Hurray for Hoochoo (후추)!

Feb 8 UPDATE: I will be leaving for the US in May for grad school. Since I'll be gone for a little over one year, I'm taking both Webby and Hoochoo with me. My husband still wants me to try and get Hoochoo adopted out in the United States, but we'll see what happens. Webby and Hoochoo have bonded together so strongly, it's clear to *me* that they were meant to be furever sisters! So for now, I'm going to list her status as "Adopted"!

Hoochoo (후추) means "black pepper" in Korean. This gal is sprinkled with black spots, and she'll surely add a dash of spice to your life!

Hoochoo's incredible rescue story started here: http://koreajourneys.blogspot.kr/2012/06/urgent-call-plea-to-animal-resc.... I'm glad I was able to answer the call to rescue this little gal. I also had a chance to speak with the kind-hearted construction ajushi who helped Hoochoo survive until her eventual rescue. The ajushi shared Hoochoo's story with me.

In Seoul, there is a neighborhood that is being completely razed to make room for new apartment buildings. The ajushi first saw Hoochoo, very clean and healthy-looking, in February. He thinks someone left her behind on purpose since the whole neighborhood has been cleared of all residents since the beginning of this year, at least. He left food scraps for her everyday. No doubt she would not have survived the winter and five months on the streets without him. Despite his kindness, Hoochoo remained wary, and never got closer than a meter. I got a sedative from a vet, and lent him my dog crate. Soon, she was caught and taken to the vet. She is probably a year and a half old, and she is healthy and heartworm negative.

I recommend an adoptive family with past experience raising/training dogs for Hoochoo to avoid "Small Dog Syndrome."(Small Dog Syndrome: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/smalltoydogs.htm) Because of her history, she is wary of people and quick to bark to keep them away. She is also not accustomed to being handled or near people. However, she is proving to be VERY trainable with patience and lots of positive reinforcement. For example, on Day 1, she was terrified of leaving her crate and extremely afraid of my resident dog. She pooped on me when I tried to put a harness on her! Now she is frolicking with my dog, eats well, loves walks, and is pee pad trained.

I have no doubts that she will continue to improve by leaps and bounds! Give this gal a chance--she has so much love to give!
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Please read the updates below for more info on Hoochoo's "special needs" situation: she has Grade 3 luxating patellas in both hind legs that will likely require surgery.
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Jan 1 2013 UPDATE: Unfortunately, progress has stalled on Hoochoo's luxating patellas. Surgery seems necessary, particularly on her right leg, which she has started to lift on occasion. I'm having eye surgery myself this week, so Hoochoo's surgery will have to wait a few weeks before I can take care of her. Right now I'm planning to take her to the vet at the end of January or the beginning of February.

Dec 5 UPDATE: As the snow poured down today, I couldn't help but think about how Hoochoo spent her last winter on the streets. I'm so glad she doesn't have to go through that again--especially since she's settled into indoor life beautifully! Her personality had continued to open up, and she is getting more confident each day. She's quite playful with my resident dog, and has even started to go near my husband and let him pet her at times. She's still taking supplements for her knees, and at her next heartworm treatment at the vets, we'll check to see if there are any further improvements~~

Nov 6 UPDATE: Hoochoo and I have had a rough 2 weeks. She was experiencing bloody diarrhea, and it took awhile to treat it. Fortunately, it wasn't anything too serious---the vet thought that she had a small tear in her intestinal lining, and with a combination of meds, fasting and reduced food rations, she's finally back to normal. There is some good news as well, though! The vet felt noticeable improvementin Hoochoo's knee joints! He said she's downgraded to more of a Grade 2 level--yay! Hoochoo has started a second month of joint supplements and we'll see if the improvements continue. Fingers crossed!
Oct 11 UPDATE: Hoochoo remains in good spirits-- she is still taking supplements for her knees, and in a few weeks she'll have a check up. The vet will see if the supplements have strengthened her knees/ligaments enough to avoid surgery for the luxating patellas in both hind legs. If not, we'll proceed with surgery~~~
Sep 25 UPDATE: Hoochoo got spayed last Friday on 9/21. She was a bit shaken up by the experience, and didn't eat for a day afterwards, but she is well on her way to recovery now. She will have her stitches removed on 10/2, and in the meantime, she is a bit grumpy about the "cone of shame" :)!
Sep 17 UPDATE: Hoochoo is finally DONE with vaccinations! She got her fifth round (which includes the rabies vaccination) last Friday. Next up: spaying. She's scheduled to be spayed this Friday. She also started taking joint supplement today to help with the luxating patella in both hind legs. She'll take the supplements for a month or so, and the vet will check to see if there is any improvement. If not, then we'll have to plan on surgery~~ Fingers crossed!
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Sep 1 UPDATE: Hoochoo had her 4th round of shots yesterday. Unfortunately, the vet noticed another problem while handling her. He also took some x-rays, which confirmed his suspicions. Hoochoo has Grade 3 luxating patellas in both hind legs--which basically means her kneecaps in the hind legs are dislocated, and at Grade 3, they cannot pop back in on their own. A small consolation is that since the kneecap is not popping in/out (Grades 1/2), she is not really experience any jolts of pain. However, without treatment, her bones will continue to curve in compensation, the knee cartilage will keep wearing down, and arthritis will probably set in. Surgery is an option to correct this, but I'm exploring other treatment options as well, and will try to get a second opinion. Rest assured, however, that this has not affected Hoochoo's spirit in ANY way---she is still as lively and lovable as ever. We just have to keep her from the stairs and from jumping now~~~ More updates on this situation to follow.
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Aug 24 UPDATE: Hoochoo just went into a heat cycle. She's not a big fan of the diaper, but I'm trying my best to keep it on her. Otherwise, she is doing well. She's gained nearly half a kilo, which is great for her tiny frame. The vet thinks 5kg would be a very healthy weight for her, and she's well on her way. Loose leash walking continues to be a challenge, but she's making slow progress through 1:1 training sessions. Lastly: a milestone! Hoochoo has finally figured out what to do with toys! It's very cute---and she's fallen in love with her little ball and likes to play fetch. She's also very good about giving the ball up, too!
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Aug 11 UPDATE: Hoochoo will go in for round 3 of vaccinations next week! After a month in foster care, she has relaxed enough to really let her personality shine through. She's a bit bossy :)! We are working on that, and loose-leash walking, with lots of training. She excels at "Sit"--and when she sits and looks up at me, my heart just melts--she is a real cutie pie!
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July 28 UPDATE: This Wednesday, Hoochoo will go in for her second round of shots. I'm looking forward to her getting weighed at the vets---she's been eating so well! I hope she's put a few more ounces on her tiny little frame. Now that she's really started to relax and live the good life, I can see her tail wagging all the time--Yay!
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July 22 UPDATE: Hoochoo is doing very well. She recieved her first round of shots this past week...four more rounds to go!