Alexis

Alexis playing with her new baby brother.

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There is NOTHING cuter than dogs and cats who love each other. Nothing! <3

HAHAHA! That is too funny Marla! You are the bestest!

Alexis was stung by a bee last night and had a severe allergic reaction. I really didn't think she was going to make it - it was terrible. She is in the hospital in Mokpo now. The vet said her kidneys are damaged from the bee poisoning and she will have to stay there for at least the rest of the week. Please send positive thoughts her way! :)

Oh no! All prayers with her and you! Heal, little one!

Oh my gosh! How crazy and scary! Will be keeping you both in our thoughts. Poor baby!!!!

Oh how terrible! I never even thought about dogs getting stung and being allergic. ARK teaches me something new everyday.

Man oh man, def will be thinking about Alex. <3

Hugs to Alexis. I know what she is going through very well unfortunatelly.

So, do they have a version of the EpiPen for pets? Very interesting stuff here.

Thanks so much for the concern you guys! I will definitely keep you updated. Hunt, yeah, I believe they do. Alexis got an injection when she went into the vet and he mentioned having to give her one myself if she gets stung again. I'll find out more about when I take her home.

Sofia, if you went through anything half as bad as Alexis, I really feel for you! She was vomiting repeatedly, had terrible diarrhea, couldn't breath well, lied down like she had died and wouldn't move a muscle then eventually got up and was scratching and biting her skin incessantly (because of the huge red, hot swollen welts all over her skin) and rolling around on the floor while crying continuously. I think it was one of the worst things I have ever had to watch. Her non-stop crying was the worst!!! What a nightmare!

For any of you reading this, I would suggest having pet benadryl on hand just in case your pet comes into contact with something he/she is allergic to. It is easy to have on hand and it could keep your pet going long enough to get to the vet.

That is all SO scary. I am so sorry Marla! I am so glad Alexis has you. omg. :( poor girl! Sending healing thoughts.

Marla, you poor thing!! You have been through so much lately with your two!! Poor little Alexis, I can't believe it :( Please keep us updated - hoping she gets to go home with you asap!

Wonderful news: Alexis is doing far better than anticipated and I can actually pick her up tomorrow morning!!!! I can't wait to get her home. Her brother Gray has been wandering the house crying and looking for her. I played a video of Alexis for him on my computer and he was glued to the screen. Poor little guy will be so happy to have her back! :) Having both my furry children in the hospital in the last week has been hard but it has made me realize even more how much I love them and love having them in my life! :)

Thanks for all your positive thoughts! Alexis is home!! and VERY excited!

Hunt, you were asking about Epipens for dogs - I wish it were that simple! I have 4 injections that I have to give her in the event of another allergic reaction. I have to give two right away, then wait 8 hours and give the other two. I've never used needles before but the vet showed me how to do it so hopefully I'll do it right!

So glad she is home! Do you know if all dogs are allergic to bees or just some?

Most dogs aren't. They will have a normal reaction (swelling and itching around the bite) but nothing severe or life threatening.

Marla those two sweethearts are so blessed to have found you!! Thanks for doing such a good job with them! SO glad Alexis will be OK, and thanks for keeping us updated on her progress.

buddies

Alexis has a new sister, Chloe! See Chloe's page for updates! :) http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/dog/491

Alexis is doing well and is enjoying having Chloe as a sister. But, she has a dental surgery and spay coming up. Alexis' jaw is not properly formed and, as a result, she has overlapping teeth as well as a very significant underbite. Because of this, some of her teeth are in bad shape and have to be removed and some serious scaling done. I hate to get teeth removed but, if I don't, she could end up with a mouth like poor Nobu (rotting teeth). I scheduled her appointment a couple times in the past but had to cancel the first time due to her being in heat and then cancelled again because of her hospitalization from the bee sting. Let's hope this one goes through and everything turns out well!! :)

