Winston looked like a scrappy street dog. The shelter listed him as a 3-year-old Boston terrier mix. In truth, he was an adolescent. His coat had a brindle pattern that (at the time) was odd to me; a mix of dirty gray and cream with some flecks of gold here and there. A pair of wide-set, bat ears, almond-shaped eyes hinted at his breed, but his nose was not smushy-faced, but short and squared off. His tail curled up and around.
I felt certain this was not a Boston terrier but some blend of mutt. He might not belong in a Boston terrier rescue but he certainly needed rescue help.
Ringworm! Ack!
Ringworm lesions covered his body.
From his head to his toes and scattered between were so many circles of baldness, each circle’s edge with a little reddish “ring” of inflammation. Some circles were larger than others, and plenty of the circles overlapped. He made me itch.
No one wanted to foster him. Nobody. Sooooo……
Guess who?
Yep. ME.
Jumping In With Both Feet
Winston was my third or fourth foster dog and I felt (and was) inexperienced in terms of taking on a medical case. Certainly, he had the worst case of ringworm I’d ever seen.
So, I did a quick study on the condition, took guidance from the veterinarian and armed myself with everything I needed: long-sleeved shirts to wear, disposable gloves, bleach, blankets, (lots) bed sheets, (several) and a new vacuum cleaner bag <— important! For Winston: a few toddler-sized onesies for him to wear in an effort to contain a majority of the fungal spores he would inevitably shed in the house and yard.
Winston's Treatment Plan
While pretty darn convinced Winston had ringworm, we needed to confirm the diagnosis with a culture test. We started treatment for him while we waited for the results, as the test takes two weeks to complete.
Because Winston had a severe case of ringworm, we used multiple treatment protocols.The vet prescribed an oral anti-fungal medication, and an external treatment called a sulfur-lime dip. Treatment continued for 6 weeks, after which the vet tested again. If my recollection is right, I gave Winston a “dip” twice a week. It’s not a dip, really – it’s more of a sponge bath, so to speak. Using an absorbent sponge, you squeeze the liquid into the fur so it gets down to the skin and hair follicles.
The word sulfur should give you a clue. It smelled awful. A bright yellow-green color, I swear the liquid would glow in the dark with the right illuminator. The few areas where Winston had a patch of white fur – those all stained yellow.
Managing the contagion
If you read my post on How To Quarantine A Dog, you know I’m pretty serious about keeping contagions contained. While not a germaphobe, I do believe in using best practices when caring for contagious dogs. I know using a good quarantine protocol means I can continue to foster more dogs, sick or not. I firmly believe that best practices keep healthy dogs healthy, allows sick dogs to recover quicker, and, AND is the best use of a rescue organization’s donor dollars.
Ringworm is not an airborne contagion, which meant Winston could stay in a space in the common area of the house, but behind a barrier. No other dogs could go near Winston’s space, and if Winston came into the communal space, we used barriers such as sheets and we restricted Winston’s mobility. The other dogs were crated for protection.
It meant Winston could come up on the sofa during quiet time. Afterwards, we carefully rolled up the sheets off the sofa and put them in the wash.
We designated a separate potty area in the yard for Winston. Additionally, as long as he was shedding spores, I controlled where he took an outdoor sun nap.
And, I bleached and vacuumed. Daily.
Winston’s ringworm was so severe, it took two 6-week courses of treatment before he tested negative for ringworm. I was never more excited than the day I discarded the remaining sulfur solution.
Thankfully, I didn’t contract ringworm, nor have I since found an area of ringworm on me or any other dog I’ve fostered. Whew! Ringworm – 0, quarantine protocol – 1.
This Dog!
So – my funny looking mutt with ringworm is all probability a combination of Boston terrier, French Bulldog, and Pug.
And, he acquired all of the best attributes from each breed, giving him a rich and hilarious personality.
Pugs make great apartment dogs because they have the bladder of a camel. Pugs pee when they want to. If feeling particularly lazy, they can hold their pee until a time best suited to their mood. Winston stopped traffic once because he needed to pee. Buckets. He peed buckets.
