Onyx is up to 41.0 pounds today.  YEAH!

 

Yikes!  Ran in November.  Fairbanks is getting an unusual (and very rare) rainfall in November.  It has been raining all day and supposed to continue through tomorrow.  Our wonderful snow that we got a few days ago is compacting and will turn to ice once the temps drop again.  Here are Ivy Misty and Blackberry checking out a small snow girl that I made today.  In Fairbanks the snow is so dry that making snow people is impossible.  But with this rain saturating the snow it compacts quite well. 

It is sad for all of us that love winter sports.  Skiing is out right now as is skijoring, sledding or snowshoeing.  Pretty depressing for a winter that already started out late and now the trails are ruined.  And when the temps drop all of this remaining snow will freeze in lumps, spires, points and divets.  Hopefully, being a part of the grooming team with the Alaska Skijor and Pulk Association, we will be able to break up the icy snow and make a decent trail again.

I am calling Onyx our little miracle dog.  I hate to jump the gun and yell from the roof tops but Onxy is doing GREAT.  We took her off all meds except for 1 mg of budesonide every other day.  Plus a B12 shot once a week.  She is still eating her Vegan dog food plus skinless boiled chicken twice a day.  But the girl is gaining weight.  And gaining at a quick rate.  Just last week she gained nearly 2 pounds.  I weighed her today and she is up to 39.8 pounds.  She doesn’t feel totally bony any longer and actually is looking quite healthy.

So, not sure WHY!??!!  Did the Leukeran do something?  The high doses of budesonide for the last year?  Or her body finally catching up with a food she can process?  Whatever is going on we are grateful. 

She has had her ups and downs before but I am thinking this might continue.  At least I am praying so.  Her last bloodwork was excellent.  Pretty much right down the middle of normal.  Always thankful for our dogs health and Onyx is one that Don and I and Dr. Lovely have really worked hard to figure out her problems.

 Copper is our newest foster dog.  He is a super nice dog.  Runs great.  Very powerful and strong.  He is a very social dog that gets along with everyone.  These first 2 pictures are him at the shelter.  We brought him home and got to run him a couple of times on the 4 wheeler before his neuter.  He did great.  After his neuter a couple of days ago he is now living in the house with a lot of our other dogs.  He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.  He has gotten the hang of the steps and has to learn to keep his feet off the counters.  So many new things from a totally outdoor dog that has been chained up most of his 3 years, to a house dog that is also going to be a working dog in Wyoming as soon as we can find him a ride down there.  He will be living with 3 other dogs and will fit right in with their scooter training in the fall and their skijoring in the winter. 

Here are some pictures of him at home.  Misty has become quite the play friend of his.  The blurry picture is them just going wild in the house.  He loves to play and gets along with everyone.

So, one of the big reasons that I am writing this is that I would truly love to find a home for Copper’s brother.

Todd is STILL at the shelter.  He is a houndy boy with a great personality.  He would also easily fall into being a pet dog that loves to work.  A skijor home would be perfect for him.  He is very strong.  He isn’t top end sprint speed but is plenty fast to be in the top of most of our local skijor races.  He gets along with other dogs and loves people.  I sure hope that Todd finds a great home too.

 Todd is a sweetie!