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GRETA 2/13/05
 

Foster Pictures

Greta's Foster Journey - Adopted 2/25/05

Post Adoption Pictures

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Pertinent Information
5 yr. old  Female Boxer
  Petite Skinny Brindle  Shelter Surrender
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Spayed and UTD
Being Fostered near Storrs, CT
Adoption Donation $175 + $20 Microchipping

2/24/06 - It's hard to believe that our little Greta has been with us one year already!
She's really has come out of her shell and provides endless entertainment for us and our elderly parents.  There's just something about that smoosh face that even when she's on the bed (pretending to be sleeping) she just makes us laugh.  When she gets up in the morning she is always so happy that she doesn't look in the direction that she's moving and "jelly beans" right into the wall! 
She loves to give boxer hugs and when in the middle of a hug, we rub her sides and tell her how good she is, she raises her head in the air as if to say, "Yes, I know it's all about me."
We also have to be careful when we speak to Greta, not to get too close to her because she is always looking for an opportunity to give kisses when we least expect it.
She has bonded a lot with Bette who now has her little German Shorthaired Pointer and Greta following her all around the house.  Bette loves both of them so much that she affectionately calls them "the twins" because they are both small in stature.
When the cell phone rings, if we're not too quick to answer, Greta howls at the ring tone as if to tell us we better get that!
Greta has brought such joy to our lives, we will always be grateful for the fine work that BAR did in bringing her to us.

717/05 - Greta will attend her first obedience training graduation next week. She has come along remarkably well and knows sit, down, stay, come, and stand. She still needs a little work on heel but she is doing very well considering most of these were new commands for her and that she still is a little stubborn. One thing I wanted to mention, and perhaps it is inherent in boxers, is that Greta sometimes smushes her face into the doggie bed. I presume that it is to wipe her face. Well, she was on our bed one day and began to smush her face into the comforter. Greta really got into it and was smushing her face back and forth and front to back vigorously and must have lost track of where she was. Her center of gravity went off kilter and she did a flip going head over heels and ended up on the bed, flat on her back! The look on her face when she righted herself was precious beyond words. I don't think she knew how she ended up where she was. She is such a comedian!

5/18/05 - Greta continues to be a wonderful boxer girl. She loves people and we are noticing the older and heaver the people are the greater the affinity she has for them! Although we try not to spoil her, Greta is convinced that the world revolves around her. She cries as her meals are being prepared, does the boxer bow each time she enters the house from the yard and greets my wife and I with tremendous joy even if we have only stepped out for a minute. We call our Greta and our small German Shorthaired Pointer, the "twins"
because they are both so small and sleep next to each other on the bed. They both love their Mommy and Daddy and crave as much attention as possible! Greta is such a comedian and joy, we are grateful for each day that we have with her.

Today, Greta went to college! She participated in a study at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine to test a nutritional supplement for the treatment of heart arrhythmias. She was given a physical exam by a cardiologist, an echocardiogram, and an electrocardiogram. If she had any arrhythmias, she would have been given an EKG monitor (Holter recording) to wear for 24 hours (after which she would have had to return to Tufts), a blood test to measure liver and kidney function and fat levels, a safe nutritional supplement for 6 weeks and at the end of the 6-week period, she would have received a 2nd echocardiogram, another Holter recording and a blood test to measure any changes the supplement would have provided. Fortunately, the doctors at Tufts found no arrhythmias in Greta's heart. In fact, they said that she has one of the strongest hearts they've ever seen in a boxer. Greta loved the attention and became so relaxed due to the fact that four people were handling and touching her, that she fell asleep on the examining table! The information the doctors obtained from Greta's exam will become part of the basis of the study, so even though she fortunately couldn't continue further into the program, her results will be compared to other boxers that enter the program. The doctors at Tufts requested that I ask other members of BAR if they too are interested in having their boxers participate in the program. It is an excellent and inexpensive way to find out if your boxer has any heart problems. The person to contact is Dr. Lisa Freeman at 508-839-5395 extension 84696. Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine is located in North Grafton, Massachusetts which is about 5 miles off exit 12 on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

