Living with The Smiths!: Italian Greyhounds

Best moment ever <3

I love Italian Greyhounds. They are beautiful, elegant, delicate and extremely loyal little creatures! You can imagine my delight when an overwhelmed breeder surrendered 23 to the shelter that I work at! They were well taken care of for the most part, she just had too many and turned to us for help. Included in the group were a pregnant momma IG, and a mom with her seven 5-week old babies. A coworker called dibs on fostering the mom, and although I really wanted to foster the mom and puppies I just knew it would be way too much work and decided to pass. I did take my picture with a couple of the teeny tiny iggy pups before they went to foster though!

The next morning the foster parent brought 2 of the puppies in for a check up because one was not eating and seemed unthrifty, and the other had had multiple seizures in the middle of the night. The prognosis was poor for the one that was seizing so she was humanely euthanized, and I was asked if I wanted to foster the other. How could I say no!? A fellow Italian Greyhound fanatic that works in the hospital found a food that the puppy gobbled up, and took care of him until I could take him home that night - she named him Ithaca.

Ithaca was such a little teeny tiny guy weighing in at about 2lbs...the size of a kitten! He had wound in his right eye, and my job was to give him eye medication, make him eat, and most importantly keep him warm and loved. When I walked in the front door from work that evening, Cameron asked if I need any help bringing any bags inside, and when I said "Yes, please. Oh and I brought home a puppy!" I could tell he was excited, and a little nervous that we'd have another IG in the house and that I might want to keep it! As soon as the carrier came through the front door Stan was SO EXCITED! He was wagging his tail so hard and barking and sniffing! It was adorable. I set the puppy up in his room and warmed up his blankets and some food and I just couldn't get over how cute he was. All he wanted to do pretty much was sleep, which was understandable considering the couple of days he had. I set my alarm twice that night to check on him but he was only up and about once and had pooped and peed on his puppy pad and then ran through it like a maniac! I cleaned him up then held him while I warmed his heating bottle up in the microwave, and before the 2 minutes was up he passed out in my arms. I've honestly never had such a motherly moment! Ithaca was the smallest, youngest being I had ever cared for and it just warmed my heart that he fell asleep comfy in my arms.

Cameron had to work the next day, but he hung out with Ithaca before I left and sent me the most adorable photo of him in front of the fire place - IG Heaven! After less than 24 hours his eye was already open and looking better. I loved the picture so much! Not wanting the puppy to be alone for too long, I went home over lunch. As soon as I walked in the room he started twitching and foaming at the mouth. Slim has had seizures before but this looked a little different. Just to be on the safe side I decided to bring him back to work with me so a doctor could examine him. Then when I was done thinking my thought he had a full on seizure - there was no mistaking it. It was traumatic because he's so teeny tiny. My friend Megan lives a block away and she had driven me home for lunch and was on her way over to meet the puppy. Less than 5 minutes after she got there he had another seizure. When he was done we got in the car to head back to work quickly, and in the car he had another seizure...4 seizures in less than an hour :( I knew it wasn't looking good for my little friend. We got to work and when the veterinarian came in to examine him he had another one. She gave him diazepam to stop it, but after talking it over we decided it would be in his best interest to help him along peacefully. I said my good-byes and they took him from the room. I found out later that he had another seizure, even with the diazepam, when they left.

I was still on my lunch break so I had to go back to work. I sat in the exam room and cried for a while, and my awesome coworkers brought me some water and snacks while I regained my composure. I only knew that little puppy for one day, but I loved him. Even though he didn't survive, I succeeded in giving him a home, comfort, and a loving family..and that's what it's all about. RIP Ithaca the Iggy!