Foster Failure

I'm sort of depressed at the moment, just a little.  In true me fashion I went overboard with the dog fostering.  I picked up a chihuahua from the pound who had just suffered a stillborn birth and been spayed. I had to wait 2 hours at the pound for her due to the rescue folk not letting me know that she couldn't be picked up until 4pm.  While I was there I met a woman who had picked up a stray little bichon frise (cute little white fluffy dog with poodle-ish curly hair) who had turned out to be pregnant.  I thought it would be a great experience to have puppies in the house for a little while.  The chi was only here for 3 days and then I drove her to West Hollywood to be fostered by someone else.  She actually got adopted that night, so yay.  I took the Bichon to the vet because she had a really red paw.  Turns out there was a little stone wedged in that I hadn't found the night before so they got it out, gave her antibiotics and asked if I wanted x-rays to know how many puppies and a progesterone test to know an approximate delivery date (so that I'd know when it was late and to bring her in).  She had 2, rather large, puppies in there and naturally the vet recommended a c-section.  I was thinking enough to at least ask what the estimated price on that is and it runs between $1000-1200.-  Yah, I'm already going into debt on a monthly basis.  I write the rescue I'm working with and let them know, but got no encouragement  to go ahead with the c-section or to not.  She went into labor Monday night at 9pm.  I had spent the weekend reading everything I possibly could on "whelping" and the bichon frise breed.  I stayed up all night with her, took the girls to school Tuesday morning, came back and napped on the office floor.  When I woke up an hour later she had half a puppy sticking out feet first.  Totally normal having the feet first, but she was definitely distressed and it wasn't progressing.  It took me another hour of encouraging her and even pulling on the pup for it to come out, but it was dead.  I felt terrible, but hopeful for the second one to deliver easier.  It was her first litter, of course delivery was going to suck.  I took the pup away but then read to let her have it til she realized it was dead so I gave it back and as I'm reading again on anything I can find to help with delivery, she started to eat it.  Literally skinned it.  It was disgusting, smelly, and I got up to take it away from her but she growled something fierce so I backed off.  I couldn't get it away from her until she went into labor with the second one a few hours later.  Timing sucked on that because I had to take my other foster dog to the vet to get a health certificate so that he could fly to his new home in canada the next day. When I got back with him she had another puppy half way out and this time I was more aggressive in "helping" her get it out.  She was so tired by then that she couldn't even keep her eyes open.  He came out a little faster, but again, dead. I put him in a towel and tried to rub life into him for 20 minutes, watching the clock the whole time because I was already late in leaving to pick up my kids from daycare.  The dog had no interest in him so I figured my trying couldn't hurt anything.  No luck, and I still feel as if I had just spent 2 more minutes he would have started moving.  I can't stand that feeling!  I was 5 minutes late to pick up Rowan and have no idea what that is going to financially cost me, but emotionally it was too much.  Thankfully the Bichon is doing good and healing up quick, though she's engorged with milk and now I'm worried she'll get a fever from it, UGH!
 So, I feel like I failed on my first pregnant dog foster.

School Lunch Duty

I volunteered to help out at Rowan's school on Mondays' this month.  Today was my first day on the job there and it wasn't so bad.  The kids were great, the lunch looked more decent than the other ones I've seen (today was grilled cheese sandwich day) and the weather was hot.  I was disappointed, however, in the school administration yet again.  The principal "thanked" me for coming to help without even the hint of a smile and the "on staff" lunch helper (in hind sight) bullied me in to saying I would help the other classroom kids instead of my own.  I told Rowan I had to go with the other classes and that bummed her out so much that the staff lunch helper from our class sent someone back to get me and told the other "helper" that I was here to help my kid's class and not to ask me to do anything else.  Wow, I totally let myself get bullied by an adult I was already predisposed to not like.  Damn I'm weak sometimes.  Seriously! Why the hell do I try to "help out" for people who are just plain nasty to me?  Freaky!
So next Monday I have no intention of even speaking to the unpleasant staff helper (who, by the way, spent the entire lunch gossiping with the principal in the corner and neither helped out with the children at all, though that is exactly what they are being paid to do - sheesh!)
On a more positive note... though you may think I'm even more crazy.....
Another Facebook plea from a friend about a preggo chihuahua at the pound needing a foster/rescue.  I've ignored a few of those, knowing that I just couldn't handle more, but I'm feeling pretty good now so I answered this one.  I'll be "pulling" the preggo pup from the pound tomorrow and bringing her home for a month (yes, I told them I could only watch them for a month, I'm learning).  As I answered that I could help, the woman who runs the rescue typed in that she may have found a home for little Nube (our current foster dog), which is pretty awesome.  I hope it happens.  I worry about the little guy getting too attached here and suffering more in the long run.
Ugh, which reminds me.... Evelyn let Nube out of the house after it got dark tonight and didn't say anything until he'd been out for at least 5 minutes.  I thought, "Great, just when he finds a home he's  gonna get killed by a car."  Nope, I caught the little guy... and then I see a car slow down on the road as I'm waiting for it to go by so I can carry him home.  .... and then I see Evelyn running into the street!  Damnit that kid is going to give me a heart attack!  I grabbed her and pulled her to the sidewalk and the couple in the car stopped and said, "We saw her and thought, was that a baby? No, couldn't be."  Wow! I thanked them and explained what happens which made them laugh and the drove off.  Thank goodness they were paying attention or she would have been splat and I would probably be dead from a heart attack right now. Try explaining to a willful 2 year old that they have to listen to mommy and are NOT allowed in the front yard.  I gave it my best shot.  If I catch her trying to get out again I'm going to either install an electric fence or some sort of baby lojack that hobbles her if she tries to escape.  "Action baby", it isn't just a cute name for her, it's true!