aljones

Ooops! Sorry about not being able to get new messages...I thought I had cleaned out my inbox, but apparently I hadn't fully deleted some of them. I'll send you a PM now.

I have been trying to help a local woman rehome her young adult male BC from her hobby farm, where he is not getting the interaction and training he needs. It sounds like you have a lot of great leads in your area, but if you would like more info and photos, I'd be happy to send you my write-up. And I know Kentucky is quite a ways away, but I, too, teach and will have time for a road trip soon.

I am just now seeing this, and my own experience with a diabetic dog was brief (although not because of her diabetes), but it sounds like you are off to a good start! My husband, who had never handled a syringe in his life, was even quickly able to adapt to giving Mildred her insulin. Because I didn't have a "diabetes mentor" locally, I joined a Yahoo group for people with diabetic pets. Like any group of passionate people, it was helpful in some ways and not in others, but you might want to check it out for support and experienced perspectives. When I was a member there (a few years ago), folks were strongly advocating regularly doing your own curves at home to see how your animal's blood sugar was throughout the day. Best wishes to you and Bam Bam!

I am very sorry for your loss. Your journey with Buddy is one that I have long admired, and my heart hurts for you.

I, too, am very late to this conversation, but I am so relieved that Buddy has made such a solid recovery! I hope he continues to act normally and to feel good. (And I hear you on the prednisone--our beagle was recently on it. He already thinks we are starving him, but the pred took his voraciousness to a whole new level.)

Of the dogs I was able to keep track of, I think they were all eventually adopted. However, some of their rehabilitations took years, not weeks or months.

I visited Swafford's place twice and brought home one of his discarded stud dogs the second time. That dog spent the rest of his life with us. I also helped evaluate and tag for rescue many of the dogs that were confiscated after his large-scale operation was shut down. If there is something specific you would like to know, I'm happy to answer your questions. But the article to which Eileen linked is a good overview. I am glad your Toby is healthy and enjoying a good life!

I am very sorry for your loss. Having had my own Swafford dog (Ody) for just over three years, I empathize with your particular feeling that your time with Zoey was too short. I hope you can take comfort in remembering the wonderful life you provided for her when she needed it most.

I have collaborated with Buckeye BCR several times, on dogs that have originated in my region and been taken into Buckeye's program, so I can strongly endorse Wanda and her rescue's work.

My experience with canine diabetes is limited to a few months (and also, as we learned later, complicated by other, more serious health issues). But I found, as you did, a wide variety of approaches to managing the disease. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a glucose meter right away and insisted my vets instruct me on alternate ways to get the blood necessary to use that meter so I could have done Mildred's curves at home. (She was difficult to get the samples from in her ears, even for the vets and techs.) In the long run, I think it would have been less stress for her than having occasionally to spend a day at the clinic for the curves--and I would have better been able to monitor her condition day to day. Knowing her glucose levels would have helped me rule in/out the diabetes when she was showing signs of health problems that confused me and saved us several vet trips, too. I also found the diabetes pet Yahoo group a mixed bag: I usually really appreciate those groups and the advice they offer from the trenches. That particular group, though, did not provide the kind of support and guidance I was expecting, although its members certainly do have a lot of experience to draw from. On a financial level, I learned that prices for Mildred's insulin varied widely in my area. So it was worth calling around and price-checking several pharmacies, and I eventually joined the prescription plan at Walgreen's for the best price. I am sorry you are being hit with all this, Patty, and I'll watch this thread to see if there is anything else I can contribute.

I second the recommendations so far for East TN, West TN, Buckeye, and Midwest: they are all rescues I have collaborated with over the years since here in Kentucky we don't have any organized border collie rescue organization. We also get a lot of dogs in shelters in this region that would suit her needs, if she decides to go that route. If there is anything I can do to help (I'm in south-central Kentucky, north of Nashville), feel free to put her in touch with me. FYI, I am guessing the outfit you were thinking of avoiding in Tennessee is the now-defunct (thankfully!) middle Tennessee one that was run by Swafford.

