around the yard and back in and do it all over again. When she caught him she was actually coming up on her back legs and hitting him with her front legs. She looks so much stronger. I’ve never seen her come up on her back legs before like that. (Maybe the glucosamine/chondroitin is helping?) They were having so much fun. I need to see if I can get you video for the bio page so people can see she’s got great mobility in spite of her hips. She’s really doing great. Still a lot of barking…that’s her bug-a-boo. For all of her sweetness, she is very stubborn when it comes to something she really wants, like to bark. So we’re working on that. Otherwise, she’s great. A completely normal dog as one would expect. In the next couple of weeks, my work schedule will go back to normal and I plan to spend a lot more time working on training her on down, stay, etc. and see how far I can get"
Jacqui"s adopters will have an RX for Adequan just in case she shows any sign of discomfort down the road. It's a great, non steroidal joint lubricant from which we think she would benefit. She is spayed, vaccinated, crate trained, chipped and very pretty to boot! UPDATE 9/12: Last month Jacqui developed another pyoderma (skin infection), she was treated and it's gone. Unfortunately we learned that it was the result of the salt water pool she's been swimming in; don't know if her reaction would be the same to a regular chlorinated pool. So it's a catch 22; Jacqui benefits from swimming but is now not allowed in the pool. So to compensate, we started her on Adequan..2 shots per week for 4 weeks..we have had considerable success with this protocol in the past and it seems to be doing the trick for Jacqui..she started on September 2nd and will be finished by the end of this month. Here's her last foster report: "Hi Steff, Jacqui did great yesterday at the vet. Dr. Nowicki was amazed at what a tough girl she is. All's good. Jacqui's becoming more and more personable all the time. She's taking toys at our prompting from our hands now. She's even picking up the ball from time to time and trying to chase the ball rather than chasing Noah when we throw it. Still not 100% on these things by any stretch, but they are huge advances for her. This morning when I got up, Noah came in for his usual rub down and we started playing. Jacqui heard the ruckus and came in and joined in on the fun. That was so cool to see. Usually she barks at him like she's trying to calm him down, but this time she actually got in on the fun. We're starting to see those positive changes happening much faster now. Can't wait till the weather cools down and we can take the dogs to some more interesting places to walk. They love getting out to see lots of places and faces" UPDATE 9/21: Jacqui has had a great response to her 4-week Adequan shots which is nearly over. Here's her foster Mom's recent report: "Yes, most definitely, there has been improvement. She’s far more playful; playing much rougher with Noah, with greater frequency and her endurance is noticeably improved. She has a lot more bounce in her step and just overall seems to be feeling so much better." It's now time for "forever" for this beautiful lady. UPDATE 11-15:
"Hi Steff, UPDATE 1/13: Jacqui's progress with respect to how she relates to the world around her has been nothing short of fantastic. That said, she has had recurrent skin related problems all of which have been diagnosed, treated successfully only to return in another spot months later. Recently she presented with a painful lump with two small "holes" that we just couldn't identify so we took her to a specialist/dermotologist. Even he was not sure exactly what it is but recommended a biopsy in the near future. The visit also revealed yet another Pyoderma (skin infection) and ear infection for which she is on meds. Dr. Lewis also felt that allergies played a role...but to what?? He did not feel that the pool or getting wet was a factor. We will wait for her course of treatment to conclude before moving forward with putting her through yet another procedure. This is such a delightful creature to be around and she's had such a neglected life before her rescue, it seems so unfair. She deserves all of the care and love she is getting which we and her foster family will continue to provide. FOSTER REPORT 2/4/12: "Jacqui's personality is growing by leaps and bounds each week. She's very interactive, very talkative and very people-seeking. It's been so rewarding to watch her bloom into herself." UPDATE 3/23: After countless trips to vets and specialists along with various protocols and cytology it has been determined that our sweetheart Jacqui simply has allergies. To what, we don't know other than we've eliminated food. At least it's not some exotic skin disorder ;-0) The recent "rash" turned out NOT to be a Pyoderma..there was no bacteria in the culture so she does not need any antibiotics. We're going to put her on Temaril-P, a very low dose prednisone combined with an antihistimine every 2-3 days and see how well her allergy is managed..we've had great success with this protocol in the past and it will also act as an anti-inflammatory for any hip discomfort. She is now allowed back in the pool and we are very optimistic that this will do the trick. Stay tuned... AUGUST 2012: Along with her foster family, we have spent the last year tending to Jacqui's recurrent skin issues. She has visited vets and specialists all of whom have made different recommendations and none of which provided any lasting relief. Ultimately, we decided on our own course of action in March of 2012; it's been five months on that protocol and we haven't looked back.