4/8/05 - Greta the Great has been with us for over seven weeks now and her weight is up to 47 pounds. She is fitting into our daily routine nicely but is a little slow to the start in the early mornings. She likes to grab that extra snooze on the bed. She and our large German Shorthaired Pointer (Dani, 80 pound female) have gotten into two confrontations thus far (mostly growling and posturing) but they seem to get over them quickly. It is very common to see them lying next to each other on the bed or couch, sniffing each other or just resting their heads on the other’s back. The issues seem only to be when they find themselves together in confined spaces, such as on the stairs or at door entrances. We are now trying to avoid that as much as possible. Our smaller German Shorthaired Pointer (Bunny, 50 pound female) and Greta get along very well. We call them the “Little Girls”. They love to lie next to each other and go for rides in the car together. There are no issues with any of the three girls in the sharing of giving or receiving affection with us. With the start of the warmer weather, Greta doesn't seem to be in so much of a rush to get back into the house once she "does her business". She appears to enjoy walking around the yard on the leash and laying down, gazing off into space practicing boxer meditation. Greta will be starting obedience training in a few weeks and then after that it will be invisible fence training. Ultimately, we would like Greta to be involved in Pet Therapy, specifically at hospices. We will know more about whether she is capable of that after she attends her obedience training. Greta has such a wonderful spirit about her, she insists on dancing the kidney bean to everyone she meets and whenever we come home to her, she also gives us boxer hugs, countless kisses and rambles on with her boxer speeches! We just don’t know if she is telling us all about her day or asking us about ours. She is such a great addition to our family.

3/6/05 - I know that Greta isn't due for an update until 3/25/05 but I just had to send this in. Greta had her vet checkup on Thursday and the pneumonia and kennel cough are completely gone. In fact, she is up to 44 pounds now and is as playful as a little puppy. She follows us everywhere and whenever she’s away from me or my wife for just a few minutes and then sees either of us again, she is exuberant beyond belief. She does the kidney bean dance, the doggie play invite with us, howls at music and loves to give and receive kisses. We took her on a leash walk to Mansfield Hollow Dam today and when she saw other people walking on the trail, she greeted them and gave kisses without end. She gets along very well with our two GSP’s now and they all seem to be best of friends. Greta even searches for them in the house just to ensure the pack is intact. She is just a marvelous boxer and if she is representative of the breed, then every house in the USA should own their own boxer.

2/26/05 - Greta has been adopted.

2/25/05 - Greta had her follow-up checkup yesterday and Dr. Love said that she is doing very well. The coughing has dissipated so much that Greta only has an episode once or twice per day. Greta’s appetite has soared and she is now eating three times per day and asks for snacks in-between meals. So far, she sees that she almost always gets what she wants. I hope that won’t be a bad thing later down the road. Greta is getting along better with her house mates although Dani (our big GSP) avoids Greta most of the time. Bunny (our little GSP) is about he same size as Greta and the two of them have been more sociable and accepting towards each other. It is amazing to see Greta’s true dog personality come through. Before, she was so sick that most of the time she was either resting or coughing. Now she likes to investigate around the house, invites us to play with her and gives kisses upon command. Greta follows us everywhere and is right on top of our heels, so we have to be careful not to step on her. Greta still does not like the snow or cold but if I persuade her, she will come outside with me to do her business. Then she wants to dive right back in where it’s warm and dry. She’s no fool! I still have her sleeping on the bed in the small bedroom with the vaporizer on all night to help with her recuperation (she still has about seven days worth of antibiotics left).

2/24/05 - Greta is pending adoption

2/20/05 - Greta is doing well. She coughs a lot less and she's eating a bit more. Our vet ordered Greta to be in a harness because a leash attached to her collar would put further pressure on her trachea which was stressed by all the coughing she’s done. Our two GSP girls have gotten used to Greta and all three were lying in the great room today on their doggie beds soaking up the afternoon sun barely a foot apart from one another. Any jealousy issues seem to have been resolved. Did any of them honestly think we’d love them any less? Our two girls haven’t caught Greta’s kennel cough as they’ve been vaccinated for bordetella. We're not out of the woods yet with Greta’s pneumonia but the rest and relaxation is doing her a world of good and she seems well on her way to recovery. My in-laws were over today and Greta was so happy to meet them. She simply loves visitors! Greta goes outside to do her business but then wants to duck back inside where it’s warm. We’re not sure if this is because it’s just plain cold outside or if she prefers to be inside rather than out.

