From The Archives: Saving Indigo

     I found some articles I wrote years ago, before I started this blog, when I first started doing rescue work.  I'm going to reprint them here as new blog entries so those stories are not lost and those dogs are remembered.

     This second article is from the March 2010 issue of the Steel Ghost Gazette, the newsletter for the Weimaraner Association of Greater Pittsburgh.

     She was known as No. 74 at the Mahoning County Dog Pound and she was scheduled to be euthanized Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

     Emails started flying across the Internet as more and more people heard about the young, blue Weimaraner that had been given a death sentence, through no fault of her own.

     I received the email from Judy Thompson on Monday, February 1st and immediately forwarded it to Tri-State Weimaraner Rescue (TSWR) to see if we could help this dog.

     I heard back on Tuesday that there was a waiting list of people to adopt the pup and that the dog pound had TSWR's phone number and knew we would take her if it became necessary.

     Wednesday I received an email from TSWR looking for someone to pick up the dog from the dog pound, so I emailed that my schedule on Thursday might allow me to make the drive to Ohio to pick her up.

     My schedule on Thursday worked out perfectly and I gladly left for Ohio to pick up No. 74.

Indigo, the blue pup from the kill shelter in Youngstown, Ohio.

     I was surprised when, after I told the pound workers that I was there for the Weim puppy, that they just told me to "head on back and get her."  No papers to sign, no checks of any kind, just take the dog and go.

     As soon as I walked her out of the door of the dog pound I knew she was sick, I could hear the coughing and the wheezing.  She jumped into my car and, as I began to drive, she settled in for a nap in the front passenger seat.

She was the cutest little blue Weim ever!

     The puppy needed a name, I couldn't call her No. 74.  On the drive over I had thought about names and, because of her blue coat, the name Indigo came to my mind.  I thought Indy would make a very nice nickname for her, and so it was that she got her name.

     Before going home I stopped at my vet to have Indy checked out and she was supposed to get a rabies shot.  The diagnosis of kennel cough was made and, because of a high fever, the rabies shot was put on hold and Indy was put on antibiotics.

     Friday morning I took Indy for a long walk and she was behaving well and staying in the crate for the most part, so as not to expose my dogs to her illness.  Then came the big snow storm and the temperatures turned much colder.

This photo shows how little snow was on the ground when I brought Indy home.
And, yes, she has a full tail.

The day after Indy came to our house the big snow storm hit.

This is what the driveway looked like after the snow storm!

     
     By Saturday afternoon, Indy was not feeling well at all, she was shaking and coughing more and more.  Dan and I put her on the couch and covered her with blankets, trying to make her comfortable.  That night Indy slept in bed with me.

     Sunday Indy was no better and by the time we offered her dinner she had decided not to eat anymore.  I notified TSWR that she was not doing well and it was decided to wait till Monday to see if she would improve or if she needed another visit to the vet.  Indy spent another night in bed with me to make sure she stayed warm.

Indy came to us a very sickly pup.

     Monday morning she was not better and, possibly, worse, so I called to make an afternoon appointment with my vet.  The vet agreed that she was worse and felt that she needed supportive care to help her fight through her illness, so we were went to the Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialy and Emergency Center (PVSEC).

     The vet at PVSEC decided that Indy needed to be admitted for at least a night and thta she would need to stay until they could get her eating again.  The diagnosis was pneumonia.

     I received word on Tuesday that Indy could come home and I picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket and we headed for home.  He cough seemed better, but Indy was still very quiet and only wanted to lay on the couch.

    As Indy started eating the rice and boiled chicken I made for her she began gaining her strength back.  The medicines seemed to be helping her out and hour by hour we started to see her improve.

Indy

     A new home had been found for Indy and plans were made to transfer her to her new owners.  I said I'd help transport her on Saturday, February 11th, as long as she continued to improve in health until then, which, of course, she did.

     Saturday morning Indy and I headed out fo our trip to Blairsville, PA, where we met her new owners who are from the Tyrone, PA area.  It was hard to say goodbye to Indy, as I had become rather attached to her during her stay, but I knew she was going to a good home and would have a wonderful life.

     Indy is a very sweet pup and her future looks bright, thanks to the care she received while TSWR had her in their possession.  In the week she was in our home TSWR paid out more than $1,000.00 to ensure that Indy got the medical care that she needed.

     WAGP members should be very proud that our club is associated with a rescue group that works very hard to give Weims a second chance for a good home and a healthy, happy live.

     ADDENDUM:  One part of this story I never told till now is that when I picked Indy up from the vet after a night of IV treatment to help build her up, I parked the car right beside the door so that she would not get too chilled in the transfer to the car.  I never thought about all the fluids Indy had taken in all night or that she wouldn't have relieved herself in her crate at the vet's.  I put Indy in the driver's seat of my car and she promptly emptied her bladder right there, not able to wait any longer for a chance to pee!  So I had to clean up my seat before we could head home -- another lesson learned, the hard way!!

Indy and her family (she's in the middle).

     UPDATE:  Indy's owner, Jane, and I are friends on FaceBook and I have enjoyed watching her grow up through the many photos posted on Jane's page.  Indy has a two doggie siblings, a Weim and a rescued pit-type dog and she lives the wonderful life I knew she would!