I'll add photos in tomorrow. I'm completely wiped out today - as is Jonah. I fell down the stairs (I am so graceful. You have no idea. Also very sarcastic.) last night... taking Jonah out! And being super active and out and about for 3+ hours today taking him to the vet really exhausted me. xD So a text update, and I'll add some new photos in later.


Jonah was pretty bright eyed - he was awake, and alert, and happy to get up and go outside. (After drinking some water on his own - YES.) He's been pretty much a zombie dog up until yesterday. He slept nonstop, and woke up only to eat and go outside to piddle... sometimes. He was so exhausted one night that he wet himself and then laid in it. He still didn't move when my mother and I were cleaning him and the floor up.

As of yesterday, though, he started showing signs of life. He would pick his head up and look at us when we walked in. He started drinking a bit of water on his own - he made it outside twice in one day. It had been hard enough to get him up even once the days before. Today he was behaving even better.

I had to lure him into the car with food. His legs are pretty shaky still, and he seemed very timid about making such a big change in height to step into the car. If you've ever seen a tiny puppy on a staircase... just picture a rottie doing that instead. He affectionately sniffed my hair, and attempted to eat it before we got going. I appreciated the sentiment, if not the action. The actual car ride was pretty quiet. We left the house around nine'o clock, got to the vet around 10, and sat around for half an hour while they set things up for him. There was one other dog there, a cute little flat coated retriever, who was unfortunately uncomfortable with Jonah and barked at him. We know that Jonah is uncomfortable with dogs, but I think it's nervousness and not aggression. Later, a teeeeeny little puppy came in (fifteen lbs or less, teeny.) and Jonah tried to hide behind Mom's legs.

We were surprised and pleased to see how happy he was to see the vet techs again. They all remembered him, and one girl came out before they were ready to give him some love and pettings. He rubbed his face on her and licked her and pawed at her and was generally an incredibly happy pup. Though he was rubbing his face on everyone, actually. The skin itches and it seems a jean clad leg is the least painful way for him to scratch.

One of his eyes is still a bit swollen and I think its harder for him to see out of it, but the other is quite clear.

So the vet's office kicked us out for two hours. We wandered around and shopped (doing a mural on floor tiles for my mother, and we got supplies.) until it was time to pick him up. Because he's been very calm, a lot of his legs and face have scabbed over in the last few days. The dip, while good for him, also made him incredibly itchy, and he's torn open several wounds that had scabbed in an attempt to shake, lick, or rub himself. Poor baby has to be itching all over, since I can probably measure on two or three fingers the amount of healthy skin he has. They said the first few treatments are likely to irritate the skin, even while killing the parasites and helping with mange, so it's a necessary evil.

We then stopped by a really lovely park. Jonah has also been barking at people, as well as dogs, and the trip to the park was really good for him. He met my sister and her new baby. He did bark at her, but his little nub was wagging a mile a minute and he very quickly got used to her. He continued to halfheartedly bark at maybe the first three bicyclers who rode by, and then contented himself with watching them and the joggers with a cautious sort of interest. I love seeing that reaction out of him. I hope that by the time his body is healed, we'll have healed his heart too, and he'll learn that he can expect goodness and kindness out of people.

Except for this really ridiculous police officer who honestly really made me mad. I know Jonah isn't a great beauty right now, but I legitimately think he's adorable. When my mother and I were sitting in the bathroom with him two days ago, giving him some quiet company, I was pleased to realize that he is absolutely adorable. Even with his face all messed up. I looked at him and got the silly little warm fuzzies in my heart and realized how lovable and cute he was. My mom and sister both agreed that they can see the cute underneath the grody face, and that he is going to be a seriously handsome dog someday, but I think he already is.

So we were letting Jonah piddle in a grassy field outside of the vet's office, and for some reason a police officer pulled up right behind us and pinned the car in. We never really found out WHY he came over to investigate us. (Seriously, my mother is short and adorable, and I'm a limping blonde who people constantly think is 15 - hitchock's perfect victim. Neither one of us looks like we could ever do any wrong.) She started explaining that we were taking a dog we'd found on the highway to the vet. The cop turned to look at Jonah, and flinched and backed up a few steps and made a noise somewhat like "eeuuuu."

Seriously man? Seriously? I could tell he was uncomfortable with dogs, but the overreaction to there being a dog, and a wounded dog, and then the sarcastic, "You must really like dogs. Alright, well, I'm on my way." Was completely ridiculous. As a matter of fact, I do like dogs, Mister ridiculous police officer. Your overblown reaction and sarcasm did not endear you to me. Worthless man. HAVE SOME COMPASSION.

I don't know why it pissed me off so much, but it srsly srsly did. I'm steaming about it still. xD

So jonah's skin is still breaking off in giant pieces. (No, really. He shook, and a large piece about as long as my fingers and as thick as two of them, just... fell off. Quite gross.) and he's still breaking out into bloody sores and he's tender and doesn't have a lot of energy, but! He does like people, he is a happy, sweet dog. He's very, very inquisitive and affectionate. He's going to fill out and heal, and hopefully we will find him an amazing home with a family who will love him forever and ever, after he's well again. Things are looking up for him. We can't test him for heartworms yet, and he does need to be fixed, but those are things that need to wait until his body can handle it. Right now, he just can't. He's going to go in for treatment every other week instead of every week. I don't know if that's good or bad, honestly. We don't have any idea on how long it'll take, either, but we'll take care of him anyway.


Also, unrelated to Jonah's health but it makes me really excited: I'm going to have a lot of opportunities to sketch dogs in the waiting room now. xD