Winston used this trait to his advantage. Not really house-trained and also a frequent marker indoors, Winston would “save up” before going outside to select the perfect place to hike his leg. Winston always chose some manmade object to aim his stream – the thick plastic tarp that shielded the lawnmower from rain, the 5-gallon landscape pot used to collect the weeds I’d pulled, or the county-issued recycle bin.
Plastic makes a loud noise when a stream of liquid hits it with some velocity, and this sound seemed to delight Winston. I don’t think he ever peed on a plant while at my house.
The terrier in him enjoyed shredding anything and everything.
The Frenchie DNA made him particularly hilarious. In my limited exposure to the French Bulldog, I find them to be quite mischievous and troublemakers. “Little pissers” I call them. Sweet, loveable, and smart, but they can be a handful.
Winston and I became great buddies.
My Buddy Winston
I loved this little guy, even though he peed on my brand new sofa. He tore up my shoes. He stole rolls of toilet paper from the bathroom and shredded them to bits in the living room. He had this look – an “I didn’t do it” expression that ALWAYS made me laugh. He was sassy and had a great blend of Frenchie and Pug bark – part howl, part “woo woo woo”.
He loved manners training and I enjoyed teaching him new skills. At night, he climbed up on the top of the sofa back and curled up, resting his head on my shoulders. We were buddies.
Once, I took him on a kayak paddle with me and discovered he was part cat – he hated for any of his toes to touch the water. I wish I had a picture to share with you! He tried to remain standing as we paddled the bay, balancing himself on my legs, and of course, he lost his balance, touching one foot into the little pool of water on the boat bottom. He then lifted that leg and tried to shake the water off like a cat would, which would then cause him to lose his balance again, another foot touching water. Poor fella! We cut our paddle short so I could get him to dry ground.
Winston and Sadie
Toward the end of Winston’s ringworm treatment, I took in a second foster dog, Sadie. She was an adoption return – the other dogs in the home bullied her and it was best for her to come back to rescue. Because she was close by, I retrieved her and agreed to short-term foster her to get her to safety.
Winston was elated! He had a playmate.
Sadie was polar opposite in terms of personality – quiet, reserved, a little timid. She was used to having a male companion, someone she could rely on for social cues and she welcomed Winston’s affection.
They snuggled, explored the yard together, and played tug-of-war with toys. Sometimes, when Sadie preferred to nap instead of accepting Winston’s invitations to play, Winston would wrestle with her a bit, then grab her rear leg and drag her across the floor, caveman style. While hilariously funny, I didn’t allow the dragging to continue. It’s my job to help avoid preventable injuries, and I worried about her joints. I’m sure Sadie was appreciative.
When I Decided To Let Him Go
In all honesty, I contemplated adopting Winston myself, but when I saw him respond to having a playmate (my two Bostons totally ignored him) I knew he’d be happier if he and Sadie could be adopted together.
We often use the phrase “as luck would have it” but I don’t much believe in luck in rescue. I believe in ‘meant to be.’ I believe Winston and Sadie were meant to be together. So – it was also meant to be that a previous adopter from the rescue wished to adopt again, this time wanting to adopt a pair. Because they now lived some distance away from Alabama, they wanted to make sure the two dogs were good companions. Need I say more!
Winston and Sadie each found their forever home, and they would go to their home together.
My heart broke over that adoption but I’ve never had a moment of regret. Winston lives a great life, better than if he stayed with me. I wasn’t in a position to adopt Sadie, either, and I wasn’t about to separate them. Her arrival at my home was indeed meant to be.
Placing my dogs in a new homes I always follow this rule: If the home is better than mine, if the dog will get more of its needs met there than with me, the dog goes.
I love them all. But love is not enough.
It's not like he's gone away, really.
I stay in touch and hear about Winston and Sadie’s adventures a couple of times a year. Sadie taught Winston how to chase rabbits, and I’m sure Winston taught Sadie a thing or two as well.
Oh. Winston says snow is the same thing as water, and he’s not a fan. Bless his heart!
Have you placed a foster dog you wanted to keep? We’d love to hear your story!
