Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Seeing Spots


One of the nicest things about rescuing a dog from a great breed specific organization is the fact they will entertain crazy questions regarding the breed with utmost kindness and won't laugh at you. Such is the case with Ohio English Setter Rescue's Head Bitch Susan England. Not only did she answer my query about Lily our recent adoptee but actually said it was never a bother to contact her. (she said this on a day she posted earlier on Facebook she was relaxing and taking a mental health day...talk about a good egg)
It was a tad embarrassing having to ask her a question about English Setters, but it was driving my husband and I a bit loony. I am also one of those annoying dog people that "knows everything about setters" so when I could not get an answer from my vet or the all knowing internet I had to take a slice of humble pie and admit I didn't know why something was happening with my very own dog. You see, Lily is developing spots. Now I know what you are thinking (hey Dogmom, aren't you on pain meds for that upcoming knee surgery?) and yes, actually I am. (jealous?). But I am not seeing pink elephants dancing around the room, I am just seeing spots appear on Lily that were not there before. The drug induced theory also goes out the window because Alex sees them too. Keeping in mind this is a man who cannot notice the sink if full of dirty dishes or that the cat has thrown up on the carpet, but he notices faint spots getting darker on our English Setter. Our only English Setter experience mind you has been with Fiona and her spots have always stayed the same. Our Irish setters are sans spots so no background there.
Thankfully the kind and experienced Susan explained to me on her Mental-Health-Day-Off that I was not going cuckoo or seeing things. She has seen many English Setters go through rescue that will develop spots and ticking after they are placed in a home. She believes it's due to the dogs getting their stress level lowered and better nutrition coming into their lives.
So now we are are having Spot-Watch 2009" at Lucky Fiona headquarters. Lily seems delighted when we preen her coat praising her newest spots. To keep things fair around here we will compliment Fiona's spots and pretend we see some on our Irish's Dugan and Caelan's coats too, God love them they wag their tails over the folly. So I guess you can teach an old Dogmom some new stuff every once and awhile. No time to Sigh, I have spots to watch.

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