How much BC?

[pansmom]

"Watch me."

 

Squirrel watching.

 

More squirrel watching.

 

Among furniture items, for size perspective (she's tiny, still only 28.5 pounds)!

 

Today marks 2 months. Does she look a decent weight? A once thin skeletal build has become tapered and lean, she has muscle now and I can just barely feel her ribs. We went to the vet on Thursday because of some GI symptoms and lethargy after the incident on Saturday with the coughing up phlegm / possible adult heartworm death. Vet took a smear - her microfilaria count has gone down from 4+ to 0-1 (meaning instead of tons in each panel of the slide now they could only find a single larva on the whole slide) - so the DOXY/IVM combo is working great on the larvae. It will take time before we can figure out whether the adult heartworm death has been caused by the treatment also.

 

Behaviorally she is doing AWESOME! Recall is great, sit is great even from a distance, she also now knows down, watch me, look, has an awakening interest in toys, is learning to fetch, and is no longer bothering the cats (actually on walks she will try to semicircle away from yards with outdoor cats - not in a scared way, but politely, looking away, as if to give them room - and in the vet office she was interested but deferential to Friend, who was sleeping in one of the chairs in the waiting room). No accidents in the house in a while. We've been leaving her out more. She isn't scared of any of the regular household noises anymore, doesn't mind when I dance, and although she still comes running when I yawn she doesn't bark or look nervous. She's just... interested I guess you could say. She has begun giving grumbly "public service announcements" when certain dogs (ones she doesn't like/trust) pass on the street outside, but they are just muffled woofs, because I have let her know I don't like it when she outright barks, and when I say, "Thank you, Vala, for the PSA," she sits and tries to stay calm (although occasionally she will do another muffled talky woof especially if its the min-pin and chihuahua pair from two doors over, whom she kind of despises - can dogs hold a grudge? 'cause they met a long time ago, got scared, and snapped at her once!). She is also learning to enjoy the car - she's not scared of it anymore. And as she gets more healthy and feels more herself, I\'ve noticed increased confidence and increased interest in taking direction. She follows me around all day as if to help with chores, just waiting for a command, and when I let her outside, she is all about the squirrels. She will watch them all day and try to drive them out of the yard when they come into the branches above by staring them down and trying to scare them off by running at them. But she can even be called off of that, to come to me or go inside, maybe 80% of the time. She\'s an awesome dog.

 

I can\'t wait for the heartworm problem to be gone, well first so I can stop worrying, but second because I can\'t wait to start some kind of formal training with her because with her increasing confidence and interest in taking direction I think she will LOVE it. I want to give her something other than squirrels, for a purpose in life...

 

(In case it's not clear, I say I'm kidding about the title, because she kind of looks like the Platonic ideal of border collie to me, even if she is a bit small. Not really the kind of look you expect a "How much BC" post for. Although it is in question since she is a rescue.)

[ShoresDog]

Looking good! It's nice to hear she's doing so well. I hope those awful heartworms soon become past history.

[pansmom]

Thanks, Jan. Me too. Down with dirofilaria immitis!

[Allie Oop]

Vala is beautiful girl and looks like she is settling in great.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

She really does look like she's doing great! Good job!