River #2 Fox Red Labrador Retriever Mix Female 2 Years Old ID #3315

July 23, 2024

July 10, 2024

DRUM ROLL PLEASE……..

River is microfilaria free!!!  This means she no longer has any active baby heartworms in her system!  She is free to run, play and go for walks as much as she would like to!  The last step will be to re-check her in January to confirm that she is still heartworm free.  We are so happy for this sweet girl!

River has already enjoyed several play dates with our neighborhood dog and Brookline alum., Kota!

They like to run around in Kota’s fenced backyard!  River doesn’t chase balls but she does love to chase Kota until they are both worn out!  It is so fun to watch her run and play.  She’s an agile little girl and she is fast! River was also able to meet Kota’s human sister for the first time too!

We have been using a chest halter on River when we walk.  She still barks when she encounters an unknow dog but now we know it is a friendly bark. She’s been introduced to another neighbor dog a few times and now she doesn’t bark at him as we approach his house. I received some tips on how to train her not to bark at other dogs, so we are practicing these strategies using some roaster chicken as her high value treat!

River is a funny girl!  She likes to “boop” us when she wants a few extra scratches. She knows to sit by the door when she needs to go to the bathroom.  She has been sleeping on her bed or on the sofa at night. We have been leaving her out of the crate when we leave the house and she is absolutely trustworthy!  She hasn’t had accidents and she doesn’t destroy any of our belongings.  River enjoys chewing on stuffed toys and bones.  Over the Fourth of July River was able to hear some fireworks from a distance while inside our house.  She didn’t bark but she did whimper once and was happy to snuggle on the sofa with us. She is foster mom’s protector and I am told that she barks more when I am at home.  It’s good to have someone looking out for me!  We adore her!

June 24, 2024

River received some good news…. She is hookworm free!

River has been enjoying longer walks despite the hot weather.  She walks 1/4 of a mile 3 times a day.  She’s good on leash and stays by my side without tugging (unless she sees another dog). Our neighbor (who is also a Brookline Foster) recently introduced his puppy to River.  We wanted to see if River’s excitement toward other dogs was friendly in nature.  We started off with a parallel walk.  River barked but that didn’t last long.  Soon they were walking next to one another as if they were best friends. Next, they came inside the house for a drink.  River was a gracious hostess and shared her water.  The two dogs played nicely with River’s toys and shared bones while still on leash. I think River liked having a canine friend in the house!  When we walk outside, I now allow River to greet other dogs if she remains calm.  She usually sniffs them to say hello and is then content to continue walking.  When River is heartworm free and able to play, I think she is going to enjoy being around other dogs!

River’s barking is decreasing. We have a neighbor dog who always barks at River when we go outside.  River doesn’t even bother to look at her or bark back at her anymore.

River will be retested for microfilaria early next week.  We are hoping the additional topical treatment has gotten rid of those baby heartworms that have been hanging around!

Enjoy some pictures of this cute little girl!

May 29, 2024

River had her heartworm checkup and we didn’t get the news that we were hoping for.  She is still positive for Microfilariae which are “baby” heartworms.  According to our vet these are not harmful but if they have a chance to grow into adult heartworms, they of course would be harmful to her.  The next course of treatment is a single dose of a topical medicine (which specifically targets the microfilariae) and a re-check in 4 weeks. The good news is that over the next month, we are allowed to build River’s walks up to 2-3 miles a day as long as she walks at a leisurely pace!

We gave River the last of her hookworm medicine this past weekend, so she will have a re-check for that in 2 weeks.

We found out this weekend that River isn’t afraid of Thunderstorms!  I thought a bolt of lightning was coming through our house but she didn’t make a peep!

We’ll keep you updated over the next few weeks on River’s progress!

May 18,2024

River had the chance to stay with another Brookline family again last week. She remembered that they are the BEST dog sitters and she adjusted well to staying with them again!  It’s fun to compare notes with others who have lived with River…

We both noted that River doesn’t eat as soon as her food is placed in her bowl, especially in the morning.  But, if a peanut butter treat or a marrow bone is offered, she will gladly take it!