I was reading Alexis' profile from when she was living in the shelter and can't believe how much she has changed. When I got her she was the only animal in the house and it gave her time to gain confidence and feel comfortable. When I brought in another animal, I was concerned how she'd be but I quickly realized that she LOVED the company. Now, she is the leader of my 5 animal household. And, I have to say, the leaders of some countries could take a few lessons from her! :) She is so loving and kind and everyone goes to her for comfort. If anyone is sick or hurt, she is the first one there with cuddles with kisses. At the same time, she knows the house rules better than any of the others and she is quick to scold the kittens when they get out of line. I'm so proud of all that she has accomplished! Such a success story :) Here are some pictures of my crew!

What fun to read. Thank you! Amazing happy ending.

OMG Marla! it's just wonderful! A place for animals to heal and grow. SO beautiful! and you don't know how uplifting and amazing your updates are to hear. thank you SO much :)

Thank YOU! It's wonderful to be part of a community of people who love animals as much as I do and who can appreciate hearing my updates as much as I appreciate seeing them in person! I feel really fortunate to be able to help these beautiful beings! :)

Alexis is FINALLY getting spayed on Friday and while she is under, she will also have her dental surgery! Fingers crossed, everything goes well. I am also getting my foster kitten, Brody, spayed at the same time. When I pick the girls up, I'll drop off my two male kittens and get them neutered. A ton of surgeries but I want to get them all out of the way before I move at the end of the month (and before I have baby kittens on my hands!!) Then, I'll just have Chloe left to spay and her teeth cleaned up (she has to wait because of her recent heartworm treatment).

Here's a video of Alexis, after her bath. She is a princess and hates being wet or dirty and you can see in the video that she is a little disgruntled (but super sweet at the same time!)

Did he say that because Nobu recently had heartworm treatment and her heart can't handle any extra stress? My vet said Chloe definitely can't be spayed for another few months but because Alexis' heart has always been just fine he said she can be spayed and have the dental surgery at the same time. I will definitely bring it up again before surgery though! I love Alexis so much and would be perfectly fine waiting if that meant even a little less risk. Thanks!

My sweet, sweet girl went in to be spayed today and there were problems during the surgery with her breathing. He had to end it early to wake her up. She is in the hospital now on oxygen. He said she is a senior and maybe was a little older than he thought. This came as a huge shock to me because her profile on ARK said she is 1-3 years old. If I had known her age, I might have thought twice about getting her spayed and putting her through that risk. She was crying so loudly and desperately after the surgery I felt like the worst dog mom in the world. I realize I was only doing what I thought was right but hearing someone you love so much cry like that has got to be the worst feeling in the world! Please send some positive thoughts/prayers her way! :)

Oh my God, that was so hard to hear. I hope that she gets better soon.
Do you feel that he's giving her enough pain killers? Why is she crying :(

Poor dog, I really hope she'll be OK.

Oh this is horrible news :( I'm so sorry for you and for Alexis. Don't feel like a bad mom - it was up to the vet to make the decision whether she was or was not able to have surgery and even he couldn't get it right. There was no way you could've known this would happen! Anyway, all that matters is that she is alive and she WILL recover. Sending loads of love to you both. I can only imagine what you're going through right now :( BIG HUGS.

Oh no, I know that noise. So awful! Unfortunately there's always a risk with surgery. You didn't do anything wrong and now you know how to avoid future problems. Sending healing vibes to the little one.

Excellent news!! My sweet Alexis is the most gentle, loving spirit you could ever meet but when it comes to recovery, she's got a real fighter within her! Yesterday, the vet called me in immediately after surgery to help wake her up and get her breathing normally on her own. He told me to spend time with her because he didn't know if she would be ok. Now, less than 24 hours later, she is at home, tail wagging, jumping up on the bed on her own and she doesn't appear to have any pain!! The vet said when he checked in on her this morning he was shocked how well she was doing! If he hadn't known, he would have no clue what she had been through the day before! She made a complete turn-around over night!! She must have some angels watching over her!! :) Thanks for the kind words and healing thoughts!!

