NEW PEKES!

 I just want to introduce some new Peke fosters.  I'll do more detailed blogs later.
Here are Dumfries and Tinkerbelle!  (2 and 7)

 Buddy Beau-- 9.

 Chewy-- 9 

Scout-- young, more info later.
We will do all we can for them-- stay tuned!!

FAREWELL JEANNE-- RESCUER, FRIEND

I met Jeanne when she applied to foster for us in 2009.   I had been in rescue for six years and welcomed a new foster home and friend.   (Our group is over 30 years old, so there have been so many wonderful people in rescue and Jeanne was a wonderful addition.)

 Jeanne and Bill-- with Hannah-- love the Pekes. 

 Jeanne had many other interests.  She loved her chickens!

 Bill built an incredible enclosure for them-- and Jeanne decorated it!

 Didi, Jill Lee, and Sassy were three of hers that had so much of her love.

 Jeanne was a Master Gardener and her back yard was stunning.  So many of us had the pleasure of seeing it.

 In the winter, it had a peaceful beauty.

 Jeanne was part of rescuing so many-- Gus was one of them.  So many come to us in horrific condition, and Jeanne helped Gus to heal and have a wonderful life with his mom in New York.

 Jeanne was an identical twin-- her sister, Janice, is a lovely person.

 We have become good friends.  Many of you have the pleasure of knowing her, too.  Her loss of her twin sister is so great.

 Jill Lee will miss her mom so much.  Jeanne had kept some of our special dogs and loved each one of them.  (Jill Lee and Hannah were hers before she began rescue.)

 Jeanne was also quite a cook!   She brought wonderful things to our Peke meetings.   I remember her making a tomato pie and she told me, "It's smack-your-mama good!"  That just made me laugh.

 Jeanne came to our picnics and we all had so much fun seeing adopted Pekes.  (Gus never forgot his foster mom.)

 Jeanne had such a heart for rescue.  She had experience and was always learning more.  She and I shared so much on the phone calls during the 7 years she was able to help us in rescue.   When Jeanne became sicker, she sent a letter to the board resigning.  We didn't accept it.   She was part of us, even if she could not help us, so we gave her an "Emerita" status.   She didn't have to do anything, just take care of herself.  Potomac Valley Pekingese Club - About Us

 Our board made her a special blanket to thank her for all she had done.   She loved it-- I told her it was covered in love, so when she felt bad, she was to wrap herself up in it.

 Jeanne loved her local coffee shop, Stir Crazy Cafe, in Richmond.   She loved her morning tea and chats with her friends each day. 

 Jeanne fostered so many for us.   If there were puppies, she really was good at that.   My grandson loved visiting her home when the Bristol 18 came into rescue.  He adored the puppies.  (Jeanne loved my grandson.  For some reason, she just adored him.  I love this picture of him at her home.)

 Jeanne loved every dog that came through her home.   They were all cared for and she did everything possible for them.

Freddie Leaf loved Jeanne and he wrote this for her.   

 When I think of Jeanne, I will remember what she did for PVPC and our foster dogs.  She was amazing.   We will all miss her-- we will miss her humor, her stubborness, her love. 

 Jeanne is now with so many Pekes who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge.  I imagine there was quite a reunion.   💗

Denise made this beautiful tribute to Jeanne.
(2) Tribute to Jeanne Powers Reeves Potomac Valley Pekingese rescue - YouTube

Jeanne's funeral will be in Richmond, VA

Bliley Funeral Home

Address: 3801 Augusta Ave, Richmond, VA 23230
Hours: Open 24 hours

Phone: (804) 355-3800
Arrangements for Jeanne Powers Reeves
July 18, 2018
Viewing for 1 hour 10:00am to 11:0am then the service,
after the service Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Phone for Forest Lawn Cemetery 804-321-7655

MATILDA

The Pekes love to watch out the front door.  

 And now that Matilda has her sight, she has joined them.  She is fascinated with the new world she has been given.   I was mowing the yard, and they were watching, but most of them got bored. 

 They slowly went back to doing their own thing. 

Not Matilda!  She sat there to watch me the entire time.  She is a sweet girl.  She has a new home she will be going to soon.   For now, I'm enjoying her at my home! 💗

NALA AND BEEBEE-- TO THE VET AGAIN

 Nala and BeeBee require a lot of monitoring.   They have been battling IMHA for almost 6 months.  They had ITP (low platelets), but have done better.  They may also have GME, which is inflammatory brain disease.  The meds we are using battle that. 