When we walk River and she wants to return home, she will stop walking and sit down!  She did not do that during her stay with the dog sitters! Is she trying to be the boss of us?! River is sweet to all of the people that we meet on our walks.  She is not phased by children and she enjoys attention and petting from both men and women. River has been around people in wheelchairs and those who use walkers. She has also been near children in strollers. She was not bothered by any of these devices.

River enjoys going on both long and short car rides. Her favorite place to go is to the bank because they give out dog treats! The dog sitters noted that once when they returned home and pulled into the garage, River did not want to get out of the car!  She stayed in the car for a few minutes and then made her way into the house!

Now that River is off all medication, she goes outside to the potty every 2-3 hours.  She sleeps through the night without being taken out, and she doesn’t cry to be let out in the morning.

We also both noted that River is a protector and she will bark when a guest enters the house.  Once she is greeted and receives some attention, she will stop barking.  We live in a development, so River barks when people walk by our house.  The dog sitters live down a long lane in a quiet cul -de- sac, so River’s barking was more minimal at their house.

River likes to look out our back door at the birds.  Birds and squirrels don’t bother her.  River walks with a nice loose leash until she sees a cat or other dogs.  As I have mentioned before, I’m anxious to see how she does with other dogs when she is cleared to meet them!

Over the past week River has been initiating play time with our family. I think this is a great sign that she is feeling better and is ready to be an active and playful dog. She has a follow up blood test on May 22nd to see if she is heartworm negative!  I will let you know how she is doing as soon as I get the results!  Thank you Brookline for your willingness to give River the necessary medicine and care to help her feel better!  She is an adorable and loving dog who is going to make a family so happy!

May 5, 2024

River had fun staying with some very sweet Brookline Fosters while we were away!  She received a lot of love and came back a happy girl.  Here are some comments we heard from the fosters who watched her after the second day of River’s stay:

“River has been an excellent house guest.  She’s extremely smart, quite athletic, and very alert.  She stayed in her kennel all night (both nights with the door open) even while I slept in the family room with her. She sits for her leash, treats or anytime she gets asked.  She is very quiet; barks at noises or if anyone comes in until she decides they’re not a threat.  Each day has been much, much better.”

At the end of River’s stay, they reported:

“River never tried to grab, bite or chew anything that wasn’t hers!  Also, by the end of the day Sunday, she was totally comfortable and relaxed.  She even went up on the couch for belly rubs that evening!”

It’s neat to hear another perspective of River to see how she adjusts to living with another family.  We appreciate their loving care so much!  River will be returning to them again this week as we move our daughter out of state.

During River’s last checkup it was found that those pesky hook worms are still a problem. We gave her 3 doses of Panacur and will repeat this treatment again in 3 weeks.

River’s next heartworm checkup will be on May 22, 2024.  We’re crossing our fingers that she will be heartworm free!  Until then, we will continue to give River all of the relaxation and quietness she needs to stay healthy!

April 24, 2024

Over the past two days River finished her (hopefully) last two heartworm injections. Now we wait and cross our fingers that when she is retested at the end of May that she is heartworm free!  Then she can begin living her best life – meeting other dogs, going for longer walks, and playing outside!

River has been enjoying some sunny days outside in the yard. She is the chief landscape supervisor and she makes sure that foster dad is pulling all of the weeds!

Foster mom enjoys walking with River when there aren’t many people outside. This is when River walks nicely on a loose leash and is eager to greet anyone who will pet her and give her attention. She sits nicely when foster mom talks to the neighbors and  enjoys when some VERY nice neighbors give her treats for being such a good girl! We do our best to avoid other dogs so that River remains calm.

When we’re in the house nothing makes River happier than spending time with foster mom.  I think you could say that we’re a bonded pair, lol!  River follows me around.  She will lay on her mat in the kitchen and keep a close eye on me when I cook (it would be nice if she would help!) or work. She also enjoys snuggling on the sofa and getting belly rubs!

