Update on Cody

Wow, has it really been a week since I posted? I have been so tired lately and haven't had much time to get online to update my blog. Cody has taken up what 'free' time I had. He has been a great dog, but he came to us with a LOT of baggage. Here's the update:

• On Monday we brought him to our Vet. He was extremely scared to leave the house but we got him there without any major problems. He still wasn't doing well on the leash at that point, se had to carry him in to the office. Once in there, he decided to leave a present for the doctor - he pooped right there in front of him. It actually was a good thing because they needed a stool sample anyhow. Cody was very obliging! ha ha The Vet checked him from head to tail. They found a few things wrong, but nothing that wasn't 'fixable'. He had ear mites horribly! His ears were filthy dirty and the mites were infesting them so bad, he must have been in such pain. They flushed out his ears and cleaned them out...they're a pretty pink now!! We got medicine for him and have to put it in 2 times a day - plus clean them out daily. He also was found to have round worm. He had to be dewormed in the office. The worms came out the next day which we were thankful for. We could tell he instantly felt better - amazing! Cody's teeth also aren't the best. The Vet said to us "he's how old??" We told him he was 15 months. He was shocked at how bad his teeth were for a young dog. He was NOT cared for at all!!! Besides those issues, he had a couple shots - one being a steriod for his ear problem.
  
• On Tuesday we brought him back to the Vet's office for a much needed bath/groom. This particular Vet we found is absolutely wonderful! It's actually an animal hospital and groomer all in one. We dropped him off in the morning and picked him up around 3:30. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The poor guy had to be shaved. All his poofy hair is gone. It was not only mangey, but was matted, and had ticks in it. He must have been in agony!!!!! The groomer was wonderful with him - she cleaned him up and made him smell wonderful. His coat is so soft now and he looks different, but very happy. What a relief it must be to him not to be infested with all those bugs! The ticks were removed and he is feeling refreshed...it's quite obvious. He is still scared of everything, but we're taking one baby step at a time with him. This was a huge step for him though.
  
• On Tuesday night I was sitting on the floor petting our newly groomed and pretty smelling dog when I found a lump on his left front leg. It was black. EEW! Another tick! Apparently the groomer got most of them, but left this one last tick. I immediately put the Frontline oil on his neck which he was due for anyhow. I figured that it would most likely kill the tick during the night so we could get it off safely in the morning.
  
• On Wednesday morning we ended up bringing him into the Vet's office (per their request) and they looked him over for more. This was the last one and fortunately it was dead. They got it off immediately and he's now as good as new and is totally bug-free! Yahoo!! This should never happen again now that he's being cared for and has anti-tick medicine on him each month. We are so thankful that God lead us to this particular Vet, and we're thankful for them...they all have been wonderful with Cody and are encouraging to us in caring for this oh-so-neglected dog!!!
• Each day has brought new surprises for us...the bad surprises are in the past. Now we see new exciting things in Cody. He is eating much better for us. He drinks his water when he wants to without worry or fear, and he sleeps well in his crate. He also goes outside on his leash without fighting us. He has grown quite accustomed to who we are and knows when we say "Cody out", that he must go out and do his business. After that 2nd night home, he hasn't gone to the potty anywhere but in our backyard! He had 2 accidents the first 2 nights home, but that was because of his extreme fear and nervousness. He's not nearly as bad now and each day he is improving little by little.
  
• We have gotten him to venture into our living room - a huge undertaking for a dog that was constantly shaking from fear. He lies on his fluffy bed while we all take turns petting him. He's even eaten his first few treats the past few days. This dog knew nothing about food but his boring doggie dry food. He never had a treat, never slept on anything soft, never was kept inside and was never loved by humans!!!! He is a true rescue dog. His breeder should be ashamed of himself. I don't even think of the place as being a breeder, but as a puppy-mill! I wrote several emails to them and explained my disgust for how they treated Cody, but they deny everything. SHAME ON THEM! I am now debating whether or not to report them online.
  

Here are more photos of our Cody...he does look different now, but his big fluffy coat will grow in soon! We are excited about our future with him as we love him SO MUCH!!! The kids adore him and spend as much time with him as possible. He is so gentle and doesn't have a mean bone in him. He has not once attempted to growl, bark, jump up or do anything bad towards us, and we've been pretty forward with how we touch him, pick him up and clean his ears etc. too. We put our hand in his food dish and carry him outside to the yard (since he has yet to walk out there alone - still fearful). He's going to be a great family dog and we're glad to have him in our lives!!! For those of you who know us personally...we can't wait for you to meet him!!! He'll melt your heart as he did ours.