Penny Blog

Vet Visit For Penny

Kim Carney — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 20:52:16 +0000

Dr. Megan Riveros with Healthy Paws Mobile Vet Service came to visit Penny today, February 9, 2023. Penny needed a refill of her Xanax and since she hadn’t been examined by a vet since she was in the shelter in 2020, Dr. Riveros did a home exam. Dr. Riveros did a thorough exam, gave her a rabies shot and with the help of her assistant, they were able to cut Penny’s toenails. Although Penny is not and has never been aggressive in any way, they did use a soft muzzle for safety. Penny was petrified of having strangers in her room and the exam was extremely traumatic for her. She shook, pooped and peed throughout the exam and hid in her closet hide-out the rest of that day.

Although the vet visit was scary for Penny, she now has her Xanax and other than being overweight, she is in good health. We are SO grateful to Dr. Riveros for her help with Penny.

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Penny Receives Much-Needed Help From a Local Vet

Kim Carney — Fri, 20 May 2022 20:00:22 +0000

It’s been one year and six months since I brought Penny home, and she has yet to leave our room, but a chance conversation with a postal worker has changed all that. A couple weeks ago, I was at my local post office mailing packages and Tia, the postal worker on duty, and I were talking about our dogs. I told her about Penny and how constantly anxious and nervous she is and Tia told me about her dog, Aspen, who wasn’t feral, but was badly abused and extremely anxious. Aspen’s vet prescribed Prozac for her and it made all the difference in the world. I was so excited when I left the post office that day – I went right home and contacted the mobile I had been using for my senior dogs. And although she was no longer doing home well visits, she referred me to another mobile veterinarian in town. Because Penny has never left my room – never had on a harness and leash – I can’t take her to the vet like a normal dog. Thankfully mobile vets are becoming much more popular and hopefully every city and town will have that option soon.

I reached out to Dr. Megan Riveros at Healthy Paws Mobile Veterinary Services and Dr. Riveros called me back. We talked at length about Penny, her rescue story, and the challenges we have been facing. I told Dr. Riveros about friend using Prozac for her dog. We discussed the medication idea and Dr. Riveros suggested Xanax because it is fast-acting. I gave Penny her first dose in the early afternoon. She slept the first couple of hours – more peacefully than I’ve ever seen her sleep (see photo) and when she woke up, she was like a different dog.

After her Xanax nap, Penny was more calm and relaxed than I have ever seen her. She started exploring our room – sniffing everything – something she had never done before. She has never explored beyond the little living area I made for her, but that afternoon she was walking around the room checking everything out. Later, when I was on the phone, she came and sat down next to me and licked the back of my hand – something else she had never done before. And that evening we had a 45 minute love session. She was scratched, petted and brushed and was calm enough to enjoy it. She has let me pet her and brush her a bit, but she’s always nervous and jumpy, but not that evening.

After just one day on Xanax, I am more hopeful for Penny than I ever have been. I will be creating a schedule for Penny because timing and consistency helps anxious dogs. And the next step will be, getting Penny in her harness and leash so she can explore outside her bedroom and the house. I had no idea what I was getting into when I rescued Penny, but I wouldn’t trade her for the world and for the first time since I brought her home, I am extremely hopeful for her future.

Click here to read Penny’s rescue story: Penny’s Story

Click here to see Penny’s photo album: Penny’s Photo Album

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Penny Comes When Called!

Kim Carney — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 21:51:27 +0000

After Penny’s little brother Ralph passed away on September 13, 2021, I noticed a change in Penny. Penny and Ralph didn’t have much interaction, except during treat time. Ralph showed Penny that it was safe and fun to take treats from a human, and over the summer of 2021, Penny finally took treats from my hand.

After Ralph passed away, Penny seemed very somber for a few days. She wasn’t interested in treats or interacting with me and she hid in her corner tent for several days. There was more of a connection between the two dogs than I realized. A couple weeks after Ralph was gone, Penny began taking treats from me again.