You've already gotten plenty of great advice--and it sounds like you know what to do next (log the seizures, etc.). One suggestion I haven't seen yet is one that I received from Mildred's neuro vet: record an actual seizure so that she could review specifically what was happening instead of relying upon my description of the event. I know it is hard to remember to grab a camera or phone or tablet when a seizure occurs, but if you are able to do so, it will help any vet you consult have a more definite idea about what Bailey is experiencing. Best wishes to you as you figure out how best to help Bailey.

Sorry I wasn't clear, Gail. If you want to learn more about either of the puppy-millers I mentioned, the search function here on the boards should reveal several past threads where they have been discussed at length. My first-hand experiences have been with Swafford, so seeing his lines in the pedigree for Skye was an immediate concern. The dog named "Cody" in that pedigree is the one I rescued when Swafford discarded him at age 12 because he was no longer useful as a stud dog.

^^ What Liz said. As the person who salvaged the sire of this dog's dam when Swafford was done with him, I would run fast and far. I also clicked on a few other pedigrees and saw MAH named, as well.

Glad you enjoyed the video of Marcie's family and its ongoing commitment to rescue, Gail. They are awesome people! Looking forward to seeing how things turn out with Janet--best wishes with whatever you decide to do next.

Yep. Almost exactly 4 years ago, I pulled and fostered a pup who was even more shy than Janet is described. At the shelter, Marcie would tip over her water bucket so that she could hide her head underneath it. In the 2 weeks she was in our house, she blossomed into a wonderful, lively pup, one of only two fosters my husband has ever wanted to keep. Marcie was adopted by the pilot who flew one leg of her Pilots & Paws transport and, last I heard, was doing agility and generally being a wonderful member of the family. Here is the story of her transport to Buckeye Border Collie Rescue. I will try to hunt up the wonderful video of her after she was adopted and add a link to that video so you can see her transformation. ETA: Here is the video segment.

I am no expert in working lines, but this breeder [ETA: the breeder of the dam, linked below] is near me, and I remember Googling the phone number for several Craigslist ads for BCs over the years and finding them coming back to this operation. So that raised an immediate red flag for me. Plus, I am immediately suspicious of BC breeders in Portland, TN, since that was Swafford's home base. But, as others have said, I hope you enjoy your girl for what she is and have many delightful years together.

I see other folks have already responded to this point, but I wanted to add that I live in southern Kentucky (less then 25 miles from TN), and my city requires dog licenses, as well. As others have noted, the cost of the license is discounted for altered dogs. I also believe our situation is like those others mentioned: most people with unaltered dogs are not bothering to get licenses, either.

Thanks for the kind words, Rebecca and Vicki. I miss him but know he will thrive in his new home.

I am happy to announce that today Tucker went home with his adopter! Jane and I met her north of Indianapolis yesterday, and we spent all afternoon and evening together getting acquainted. Tucker responded well to her, and she is thrilled to have him join her family. He hopped in her car and didn't look back as they pulled out of the parking lot early this morning. Have a great life, Mr. Tucker! We will miss you, but we are thrilled for you to finally be in a home of your own after searching all year long for the right place.

Thanks for the good wishes for Tucker! Jane and I have been talking at length with a promising potential adopter, and I am hopeful that it will work out for him to join her family.

Yep, never a dull moment with Tucker in residence! He is quite a character!

Thanks for the compliments to Tucker! Although I am a little bit biased, given all our time together, I do agree that he is quite stunning in looks. And Tucker also loves to be with both people and animals...he is determined to make my beagle, Huckleberry, his BFF, but Huckleberry is still not convinced. Finally, as this picture shows, he is the perfect "assistant" for folks who work at home and need help operating their laptops efficiently.

Just a quick update: Tucker's potential adopter I referenced above decided to withdraw her application. Although we do have two more recent applications to process, we still encourage anyone who thinks he or she would be an especially good fit for Tucker to be in touch with either Jane or me. He would love to find his permanent home soon!

Thanks for inquiring--and for your good wishes for Tucker! We are processing an application, and Tucker has been enjoying rides on Barren River Lake, now that he is back in Jane's care. Jane has also been trying out his new discs with Tucker (she said he seems a natural). We have both had unexpectedly crazy weeks, though, in our non-Tucker lives, so things are moving a little more slowly than we'd planned.