This morning, Goldie had a blood draw to test for a disease called Valley Fever. The blood specimen is being sent to California and we hope to get results in about three days. Her symptoms suggest the possibility of this disease, and we need to follow every lead. We'll share the report when we get it.
Goldie explores her new grounds, supported by her harness & RJ
We awoke to fresh snow this morning; Goldie was ok with that, but she does seem to feel the cold easily. This is understandable as, prior to her huge coat having been shaved off, sometimes right to the skin, she had been "buried in many pounds of matted hair". When we come back into the house I bundle her in a warm blanket and massage her until she is nice & warm again . . . that's a process Goldie & I both enjoy!
Goldie prefers to drink water outside. Inside, she has her bowl of fresh water next to her main bed. There is another bowl on the stoop where she exits & enters the house and she usually stops there to drink. This morning she actually broke the ice so she could drink out of that bowl. Maybe she likes her water icy cold? She also likes to eat the snow, as you can see in the picture. Undoubtedly she learned that as part of her survival skills.
Boy, that snow tastes so good!
Goldie's right rear leg continues to improve. She can actually take her weight on that leg for a few seconds, but still has no ability to balance at all. Now here's some great news - if she's leaning against me or RJ we actually give her harness some slack and let her take her weight for a brief time. This is encouraging!
We're seeing more & more tiny movements in her rear left leg. She's extremely interested in what's going on around her. She is moving herself around quite a bit more now, usually so she can maneuver herself into petting distance of a human. Seeing how loving she is makes it even more heartbreaking to think of her living alone for so, so long. What a girl!
Goldie's eyes are getting brighter every day. We're also beginning to see some of her old memories being restored. It's obvious that she had been accustomed to riding in cars. When we walk up to a car, it's clear she'd jump right in if she could. She's comfortable in the car and rides well. When we lift her into the back of our SUV she "skooches" up so she can lean against the back of the seat. This girl knows exactly what she's doing.
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