From Simba's most recent photo, you can see how well the old halter indentation is coming along... Slowly the flesh tone is leveling out from where the back piece encircled his chest cavity too tightly... And yes, it if seems like he's laying in the center of the small of someone's back, he is... That's my daughter's butt in the photo!... LOL...
Simba successfully got his nails trimmed for the first time yesterday... It went VERY well without much difficulty at all, in fact... But Maggie?... She's the best~!!... And he wasn't 'wigged out' when he returned either, so that's another small step of progress IMHO... He was able to handle a trip in the car, seeing a groomer and having his nails clipped without going through another major anxiety issue...
Maggie verified the staff infection (??) he had on his four paws is gone now (there's a lot to be said for the vinegar/water - 1:1 - homemade brew)... Usually dogs and cats get that when they've been stepping in their own poop constantly, but the vinegar/water brew works very good... And most of his fur has already started growing back in on his paws... This is but what?... A month since his arrival here?... It usually takes about 6 weeks to see the difference to see major coat losses... The increased Vitamin E helps a lot in that regard as well..
And he's 'found his spot' now in my lap in the evenings when I watch a movie or 'American Idol'... He curls in with BeeGee and Frito underneath the covers without any issues...
I think for me --- and I'm really deviating off the goal of this chronicle --- the unbelievable aspect of doing something like this is watching the interaction of my crew and the new fosters... Seeing a new foster go from a total inability of getting along in harmony with other dogs... To the ability to interact without aggression or rancor... I am ALWAYS totally amazed as I watch this transformation and it is simply like seeing a baby chick come out of their shell for the very first time... Over and over again, each time is totally brand new to me with the amount of awe I feel...
When Simba arrived here, he couldn't interact with any of my guys... If they got too close to him physically, he'd do an anxiety episode... He was barking-almost-crying with anxiety and nervousness... It seemed like (at least to me), every hour he'd have one of these episodes occur... And now to see him curl up and sleep peacefully aside of one of the other dogs that caused him so much anxiety just weeks ago is almost close to a miracle... I am SO fascinated by the ability of dogs (when in a calm and serene environment) to lower the anxiety levels and be a part of the serenity instead of the chaos...
He's such a sweet little guy and the idea of him spending his life in a state of anxiety over the simplest things is darned close to heart breaking... And to watch him experience new things without regressing back into that emotional chaos is such a warm fuzzy to feel inside...
I seldom have to use the harness to pick him up any longer and I think he is ready to move from wearing a harness all the time (even a loose one) to a normal collar like everyone else... He will readily allow you to pick him up without the need of all that extra stuff to get a hold of... And it will be more comfortable for him as well...
It won't be long now that he'll be ready to be adopted by someone who will love him as much as we do... What a great gift that will be for both him and me... His journey has been so long in some aspects and in others, so short in the grand scheme of things... I am SO proud of him!
