17 August, 2018

All About Clove - The First 18 Days

On 13 December 2017, Clove arrived in our lives.  She was about 10 weeks old.  She and her brother (who was set to go to another household) were the 2 survivors from a litter of 7 born to a mother dog who had been bred too many times at too frequent intervals and then neglected.  As we later learned, neither her brother nor her mother survived the next month.
24 Hours, 5 meals, 3 baths, 5 nit-combing sessions later ... 
Those little golden seeds are nits and lice.
Such a little thing, more parasite than puppy. The only good thing about the louse infestation on her was that there was no room left for fleas!  I saw only a couple of fleas on Clove, and those were in the rinse water of her baths.  Poor Clove also had intestinal worms. 

Clove playing with the weasel balls - s plush toy weasel attached to a ball that rolls eccentrically.  She loved that weasel to death.
Even though Clove had been neglected and was malnourished, she was friendly, inquisitive, and playful.
Falling asleep with her weasel ball.
Those first few days she spent playing, sleeping, eating, pooping, and peeing.  Funny, that's still mostly how she spends her time now.
Clove was so small that a cat harness adjusted to the smallest size fit her loosely.  She soon grew into it and then outgrew it, too.
I combed her for lice, which I had originally thought were mites, several times a day.  And we bathed her 5 times that first week.  The first time I combed her with the nit comb, I was horrified by the sheer volume of nits, lice, and dead skin that came off on the comb - easily 2 tablespoons worth.
Her second favorite toy - the sparkling wine cork. Perfect for her sharp little puppy teeth and too big for her to choke on.
Two weeks later, Clove is a new puppy.  She still has bald spots from the lice (and probably mites, too), especially on her tail and left rear foot and moth-eaten patches on her torso.  But the fur that remains is healthier looking and she has grown incredibly larger.  She went from 4 lbs to 8.6 lbs in 17days.  The cat harness had to be loosened all the way.
Growing every day.
"I am Clove."
Clove and Barnie are half-sisters from the same mother.  Barnie is 1.5 years older than Clove.  It was love at first sight for those 2.  But with Barnie being so much bigger and stronger, we thought it best to let them play for a while through the gate and rail.  We put up a run line for Clove's leash situated so that she could be next to Barnie or not, as she chose, but she couldn't go through the rail and fall off the 10 ft high veranda or escape down the stairs.  That worked beautifully for about 10 days.
Visiting time for Barnie and Clove.
Barnie and Clove chewing on each other.  You can see Clove's splotchy fur and bald tail.  Clove is defending her coconut husk toy. 
Barnie playfully stealing the coconut husk.
Big sister Barnie letting Clove nap with the husk.
The next weeks were spent with more bathing, deworming, treatments for lice/mites/fleas.  And more time with Barnie.  As I look at these photos from 8 months ago, I can hardly believe it's the same dog.  More Clove updates to come.

11 comments:

  1. She's a beauty. I'm glad she ended up with you.

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    1. We are glad, too, Janie. She is a very happy dog.

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  2. I'm already in love. It's so heartwarming to see the rapid improvement.

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    1. We were amazed at how fast she grew and responded to good treatment. It is clear that she wasn't physically abused, just neglected.

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  3. What a wonderful story and all praise to you for giving her the opportunity for what will surely be a wonderful life.
    Loved your Newlyn photos by the way, Cornwall is my favourite place in the UK.

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    1. Clove is settling in well, Derek, although there have been more than a few times we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. As dogs (cats, too) do when given a chance, she is giving us much more in return for what we give her. It is the best start to my day every day when I greet the 2 dogs and they are beside themselves with joy at seeing me.

      We could have enjoyed ourselves in Newlyn for much longer. Glad you liked the photos. If you get to Newlyn, be sure to eat at Mackerel Sky. It is fairly new.

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  4. I got nervous when I first saw this post - the weasel's eye looks real. =)
    Keep good thoughts, Wilma, and have a great week.

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    1. It does look pretty lifelike! And now it looks pretty deathlike.
      Enjoy your week, too, Robyn.

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  5. Clove has well and truly fallen on her feet to end up with such loving care. Look forward to reading about her continuing progress.

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  6. John - I can say the same of Penny and the other greyhounds you adopted in their golden years. You set a fine example.

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  7. Barnie and Clove are adorable. What a lot of tender loving care you have been able to give Clove, and I'm sure she will reward you in all the best canine ways!

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