I was a little concerned that the other animals (kittens especially) might be too rough with Alexis after her surgery so I've kept a really close eye on them - - but there was NO need to worry! They have all been so sweet and tender with her! Chloe, who normally claims the crate as her own for nap time, saw Alexis, greeted her, sniffed her bandages, and then opened the door of the crate with her paw and allowed Alexis to walk in. I think it was the sweetest, most loving thing I have ever seen!! And the kittens have been so careful around Alexis and haven't jumped on her once (an amazing feat for them!). Gray, who is most often my lone wolf when it comes to naps, has taken to napping with Alexis. It is so clear how much they love her and are aware that she's in need of a little extra love.

Awww!!!!! So sweet it made me tear up. Glad that things have calmed down and that Alexis is on the mend.

just a random, adorable picture of Alexis and the kittens. With Chloe in the hospital this past week, Alexis and the kittens have been especially cuddly with each other. :)

The wonders of dental surgery!!!! I realize people on this site have spoken about the importance of good oral hygiene in dogs but I'd like to emphasize the point! Both Alexis and Chloe had a full scaling along with some extractions and after a couple days, they both emerged different dogs! Alexis now tears around outside like she is a puppy. Sometimes she runs so fast I'm almost worried she is going to hurt herself! Chloe too has so much more energy. Also, before the surgery, Chloe had a very 'dirty dog' smell about her - even after a bath. Now she smells so fresh all the time! A minor thing, perhaps, but definitely a nice perk.

Having a clean, healthy mouth has really allowed their personalities to come out and their energy levels to soar! Please everyone, get your dogs' teeth checked and regularly cleaned. Chloe's teeth looked fine before the surgery and even the vet didn't know how bad things were until he got in there.

Amazing! I had no idea. Thanks for doing so much for these lucky doggies.

Alexis continues to improve and really blossom into such a wonderful soul! Here are some new things I have discovered about her:
1. Alexis can run, fast, really really fast! She tears around outside with such speed that you'd swear she had some greyhound blood in her - seriously!
2. Alexis loves the thrill of the chase! If there aren't any birds to chase and if Chloe isn't playing along, Alexis will create things to chase. She will sit down while Chloe and I walk ahead and when we are about 30 seconds ahead of her she will take off and overtake us and then look back as if to say, "man, you guys are sooooo slow"
3. Alexis gets a kick out of people who are scared of her. Alexis still doesn't like people who approach her quickly and get in her face without permission but she seems to really love when someone is scared of her. She will boldly walk up to them and circle around them! Normally, I would feel bad for the person who is quite clearly terrified but sadly, I take pleasure in seeing Alexis so strong and confident (I don't let her torment the person for long though!) And, she has become much more confident around people who aren't scared of her! She will walk up to total strangers and sniff them. This might not seem like a big deal to most people with dogs but it's HUGE from Lex - not that long ago she couldn't comfortably be within 12 feet of another person other than myself! Here's a few recent pictures of my sweet, sweet girl! :)

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! she is absolutely smiling in that first picture! she has such a light, happy heart! she is SO loved! :) thank you for the update Marla!!!!

Alexis loves playing this game but I'm not exactly sure why! You can see the cats in the background playing with their boxes :) My home is crazy! :)

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Oh my goodness!! Toooooo cute!! Look at that tail GO! She is a different dog Marla. :) Thank you!

Lucky girls!

I've had Alexis for almost one full year now! Time flies! I can't even imagine a time that I didn't have her! :) I thought it was about time for an update and thought I'd update on Chloe as well! Both girls are doing great! They've had a few problems here and there but nothing major! They are both so lovely and I am so thankful that I found Asan shelter and was lucky enough to make these dogs part of my family!!!! :) Here are some recent pictures :)