2/19/05 - Greta came back from the vet today and she is much improved. She wagged her little tail when she saw me today. Everyone at the vet fell in love with her. She was on an IV for 24 hours and they put her on a new antibiotic (Baytril) that seems to work for her and we have to use a vaporizer four times a day for 20 minutes each time. We're trying to keep her as restful as possible. She loves sitting with us on the couch when we watch TV. She also gained back two pounds and her appetite is back! Teresa wants to see her again on Thursday. She said it may take Greta about a month to totally get rid of the kennel cough and its symptoms but she thinks she'll be OK.

2/18/05 - We became concerned with Greta over the last day and a half. The coughing did get worse. But she began vomiting her food last night which may have been the result of the stronger antibiotic dosage that Dr. Love prescribed. Animal Wellness wanted to see her today and when we arrived, they were more concerned with her coughing than the vomiting. So they did a chest x-ray and found the beginnings of a pneumonia infection. She is going to stay in the hospital for at least 24 hours and placed on an IV in the hopes of clearing up the infection. As a result of the vomiting and her loss of appetite today, her weight dropped to 38 pounds. We may be able to pick her up tomorrow afternoon depending on how well she does on the IV. Say some prayers for her because the poor thing's been through so much in just a few short weeks. Let's hope she makes a speedy recovery.

2/16/05 - Greta's kennel cough was worse today, so we called the vet and she is being put on a stronger antibiotic.  Let's hope this helps this poor skinny little girl.

2/15/05 - "Greta the Great" had her wellness checkup last night and our vet thinks she may only be 5 years old and possibly even 4. She weighed in at 42 pounds and our vet thinks she could easily reach 50 pounds in time. She didn't like her ears wiped but only showed some mild dissatisfaction. Her teeth look good and she has some mild occlusion in her eyes. Our vet found three small fatty cysts on her right fore leg but she’s not concerned with them unless they get larger. But she advised that they be removed at the same time that Greta may need a future surgical procedure. Greta does have a persistent kennel cough that is being treated with antibiotics. She also was inoculated at the shelter for bordetella. Greta seems to be a fussy eater, choosing how much she wishes to eat rather than eating everything in her dish at once. She wants to be friends with our other dogs but they are being cautious with their new boarder for now. Greta is becoming comfortable with her new surroundings and confident in herself and it has been exhibited in a couple of new behaviors. Today she tried to brace herself going into the crate and barked once she was in although she was not destructive in the crate. Yesterday, she did not mind at all going or staying in the crate. She also tried to mount our small GSP in the outside fenced-in area today but Bunny would have nothing to do with it and ran from Greta. We’ll keep an eye on these dominance issues. With us she is just a sweetheart. She loves to be hugged and gives kisses almost every time she is within reach of our faces. She loves to just sit on the couch and watch TV with us. Then she falls asleep and snores! Greta seems to be house trained and only had one little accident in the basement when she turned left at the bottom of the stairs instead of right and couldn’t see where the outside door was.

2/13/05 - "Greta the Great" settled in nicely. No dog issues on her part with our girls, Greta wagged her tail at both. Bunny (the little GSP) was a bit unsure as to what was happening but she has since warmed up to Greta and is quite content to share Greta with us. Dani, the 80 pound GSP, growled once within the 1st half hour of the arrival while Greta was walking by but I told Dani "NO" followed by the sit command and the down command and I think she quickly understood that behavior will not be tolerated. I invited Greta on the couch and at first she was wary but then she got up slowly and cautiously and cuddled up next to me and she was OK. We all took a 90 minute nap on the couches in the bonus room this afternoon and Greta snores! That's so cute! We noticed that every time she woke up from her nap, she seemed startled and looked around to see where she was. Maybe a bit disoriented? We have all three on leashes and have not had any confrontations over the past five hours. Greta ate some food around 1 PM and again at 5 PM. I think that will do it for the night. I gave her a pill about 6 PM wrapped in some bread so that I can repeat a 6 PM - 6 AM schedule and she took it gladly. She's letting us know when she needs to relieve herself outside. She's such a good girl! A real sweetheart!
WHAT A VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT!

 

5/18/05 Pictures