Busy Weekend

Niko had a great weekend. He got to go to Three Dog Bakery on Saturday and see his sister. He also visited with lots of people. People who saw him when he first came in to rescue are impressed with how great he and Daizi both look.

He was pretty worn out at the end of the day. He slept for most of the car ride home.

On Sunday, we had a birthday Party at our house. Again, Niko was enjoying the attention he was getting from everybody. When I told his story, it was hard for most people to understand how anybody could have neglected and abandoned him (or any dog for that matter).

Niko did get in to a bit of trouble though. While everybody was outside watching the birthday girl open her gifts, he decided that he would help himself to some birthday cake. Lucky for him, the birthday girl was too excited about her presents to be upset about the cake. Lucky for me, the birthday girl's mom thought it was funny and didn't mind cutting the "doggy" corner off. You might notice two things in the picture. One, the cake is up on the bar (For some reason I thought he wouldn't be able to reach that high). Two, Niko seems to prefer the frosting and not the cake!!

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Niko and Daizi will be starting their heartworm treatment within the next week. Prayers that they don't have any issues through this are always appreciated.

If would like to help rescue with the cost of this expensive treatment, please go to www.weimrescuetexas.org and make a donation via Paypal. As always, it is tax deductible

We're Finally Back!!

Sorry, it has been so long since I have posted anything on Niko. I had hip replacement surgery 1 month ago and have been recovering from that. Niko went to stay with his sister, Daizi and her foster mom, Pam (and Pam's weimie Dollie) for 3 weeks while I was recovering. Thank you Daizi, Dollie and Pam for taking such good care of our boy!!

Niko is doing great, but still thinks he is starving. He is learning his manners and has even started to sit for his treats before we even ask him to. Of course as soon as he receives his treat, he is trying to steal the next dog's treat out of your hand! He is a little better about not counter surfing. BUT, when he does counter surf, he has learned to be sneaky about it and make as little noise as possible. He's such a smart boy. If only he would use his powers for good!! : )

I took him to my vet this week as I was concerned that his skin is still smelly and he can be quite itchy at times. My vet let me know that Niko's body is still trying to recover from everything he has been through. He said that when you are emaciated and malnourished plus, you add having erlichia and heartworms all of your major organs will suffer, especially your skin. I'm glad to know that all he needs is more time and good nutrition.

Niko and Daizi will be going through their heartworm treatment in about 2 weeks. Please keep them in your thoughts as this can be very hard on them.

Lastly, heartworm treatment is a very costly procedure. We have so many dogs that come through our program that are heartworm positive. Please make a donation to help WRT defray that cost. You can make a donation via Paypal at www.weimrescuetexas.org. Tell them Niko sent you!!

Thank you!

Together Again!

Daizi and Niko saw each other again at their first Meet and Greet at Orvis in Dallas on Saturday! They are both showing great signs of improvement. Daizi has gained more weight than Niko, but we are working on that. He is finally acting like he is starving. They both did a great job charming the crowd. In the picture, Daizi is on the left and Niko is on the right.

Niko is getting more energetic with each passing day. He is getting in to more trouble too! He is stealing EVERYTHING. Today I had to take away a loaf of bread and a stuffed animal from him. He is even chasing squirrels with my dogs. All of the above puts a HUGE smile on my face. Don't get me wrong, I definitely scold him when he gets in to trouble, but inside I am doing a happy dance. He is acting like a normal, happy dog. I couldn't ask for more. He still has a long road ahead of him. Going through heartworm treatment will not be easy. But, that is a few weeks away. Until then, I am enjoying getting over the small hurdles.

As I am typing this, he is circling the kitchen looking for something to steal. Did I mention that he thinks he is starving? He is not the picky eater that came to me just a week ago.

Please continue saying your prayers for these two.

