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| Abbie
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Six months ago we adopted Abbie (formerly Blossom) to be a companion to our 6 month old puppy Jack. She had obviously had a hard life before we met her. When we got her home, she just sat in a corner shaking and would not relax while we were around. When we took her for walks she seemed to shut down emotionally and just robotically followed us but was not enjoying her surroundings at all. She would just sit and shake when faced with many normal things like tall grass, stairs, people and other dogs.
She is still fearful of strangers and some larger dogs but she is starting to loosen up. Our best experience with Abbie now is when we take her for her daily walks. As soon as she knows we are going, she starts to wag her bum (she doesn’t have a tail), prance around snorting and woofing and keeps it up for the first half of the walks. In the dog park she now sniffs around and wanders off the path following smells. It is just so heart-warming to see her happy. She is such a wonderful dog - so happy to have her ears scratched or belly rubbed. Someone said to us the other day that Abbie was lucky to have us but I think we’re the lucky ones.
Update March '10 ... Over the past two and half years, Abbie's behaviour has continually improved in small increments. She has discovered that she really enjoys the water, and has learned to chase the local squirrels and rabbits; she is much too slow to catch them.
Since the operation, Abbie has become more adventurous. She has taken to running through the woods with Jack, our other English springer spaniel, and has become a bit of an explorer, often going off trail. Anne W.
Update April '14 Abbie has turned 12. Yes, she has slowed down significantly due to arthritis and hip dysplasia (she is on various medications), but she still enjoys her walks. A ramp was installed to allow her easy access to the backyard. She enjoys her naps and can really snore up a storm. She gives us attitude when she is having her paws trimmed or is receiving other types of grooming.
Abbie now greets us when we enter the house and expects to receive a scratch. Her latest behaviour is hanging around the kitchen when meals are being prepared; she has discovered that something tasty might land on the floor. Abbie has been with us over 6 years, and her behaviour is still evolving towards that of a typical dog.
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We
have had a number of health issues with Abbie including the removal of
several teeth and repair of a hernia. She had a mast cell tumour that
was embedded in her left eyelid. The tumour had grown to a size that
completely blocked her vision. We attempted to shrink the tumour with
chemotherapy, but no success. Surgical removal of the tumour had a
very high risk of losing the eye, so it was not a preferred option.
However, due to a series of eye infections, we were forced to revisit
the surgical option. On 30 September 2009, approximately 90% of the
mast cell tumour was removed by Dr. Jacques Dupuis of DMV in
Montreal. There were significant post surgery complications, but
fortunately the final outcome was very positive. Abbie now has full
unobstructed vision in both eyes. 
