Jesse

It has been one week since I agreed to provide a foster home for Jesse.  His progress has been overwhelming!  If you are squeamish about nasal discharge, you can stop reading here.  For the first five days, Jesse had streams of yellow-green, slime-like substance  extruding from his nose in 2" long drips.  It wasn't much of a clean up problem as he seemed to enjoy licking his nose!  He also had a cough that the rescue ladies called "kennel cough".  They said this is a malady that occurs in about 90% of pets that  spend time in a shelter.

Since the very first morning he was here, I have given him a pill hidden, so very cleverly, in a piece of wiener.  I am sooo happy to report that for the past two days there has been no nasal discharge or coughing.  Even though Jesse may look as though his weight is normal (due to his long hair), when he arrived you could feel each bone in his body.  For the first few days it would take him all day just to finish his morning allotment of food and then remnants of his evening meal would still be in his bowl the next morning.

I fed him his evening meal a short while ago.  I feed him in the kitchen while I am cooking my dinner.  Tonight, for the first time, he finished his entire meal before mine was even ready!  I may be wrong but I think that a good appetite is a sign of health in animals and humans.

Since Jesse's arrival I have been somewhat concerned that Jesse has never barked.  I mean never!  Twice while walking him, he squealed when my big foot landed on his tiny paw, but never a bark.  Right in the middle of writing this post, Jesse barked.  It is a fine bark; not too loud but loud enough and deep enough to give the impression a dog twice his size!

He gets better everyday!