UPDATE AUG 2012: Hi Steff,
Jacqui LOVES to sit in the very back and just stare out the back windows. She's a travel freak! Even after a long hike, she'll rest for just a few minutes, but then she's back up staring out that window so she doesn't miss anything. Noah, on the other hand, needs his beauty rest :)
Jacqui never limps or slows down. Of course, it's not like we're flying through it. We stop a lot for them to smell and sightsee and the terrain is fairly even, with only slight inclines. But still, for a dog that was in such horrible shape when she was rescued, she does amazingly well. Actually, her drive and stamina for being on the go is stronger than Noah's. (Again, he's "Felix"..."ew that's icky," and she's "Oscar"..."cool, there's a mud hole to play in!", polar opposites). I really just marvel and am proud of her desire to enjoy life in spite of any limitations her body may try to put on her. I think she has the heart of an athlete.
If you would like to help me on my journey to my forever home:
CLICK TO SPONSOR JACQUI MY SPONSOR ANGELS~THANK YOU!
"Hi Steff!.
Here's a picture of Jacqui from Christmas day. She scored big!!! The dogs love having a full house of people of course and with everyone bringing them things, they were really having a great time. Jacqui has made great strides the last couple months. Her personality is far more interactive and even goofy now. You can see in this picture how much more alert and connected she is. She loves to show off her new trick which is to shake paw. Can you believe Jacqui actually learned that??? We're trying to teach her to catch now. That's absolutely hilarious. If you throw food toward her she squints her eyes shut, turns her head and ducks, lol!!! Even if you're just rolling it to her! She's starting to get the concept...she'll open her mouth and turn her head in slow motion when we throw a treat past her to Noah...that's a riot too, but at least she sees what the object of the game is. We'll see...that's a tough one, but she just might shock us someday and catch a treat. :)"
This gal has grown from sick, horribly neglected and "disconnected" (from people and her surroundings) to an active, engaging, happy and typically playful German Shepherd. It has taken over a year to teach her that life and people can be so good and she has rewarded our efforts with a 100% turn-around success story.
Aside from her allergy meds and a low impact exercise schedule, Jacqui is ready to move on to the right home, preferably one with a pool. She is a delightful creature who will enrich your life.
UPDATE MARCH 2013: Hi Steff!
We took Noah and Jacqui to the art festival at Fountain Hills today. They met tons of people and got lots of love along the way. They always enjoy their adoring fans, ha! This is a picture of Jacqui, very happy with the job she did of herding all the ducks into the water. She takes this job very seriously every time we go. If she doesn't help those ducks find the water, they apparently never will! She locks onto them, then sinks down into her lioness stalk. We walk very quietly (cue the "hunting wabbits"), then just when we're within range we run with everything we've got...and miss 'em every time somehow! :-)
She gets quite a few spectators as she does this several times around the lake. Either they're enjoying our hunt or terrified they're about to see something horrific, lol!
Oh well, fun to see her strong hunting/herding instinct come out and she absolutely loves every minute of it.
UPDATE AUG 2013
Despite her previous neglect, even abusive existence prior to rescue (we think being used for target practice is abuse), thanks to a lot of TLC, Jacqui has blossomed into a typical German Shepherd Dog; active, loving, playful and loyal. She has, however, experienced chronic "annoying" yet benign recurring skin issues. She has allergies for which she takes very inexpensive medication every other day, she has recently started to demonstrate the weakness and pain of rear end arthritis along with a little urinary leaking during the night. She still swims, walks and takes short hikes regularly..there seems to be no way to dampen this gal's spirit.
We took her to the vet last week, started her back on an antibiotic which seems to take care of the little skin lesions that pop up periodically, put her on Proin for her slightly leaky nighttime bladder and started her on a new course of Adequan to help with her arthritis.
She weighed in at a healthy 84 pounds and all vitals were normal.
