STARLA
March, 2012 ... Hey, y’all. Miss Starla here. I apologize for taking so long to write my thank yous for your prayers and donations, but my calendar has just been so full lately. I’m feeling much better though, thank you very much. Now I have a touch of the heart worms, but my vet has me on what she calls a slow kill regimen (that’s such an indelicate way to put it, don’t you think?), hoping to give me a clean bill of health soon. And just as soon as I’m over that, I’ll be going in to have some female surgery. Whew, just the thought of all this is giving me the vapors. I guess my child-bearing years are soon to be over, but no worries because I rather like hanging out with my humans better anyway. I’m finding it a bit depressing here though. These common people I’m living with right now actually have to work for a living and are leaving me by myself in a dreary crate all day, and we’re all losing our girlish figures because we don’t get any exercise. Someone please come get me out of this dreary place. I don’t even care if you’re a carpet bagger, I just want a new life, full of the fun and excitement that a girl of my station deserves.
From my foster mom: "There isn’t a party that Starla doesn’t want to attend, especially if you have to drive to it; she loves to ride in the car. Starla is also crate-trained now and will even go in and hang out in there when she doesn’t have to. And toys, she loves toys, the noisier the better. If it squeaks, it’s hers. She plays really well with my golden retriever, and Starla and my boxer are even tussling for fun now. And Starla has the most beautiful gait when she runs, which she does very well on a leash. On the down side, our Miss Starla cannot forgo the temptations on the kitchen counters when no one is home. And she likes to eat. And that’s about all that’s wrong with her.
I love this girl. And she is looking for someone who will give her the attention that she would love to have. I would keep Starla in a heartbeat if I didn’t have two other dogs who also need my attention. Aside from her counter surfing, she’s the easiest keeper I have."
December 4, 2011... It’s been a while since we’ve checked in, and a lot has happened since then. On October 7, I came home from work to find Starla severely injured by my boxer. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I feel sure my female incapacitated Starla early in the day and continued to chew on her and bite her throughout the day. When I got to her, Starla was in extreme shock and had unbelievable wounds and punctures covering her. My son and I took her to the emergency vet where they stabilized her and kept her overnight. The next morning I picked Starla up and took her to a vet that CBR routinely uses. She stayed there for four days, with stitches in three places, two with drains in them. There were two places on her legs that were impossible to stitch because of the amount of surface skin missing. All the while, this sweet girl was patient and willing with everyone who worked with her. Once Starla was well enough to come home, we traveled back and forth to the vet almost daily for wound care. At one point Starla ripped some of her stitches out, leaving a gaping opening in her armpit that couldn’t be re-closed.
Eventually we moved Starla to another vet that CBR uses, Four Paws, in Columbia, mainly due to the location. But it turned out to be a really great move for us. Once again Starla was stapled where possible, but they also did skin grafts in the places that couldn’t be stitched, then they placed honey wraps over her wounds. Again Starla stayed at the vet for four days after her surgery. And again we started the almost daily visits to the vet for wound care. Throughout all this, Starla never complained. She started gaining weight and sort of romping around as well as she could, given that she had a big cone on her head and a leg all wrapped up.
A month after the fight, Miss Starla got her staples out. She had to wear the cone of shame for a little while longer, but when it did finally come off we were all happy to be rid of that thing. Her new freedom of movement allowed Starla to get into some things I was unprepared for. I came home from work one day to find my kitchen a total shambles, with a crockpot full of pork juice on the floor, broken glass and pork juice everywhere, the recycling strewn all over, Halloween cookies eaten. Anyone who has a large dog who stays inside has probably been through this at some point. But here’s the thing - the next morning I noticed that Starla wasn’t breathing very deeply. She was taking quick, shallow breaths. I just knew that she had baggies clogging her up from the cookies, so here we go to the vet again. No, Starla wasn’t full of pork bones or baggies - she has heartworms. So, now we’re on HW medication and steroids. Jeez, this girl has been through it!
I took her in to the vet to check if the steroids were clearing up Starla’s lungs, and the doc said her lungs look great ... except there are two spots that look suspicious. Y’all please pray that it’s scar tissue from the heartworms. Starla and I have really gotten attached to one another throughout all of this, and she’s just the sweetest, happiest girl, with the best dog ears ever.
As for the dog fight, I don’t know exactly who started it but jealousy might have been a factor. I also have a golden retriever, and both dogs are fine with her, but she’s not an alpha dog. Or the fact that Starla isn’t spayed yet could be a factor. I don’t know, but I feel pretty sure my boxer is the aggressor. She went to stay with a friend just as soon as this happened, but she’s going to have to come home sooner or later. Until then, Starla’s safe here with me. But she sure would like a person to call her very own.
November 6, 2011... Starla has had a rough few weeks. She and the dog in her foster home had a "disaggreement" and Starla didn't fare well. She suffered several bite wounds on her front legs which required surgery and grafting.
From her foster mom: "Starla has three pretty serious wounds on her - one in the armpit of her left leg, then one on her inside right shoulder (think of the indention a bite out of an apple leaves, all the way down to bare muscle) and one a little further down on that leg. There is enough skin to stitch up only the one under her arm, the rest are being grafted. The doc took grafts from her shoulder and placed small bits of skin around in each wound, hoping it will grow "roots" (nerves?) and fill in."
She is still in the recovery process and will be fine once these wounds heal. But, her vet bills have been high. Please consider donating to her care! We will continue to post updates on her progress.
September 27, 2011... Meet Starla, a seven-year-old female. Starla is as sweet as they come towards people. She would make an excellent dog for someone who likes to take walks or who runs. When we go out to run, I set the pace and she stays right beside me, never pulls or wanders. She loves to ride in the car too. And she's quiet. That's a real plus in my book. I haven't heard her bark yet, but she will whine or moan a bit to let you know there's something she wants.
We're currently trying to put some more weight on Starla, as she's a bit underweight, but that shouldn't be a problem because she's definitely a foodie. I've been feeding her in the kitchen with my other two females and there's been no food aggression from Starla. She does, however, want the other dogs' food and that's caused some trouble with my female boxer. I think Starla came sniffing around the food bowl and my snippy boxer didn't like it and snapped at her, which has led to some general animus in the house. It could also be because Starla is still intact. She has an appointment with the doc to take care of that soon. Starla and my golden retriever get along great though. They wrestle and play together like old friends and sleep together at night.
I don't know how Starla is towards cats or children, but I suspect she would be good with both. She doesn't really show any interest in the squirrels in the yard. What Starla does love is her balls, especially the one that you put food in and roll around. She carries it from room to room with her. And she loves my teenage son. I suspect she had a boy in her past, who she loved, and now she's looking for another one to love. As soon as Starla's had her surgery she'll be ready for her forever home. If you're looking for an adult with some puppy still in her, Starla's your girl.
SPONSOR ME!
Starla would like to thank her sponsors:
Jim Stork
Dwight and Carla Hudson