We allow River to have free reign of our gated off living room when we go away.  She has a sofa to sleep on as well as her crate.  River started to chew the stuffing out of her mat so we took that away.

The best thing about River is that she is always happy to see us in the morning!  There is no better way to start the day than being greeted by a cute dog, spinning in circles, and wagging her tail because you simply walked down the steps!  Anyone who spends time with River will fall in love with her!

April 8, 2024

It can be really hard to blog about a dog who has limited activity or interaction with other dogs due to being heartworm positive. River also has hookworms, but that shouldn’t require anything more than a dose of Simparica Trio.  We are looking forward to the day that we hear River is free and clear to live her best life!  Until then, we continue to keep her as calm as possible.  River’s days are spent keeping an eye on foster mom and dad. She makes sure that we are safe by staying by our sides!  When the chores are done and it’s time to relax for the evening, River is right next to us ready to snuggle. She is the sweetest little girl who will roll over for a belly rub and nudge her human’s arm when she wants more attention. River eagerly goes outside for short walks and barks at any dog who gets close to us. I can’t wait for her to get to know other dogs so she can see that they are her friends! Recently, we had so much rain!  River was OK going out in the rain and allowing us to wipe her paws before coming back inside. River receives some medication 2 times a day. She is a champ at licking the pills right off a spoon filled with peanut butter!  She is comfortable with meeting new people while outside on a walk or when friends come to the house to visit.

This cutie is great in the car!  We took a road trip to the beach this weekend and she did something pretty funny. Her mat was in the back of the van (with plenty of room for her to spread out). The next thing we know we see her head pop under the console between the two front seats.

She then proceeded to squish herself under foster dads’ legs to take a nap while he was driving!  Luckily we were still in our development when she did this!  She went back to her mat without a fuss and napped there for the remainder of the drive to the beach.  What a funny girl!  We love her so much!  She is going to bring a lot of joy to a lucky family!

March 27, 2024

River had a busy day.  She went to the vet for her initial checkup and her next heartworm treatment.  Today’s treatment included a shot into the muscle of her leg. The vet said it’s painful but River didn’t complain!  She stayed at the vet for the day so they could monitor her.  She was also given some pain meds..  She’s tired and has been sleeping for the past 4 hours! Her next treatment will be back to back shots at the end of April. In the meantime, the vet wants River to remain very calm.  Going up and down steps, long walks, playing inside and playing with other dogs are all off limits. This helps to ensure there are no complications as she goes through her treatment protocol.  Aside from being heartworm positive, River was given a clean bill of health!

We used to give River her dinner in a slow feeder bowl to keep her busy.  After about two weeks of using that bowl, River stopped eating. I was starting to worry that she ate something she shouldn’t have or that she was ill!  I fed her by hand and a funny thing happened – she ate all of the food!  As soon as I switched back to a regular bowl that little stinker began eating again without the assistance from my hand!

River likes to chew on a squeaky ball and she loves to chew on marrow bones!  We get them from the grocery store and cook them to perfection apparently!  She can’t get enough!

River has the sweetest personality.  She eagerly receives belly rubs and is always happy to see us after we have been away.  She loves being with her people but she isn’t clingy!  We just love fostering this beautiful girl!  Send a lot of good thoughts and best wishes to her as she fights those pesky heartworms!  We’ll keep loving her!

March 12, 2024

River has been with us for two weeks!  She has grown quite attached to me.  She gets along well with my husband but when I’m around it’s like he’s chopped liver! I’ve never actually eaten chopped liver but I’m going to assume it’s not very tasty! We’re finding that River is so loving. She wants nothing more than to snuggle on the sofa and get belly rubs.  She loves to chew on cooked marrow bones and her hard rubber toys with treats hidden inside!

River is quite strong willed.  She doesn’t enjoy going for a walk in the rain or in the snow.  She’s quick to do her business and then she heads right to the door!  River has a strong reaction to other dogs which surprised me since she lived in a kennel for a month.  When we are on a short walk and she sees a dog from a distance, she will bark and stand up on her back legs!  She reacts in a similar manner to strangers too.