Today, November 13, 2021, Penny made a huge step forward! Penny came to me when I called her – without a treat in my hand! Penny has let me pet & scratch her and has even let me brush her. We are working towards getting her collar on – we are close! We’ll post an update when that happens. Hopefully it will be soon!

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Penny Gets A Little Brother

Kim Carney — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 21:14:22 +0000

Once Penny was finally out of her cage and a little more comfortable in our room, I decided to look for another senior rescue. Since Penny was born feral and had lost several puppies, I thought it might be a comfort for her to have another dog around. Another dog to show her the ropes of being a “real dog.”

Penny & Ralph’s first interaction didn’t go very well. My intention was to introduce the two of them slowly and carefully, but when Ralph saw another dog, he got all excited, wriggled out of his collar and ran up to Penny and was trying to kiss her. This startled Penny and she snapped at Ralph, not hurting him, but definitely putting a damper on the moment.

Even still, the two slept within a few feet of each other that first night and although they never really became buddies, it was because of Ralph’s example that Penny learned it was safe to take treats and food from my hand.

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Penny Is Out Of Her Crate!

Kim Carney — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 16:48:00 +0000

Penny’s first several days in her new home were traumatic at best. Penny was approximately 4 years old and had been born feral – meaning she had never lived inside a home with people. She was born to a feral mother and roamed the Indian Reservation where she was finally rescued, after giving birth to a litter of puppies.

After spending several days in her crate, Penny finally emerged and found a soft spot on the bed I had made for her. I was a bit concerned if she would know to continue pottying on the pads if they were outside her crate, but she seemed to know and continued pottying on the pads outside of her crate as well. After a couple days of Penny spending time outside of her crate, I removed the crate from our room. She was extremely nervous at first, without her crate to run to for safety, so I hung some sheer curtains over the corner of the wall and made a little tent for her to hide in. I found out later how important this step was – see my Training Notes page for more details.

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Penny Gets Her Name!

Kim Carney — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 11:27:00 +0000

The first couple of days in her new home was tough for Penny. After 19 hours of hiding in the back of her crate, she finally peeked her head out of her crate’s open door. I reached out to pet her head and she jumped back into her crate, but not before my hand brushed across her soft, copper-colored ear. I knew she was feral, abused and traumatized before she found me, but I felt an instant connection with her and felt so lucky that we had found each other. “Maya” never seemed to fit her and she never responded when I called her that name either. I knew at that moment her name was supposed to be Lucky Penny. The first time I called her Penny, she turned right around and looked at me, so I know that name was meant for her.

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Penny’s First Day Rescued

Kim Carney — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 17:11:00 +0000

On November 1, 2020, I made the trip to Harmony Animal Matchmaker & Sanctuary, one of our local shelters here in Grand Junction, CO. I stepped inside the front office and asked the receptionist if they had any senior or special needs dogs in need of a home. At that time, there were no adoptable seniors, but there was a precious cattle dog/mix named “Maya” that was a special needs dog in need of a home.

They brought “Maya” out into the office area in a large crate, opened the door and coaxed her out onto the floor. As “Maya” cowered in the corner, shaking and fearful, the volunteers told me her rescue story. You can read that story here: Penny’s Story – Penny Blog

I reached out my hand to “Maya” and she timidly sniffed and kissed the back of my hand. There was an instant connection between the two of us and I knew she was meant to be mine. We loaded Maya and her crate into my van and I brought her home. I had never rescued a feral before and I knew it was going to be a difficult challenge, but I was committed to helping “Maya” become a “real dog.”

I brought “Maya”, in her crate, into the bedroom we would both share. I had prepared an area of the room with a dog bed, toys, pillows and blankets. I set her crate down and opened the door, but she wouldn’t come out. I tried to reach inside the crate to pet her and she started shaking violently, so I just placed her crate facing my part of the room, with the door open. She never laid down that night – she slept with one eye open, sitting up in the corner of her crate. It was then, that I realized this would be no easy journey.

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