Jacqui's file is nearly two inches thick which is primarily comprised of veterinary receipts for her ongoing care. Adequan is almost impossible to obtain right now thus the price has increased substantially. A quick tally of most of those receipts: $2,700.00.
Needless to say to say, she will only be adopted to someone committed to her needs.
Meanwhile, her dedicated foster family and SW GSD Rescue will continue to provide whatever she requires. Any help in that regard is much needed and oh so appreciated. We would also like to thank those sponsors who have helped Jacqui in the past:
MY SPONSOR ANGELS~THANK YOU!
Charis Williams in memory of Shania
If you are able to help us help this delightful and grateful lady, here's how:
UPDATE JAN 2014: As one might have surmised by now, Jacqui is considered a "forever foster"...she is a delightful easy going yet playful companion, one who has come a very long way from the flat, sensory deprived lady previously used for target practice. She has become a bright-eyed, engaging gal who celebrates life, despite the challenges it has thrown her way. Unfortunately Jacqui needs several monthly medications and is starting to show her age as well. Her foster family did not anticipate nor sign on for a lengthy foster assignment, however, they shared our concerns regarding our ability to find the right someone for her; one just as committed to her progress and needs as they and we are. It's a tall order. In essence, we're in it for the long haul and we will also be there when it's time for Jacqui to head out into the sunset. Meanwhile, she will continue to share her life with her loving foster family as well as her BFF Noah. We would still appreciate any help with respect to her ongoing and costly medications and are extremely grateful to those who have supported her care. This April will mark Jacqui's 3rd year (and thousands of dollars) since being pulled, in pretty bad shape, from the County pound. We, along with Jacqui, extend our sincere gratitude to the Dietmeyer family and her contributors for ensuring that Jacqui's needs are met. While adoption has not been in her past or future, she is safe and happy and will remain so.
UPDATE JUNE 10, 2014: Beautiful Jacqui can no longer make the 1 to 3 mile daily hikes, so to keep up, her foster folks lend some wheels. She's had two prescriptions refilled again this month and has since developed a severe ear infection which is being treated. We're hoping it clears up soon or she might have to endure an ear flush..yuck..not fun... we'll see. Otherwise she is her sweet loving self JACQUI
From her dedicated foster family,the Dietmeyers:
"Hi Steff,
Jacqui passed away today at 5:20P. We will miss her terribly. We were privileged to be part of helping such a gentle sweetheart see that humans could become her best friends. And Mr. Noah, what can we say about him? He helped her become a dog...and then she bossed him around everywhere he moved. :) Our hearts are broken, but we know we did what was best for her by not making her continued existence consist of only brief struggles to eat or drink or go out to potty. She got all there was for her out of life for as long as her body allowed and we will never, ever forget her strong heart of a champ.
Thank you for all you do for these precious creatures. No one can save them all unfortunately, but for everyone that is helped, there must be a star up there somewhere.
God bless you always, Kim"
Jacqui's journey with us began when we pulled her from the pound literally two hours before her scheduled execution. She was in terrible shape..we were not even sure she would last a month.
She knew so little that we thought she was deaf, she didn't know what a toy was and
made little eye contact. Her tail never wagged.
Many vet trips. surgeries and meds followed but with lots of socialization and TLC, along with the tutelage of her new pal Noah, she blossomed into the most loving, engaging and playful pooch, having learned all of the experiences she had previously been denied.
She remained in our and her foster's care, happy and safe, for nearly three and a half years.
We simply didn't find anyone special enough for this very special lady.
Our sincere gratitude to her special foster family and her Angel sponsors
for helping us provide her with such an enriched life.
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UPDATE 4/3:
Jacqui was bailed out of boarding yesterday and was introduced to her foster family and new
roommate, Noah. Many thanks to the Dietmeyer family.
UPDATE 5/27:
Jacqui is over her heat cycle, however, we must wait several weeks before she can be safely spayed. While under anesthesia we will X-ray her hip and draw blood for another test for her tick fever titer; she is off all medication. Her foster family reports that she is no longer limping but we will have a look anyway.
In the meantime, she will spend Memorial Day weekend learning to find the pool steps and is available to meet her public.
We took Jacqui and Noah up to Showlow/Pinetop-Lakeside on Saturday. 
Here are some pictures from our 4 mile hike. Jacqui LOVES being out in the woods. So many new smells and sights. 