Last night my college kids came home with friends.  We had dinner at our house with 11 people.  I was a little worried about how River would react with so many strangers in the house.  I proactively met each guest out in the driveway with some treats for them to give River before they came into “her house.”  We also put the calming collar on her.  This little girl greeted our guests so nicely.  She was friendly to everyone and enjoyed the extra attention.  She still liked to be near me during the party but I was so proud of how she used her manners and great behavior and got along with her new friends so well!

We think River is mixed with a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She has cute ridges down her back that look like wrinkled skin.  I’ll confirm with the vet when she goes in for her next heartworm treatment at the end of the month. She’s staying healthy and we just love sharing our home with her!

March 1, 2024

I just returned from a mini walk with River and I am laughing so hard right now.  While we were walking under a light post she crouched down and then moved to the side. She did this several times. I think little River was afraid of her own shadow (or mine)! There was nobody else around us!

River met my oldest daughter when she stopped over for dinner. River sniffed her and happily accepted belly rubs. (She’s a very friendly girl). We tried to take some glamour shots of River but she was more interested in getting additional belly rubs. River has found her voice and she occasionally barks at things that she hears outside.

Thank you for the tips about River’s sensitive belly. We gave her some ground turkey with rice and so far it has been agreeing with her. I gave River an Everlasting Treat Wheeler and it has been keeping her busy for the past 3 hours!  Many thanks to everyone who made it possible for River to receive a treat box full of goodies to keep her busy and happy!

I got estimates back from our vet today for River’s future visits. If approved, she will have her initial vet check and next treatment for heartworm on 3/26.  Stay tuned for future updates about this beautiful girl!

February 29, 2024

River learned a new trick. In only 2 days she knows to “sit” before I put on her leash for our walks – and get this… I didn’t even give her treats to reinforce this behavior.  She just got a lot of “good girl” praise and scratches! She’s a smart girl!  Walks for River are short and sweet since she is supposed to have very little activity while she is heartworm positive.  We live on a corner so we walk on the sidewalks in the front and on the side of our house. Today while on our little walk River spotted two dogs coming down the street.  Oh boy did they interest her!  She barked at them and started to pull a lot! Luckily, their owner turned the other way and we scooted into the house.  River was looking out our patio door and saw a cat who is the head of our neighborhood crime patrol.  This cat interested River a lot too.  She barked at him but he wasn’t intimidated one bit!  He stayed on his beat.

River didn’t have any accidents in the house today. One thing that I’m keeping my eye on is that it’s been hard for her to keep food down.  She doesn’t eat a lot but when she does eat, a little bit comes back up.  I’ve been spreading her food out on her bed so she can’t eat fast and feeding her in small quantities.  Now that we received a beautiful handmade snuffle mat and snuffle ball from Dee, we’re going to teach her how to use that. If things don’t improve I’ll be calling the vet for some advice.  River is in her 1 month “rest period” between heartworm treatments.  We’re so lucky to be fostering this beauty!  She has a pretty red coat that is so soft you never want to stop petting her!

February 28, 2024

River was picked up by Foster Dad from a shelter in Reading.  They took very good care of her and we are so appreciative to them. River is heartworm positive and they gave her the first 30 days of meds. that she will need on her journey to being heartworm free.  Thank goodness for a community that works together to save dogs!

River cooperated for her first bath and afterward she soaked up the sun shining through the kitchen door.  She is surprisingly calm for a 2 year old dog who isn’t allowed to have a lot of exercise due to being heartworm positive.

River enjoys belly rubs and walking around in the yard.  She willingly went into her crate at bedtime and slept through the night.  She didn’t make a peep when foster mom got ready for work in the morning.  She waited patiently for her turn to go outside and have breakfast.

River likes to get on her back legs and jump up to look you in the eye. Cute trick, but we will work to stop that behavior.  River doesn’t seem to know many commands, so we will have fun keeping her busy learning to sit, stay, shake etc…

River has a super sweet personality and we are enjoying getting to know her!  She’s a beauty!