Better Every Day

Niko is getting more energy with each passing day. I haven't noticed any weight gain yet, but I am keeping a close eye on this. He is acting more and more like a puppy every day. Last night, I caught him in the trash and then he stole a shoe! Normally, I wouldn't encourage this behavior, but it is so wonderful to see him acting like a normal puppy. As I write this though, he is snoring very loudly! It is bedtime. : )

Niko's sister, Daizi, is doing just as well. Here is a note from Daizi's foster mom:

Well, my little girl definitely feels much, much better! yesterday she had so much fun playing with the stuffed animals ... killed about 8 of them! picked up the tennis ball, tried to get 2 in her mouth. A lot of the tick scabs are gone and going ... her hair is also departing and I know she has begun to put on some weight ... she is going to get another bath, not a favorite! Did manage
to clip her nails without much fanfare ... Am still not encouraging her to run - no tossing of the
ball, etc. Also, yesterday was the first time I noticed that she noticed the birds .....

Both, Daizi and Niko still have a long road to go but they are making great strides towards recovery. They will be in foster care a long time before they will be ready for adoption. Once they have gained weight they will be ready for heartworm treatment. This can be very hard on them and also very expensive. Please consider donating towards their care. You can do this at www.weimrescuetexas.org . Click on "Donate". Any amount would be greatly appreciated.

If you are in the D/FW area, please stop by and see Niko and Daizi at our next meet and greet at Orvis in Dallas. We will be there until 2:00. The address is:

8300 Preston Road, Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75225

A Great Day

Niko had a really great day today. I have found that his hunger and energy come in spurts. If he gets up from his bed, he is ready to eat. He still won't eat his canned i/d, but loves boiled chicken and cottage cheese (as you can see from the cottage cheese on his nose in the picture). He still sleeps most of the time. He was up and about for longer periods today. He even followed us around the yard. He is becoming our skeletal shadow.

His gentle nature is still shining through. He will let me hand feed him and put my hand in his bowl. Many times a dog that has been starved is very protective of it's food. Not, him. He is so sweet and trusting. He takes food from my hand very gently too.

His tummy problem is still an issue. The lab results from the vet can't come soon enough for me.

Come back again soon to see Niko's progress...

Niko and Daizi's Rescue Beginning

Niko and his sister Daizi (see Daizi's pictures below) came in to Weimaraner Rescue of Texas via Brownsville Animal Control. They were dumped in the shelter's outside kennels after hours. Both were emaciated, full of ticks and fleas, and almost bald from such horrible skin conditions. Since they were dropped of anonymously there is no way to hold anybody accountable for what these two have been through. We are just thankful that they weren't dumped in the middle of nowhere. They most definitely would not have lasted very long on their own. I am very thankful to our volunteers and the good people at Brownsville Animal Control for their joint efforts in bringing these two in to Rescue and all the way up to Dallas.



Niko and Daizi are both posititve for heartworms and erlichia (a tick borne disease). They are on antibiotics for the erlichia and will be treated for heartworms after they have both gained some weight. Hopefully in about 3 to 4 weeks. You may notice from their pictures that they both still have natural tails. An obvious sign of a bad backyard breeder that is only breeding to make a quick buck. A weimaraner's tail is usually docked when the puppy is 2 or 3 days old. At this age, to have their tails docked would be very hard on them and would only be done if medically necessary (i.e. the tail is always injured from hitting hard surfaces and can't heal because there is no fat to cushion the tail bone).



I am fostering Niko. He is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. He is great with other dogs and kids. It always amazes me that a dog can be so neglected and mistreated by humans, yet still love so unconditionally. I bathed him as soon as we got home but his skin is so bad and so scaly that you can't even tell. The poor guy smells bad too. But that won't stop me from loving on him as much as possible. : )



Niko is having some tummy issues (he is on medicine for this). Hopefully this is from the introduction of new food, but it is pretty severe so we are waiting for some lab results just to be sure. He has decided that he doesn't like his prescription canned food (pretty picky for such a skinny boy)!! We are trying to keep his diet bland until his tummy issues are over. This boy cannot afford to lose ANY weight. I boiled some chicken this morning and it seems to be a hit. His hunger and his energy both come in spurts. He has been laying on a dog bed in the kitchen all day. He'll get up when he is thirsty or hungry. He is sleeping again as I am typing this.



I can't wait to see how much more handsome he will be when his hair grows back and he puts on some weight.



Please check back for updates on Niko's progress.