After 5 weeks of marriage Taylor & Patricia decided to adopt! On September 12, 2009 we welcomed the first addition to the Nelson family.... Lacey! Due to both of our love for canine companions we adjusted the budget and went to Maricopa County Animal Shelter where our precious Lacey, a 3 month old Australian Shepherd Mix, was waiting to be rescued. Although we did not know just how much rescuing she needed at the time, we are so glad to have her in our home.
Taylor was told that Lacey had a upper respiratory infection or "just a common cold" and that we could get some pills from the vet and she'd be fine. So we took her to the vet the following Monday. She had been lethargic and had a runny nose and raspy breathing. We also found several ticks on her and so we decided to run a blood test for tick fever. The vet took her temp and it was 105 (normal for dogs is 102). So she said we would treat her for Kennel Cough but she was worried it was distemper. Distemper has a 95% mortality rate in dogs. So prayed and hoped for the best. A few days later we got the result of another test we did on her back and found out she had Giardia and Roundworm. So we put on on yet more medicine! So 3 weeks and 3 diseases later... we have a healthy, happy puppy! Lacey is learning how to play fetch and loves chewing and romping! She is a very smart dog and was potty trained with in a week. We are excited for her to make a complete recovery so we can teach her all sorts of fun tricks and take her hiking with us! We are so glad to have Lacey in our home and hate to think of what would have happened if she stayed in the pound!
So our advice for the week is... adopt a pet from the shelter!!!!!
Everything else is going well for the Nelsons! We absolutely love married life! We try to sneak a few hours of together time in here and there between Taylor's school and our opposite work schedules. We are making it work with just one vehicle. It is nice that Patricia works on campus and can walk or get a ride to and from the office. There is also a bus that runs from campus to Taylor's work which is helpful! Taylor is getting through his rough anatomy class and learning how to play the guitar! We are excited for the cooler weather so we can begin our goal of getting to the summit of every mountain range in Arizona (194) !
Taylor was told that Lacey had a upper respiratory infection or "just a common cold" and that we could get some pills from the vet and she'd be fine. So we took her to the vet the following Monday. She had been lethargic and had a runny nose and raspy breathing. We also found several ticks on her and so we decided to run a blood test for tick fever. The vet took her temp and it was 105 (normal for dogs is 102). So she said we would treat her for Kennel Cough but she was worried it was distemper. Distemper has a 95% mortality rate in dogs. So prayed and hoped for the best. A few days later we got the result of another test we did on her back and found out she had Giardia and Roundworm. So we put on on yet more medicine! So 3 weeks and 3 diseases later... we have a healthy, happy puppy! Lacey is learning how to play fetch and loves chewing and romping! She is a very smart dog and was potty trained with in a week. We are excited for her to make a complete recovery so we can teach her all sorts of fun tricks and take her hiking with us! We are so glad to have Lacey in our home and hate to think of what would have happened if she stayed in the pound!
So our advice for the week is... adopt a pet from the shelter!!!!!
Everything else is going well for the Nelsons! We absolutely love married life! We try to sneak a few hours of together time in here and there between Taylor's school and our opposite work schedules. We are making it work with just one vehicle. It is nice that Patricia works on campus and can walk or get a ride to and from the office. There is also a bus that runs from campus to Taylor's work which is helpful! Taylor is getting through his rough anatomy class and learning how to play the guitar! We are excited for the cooler weather so we can begin our goal of getting to the summit of every mountain range in Arizona (194) !
