Sofie update
Stephie had been with us just a couple of weeks before I began to call her Sofie. For some reason, I got the feeling from her that Sofie was her name. I asked her about it and she said that was her name. So now she is officially renamed Sofie!
It took us a while but a year later, she is now 123#. She looks good but her rear is still very weak and not getting any better. It is likely spinal degeneration. Her rear will collapse if she steps in a small depression or misses a planned step. Her front is strong to compensate so she generally gets herself back upright.
Sofie had a lump on her side and it seemed to be getting larger. It also would break open and ooze. I took her to my vet and had it removed under local anethesia. It turned out to be a mast cell cancer.
Our Home is Sofie's Forever Home.
Sofie is doing well. Although the hierarchy here has changed somewhat. For some reason this May (2005), Lacey attacked Sofie. Fortunately Henry was there when it occured and only a half room away. She suffered a deep gash on the top of her head and more punture wounds around the head. She never tried to fight back. She just fell down and didn't move. She never made a sound. Henry pulled Lacey off and after putting her into a crate, began cleaning up. She is now healing well. But the things that have changed are that now the girls are no longer allowed to be together - either supervised or not - it makes no difference. Sofie is very frightened of Lacey now (duh) and refuses to even be in the same room. But I feel she will be with us for some time yet. So Lacey will just have to learn to be alone now. So will Sofie. I try to keep the seperation times equal.
We decided to adopt Sofie as she seemed to fit in our family very well, a lot like Lacey did. It is just a shame Lacey had to behave the way she did, causing this disruption and un-natural way of life here. We have been through this once before with 2 other females. We will endure this as well until one passes of natural causes.
It was about 3 months of Lacey wearing a muzzle when she was allowed to be loose in the same area as Sofie, before Lacey took the hint and accepted Sofie once more. Those 3 months of seperation or muzzle wearing was draining on everyone. But she got over it and for the past year they have been buddies once more.
However, Sofies' hips still are bad and I have tried various things to help with her pain. Beginning with nutritional support and supplements for both pain and joint problems to medical prescriptions which are now maxed out. She can have no stronger meds. Sometimes she will get so exhausted that she will collapse and then drag herself. This usually occurs when she tries to chase other trespassing dogs with ours. After a brief rest of about 15 minutes, she recovers and can walk again. When she can no longer get up on her own, we will have to let her go.
Sofie Crossed Over the Rainbow Bridge 1996 - 2006
July 12, 2006, a very hot day of 104 degrees here in Granbury. I left for work as usual after taking the kids outside for a potty walk. The grass is dry and prickly from no rain for 2 months and the unbearable heat. Sofie can barely walk enough to do her business in this heat. Henry got home 4 hours after I left to find that Sofie was not at the door to meet him with the other 2 kids as usual. Suddenly he knew that she was 'gone'. A brief check of the house did not turn her up. He went outside and found Sofie laying down on her side on the concrete sidewalk 5 feet from the dog door & in the sun. This dog always knew to get into the shade when she was outdoors with me. She could not tolerate the heat, either from her heartowrm damage or just her age and pains. He called me and I came straight home from work. I found that she had tried to get into the dog door but apparently her hips failed and she scraped her legs badly on the concrete steps trying to gain purchase. She also fell backwards and her back and the back of her head was cut open. Her pads were scraped raw and there were blood spots from where she lay to the door and back as though she paced back and forth. She may have dragged herself, that would explain the scrapped pads. But the heat was what took her. Instead of seeking the shade of the trees not 8 feet to the side, she stayed there on the hot concrete and attempted to get indoors. She laid down and went to sleep, without feeling or remembering the pain. This is what I have been told by a dear friend who also communicates well with our animal friends. That is what it looked like, too. I can only hope it is true. She was 10 years old (by what she told me).
Sofie was cremated and returned to us on the 18th. She now resides alongside Apollo, another foster rescue turned adopted friend who also passed on in our back yard 2 years earlier at the same time of the year. Another simularity is that the grapes were picked and a wine begun the weekend before Sofie passed. As with Apollo and his wine, this wine will be Sofies' Wine.