 I noticed that BeeBee's tongue was more pale than it had been last week.  She also had another break through seizure, so we needed to have her phenobarbital levels checked.   Nala decided she would ride in Beach Bit's booster seat-- it gave her a much better view of the road.

 BeeBee couldn't see a thing-- that is until she realized she could stand on her feet and look out the window AND hit the window button and WALA-- it opened!   I went into high gear to shut the window and put on the "Peke locks."   (They are really child locks, but in this case, we changed the name.)

 They both had their bloodwork done.  Later, the vet called me and the results for BeeBee were not very good.  Their bloodwork had gone down to 18 before, but with med changes, it went up to 38.  Normal is 45-50, but 38 wasn't bad.   Last week, BeeBee went down to 26 and then 24.  This week, she was at 16-- it was getting too low.  Nala went down to 32, so not as bad.  We are closely monitoring both.    We are increasing BeeBee's meds to try to battle this horrible disease.   IMHA is a horrible disease and so many die, but we've been trying to save them.   We keep trying.   We are not going to extremes-- no transfusions this time.  (We did this with Lexie four years ago-- but ultimately, if a dog cannot reproduce her own red blood cells, the transfusion only buys a little time.  BeeBee has consistently been "non-regenerative" but we've been trying to "kick her into" it with meds.) 

The Sisters are so attached to each other-- and when we got home, they laid down together, Nala's head on her sister's back.  It was a precious sight.  I hope they won't lose one another.  💗

JEANNE

❤️I will do a blog later for her.  Even though we all knew it was coming, it was still heartbreaking to have her leave us.   Farewell, my friend.

BEEBEE AND NALA UPDATE

 I've been promising an update on BeeBee and Nala. 

 This is BeeBee's tongue- her blood count has been dropping and her color is pale.  Their blood count had been down to 18, we got it up to 38 and then BeeBee's dropped again to 26 and then 24.  😞

These two are so attached that I'm not sure how one would do without the other.   BeeBee is definitely more dependent on Nala-- Nala is dependent on me.   

 They have bad seizures, which we have mostly in control.   If they have break through seizures, they get extra meds.   If I need to be gone a long day, they go to the vet for "watch." 

 They were diagnosed with IMHA early on and we have been battling that without going to extremes.   I've had four experiences with IMHA and it's not easy to win-- most of the time, we don't win, so I just wanted to keep the girls comfortable as long as we could. 

 The vet now thinks the sisters might also have GME-- inflammatory brain disease.  We cannot know that for sure without an MRI and that's so expensive-- and it would not change what we are doing.   It's up and down, trying and monitoring and just loving them.   They may have limited time, or they may fool us all and overcome it.   

 In the meantime, they are "my girls" and I love them so much.  They love me right back and "sing" in delight if I have been gone for errands, and return.   Even if it's a short time! 
Keep praying for these sweet sisters-- they are so precious.  Why is it the sweetest one can be so sick.   They are little fighters though-- little warriors.  I love them.

MATILDA AND CATARACT SURGERY

 Matilda came into rescue eleven days ago. 

 I brought her home after a brief stay at my vet, "Camp Acredale."  (Acredale Animal Hospital, Virginia Beach)    My dogs had to greet her and tell her she was safe here.   Nala has been a little jealous, but they all do so well when a new one shows up.  Just look how tiny she is next to mine.

  I knew she had cataracts and our area has a lot of specialists in it.  We are SO fortunate!   I got her in the next day.

 She had to have a week of eye drops before surgery and yesterday, she had her cataract surgery. 

On the way to and from the vet, she had on her seat belt to make sure she was safe.   (It keeps a dog from flying around the car and they stay safely in place.)

 After her surgery, I picked her up-- and of course, she now has an e-collar.   They all fell in love with her at the ophthalmologist. 

 She just charmed them all.  She was so good.  As Dr. Nadelstein (Animal Eye Care, Chesapeake, VA) was examining her, she walked across the table to him and put her nose on his nose.   Oh my heart.  💙

 We arrived home and just like the first time she arrived, everyone (Chumley and Kai Kai were inside) had to greet her.   Nala, who has been a little jealous of her, was wagging her tail and had to make sure she was okay.    It was so sweet to watch.

She will have eye drops four times a day, a visit this morning, one on Saturday and then again next week, followed by visits for the next weeks and then months.    I am hoping she heals well with no complications.  She deserves a special life, just like the rest of our fosters do.   Thank you to everyone who made her surgery possible!! 
Dog Cataract Treatments - Cataracts in Dogs Diagnosis | petMD
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