Holly Smyth-Tyrell

HOLLY WAS A POORLY GIRL

8 year old Holly came to us because of a change in family circumstances. She has a fabulous temperament (according to the owner and vet), walks well on the lead and is used to children but we don’t know about cats. She also gets on well with other dogs.

Her little friend Lucy who she has lived with all her life, is being rehomed by Westie Rescue after some specialist care from them for a skin condition.

Holly was taken to the vet to be spayed but had to have 2 massive tumours removed instead, poor love.

After travelling from Ireland, being carefully and lovingly transported by Jan and having an overnight stay with Pauline, Holly is now being fostered by Lynn in Bristol where we knew she would be showered with affection and will get plenty of TLC as she spends a few weeks recuperating.

Everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her and agrees that she is a little diamond who, despite the trauma of her operation, wags her tail non stop and is extremely affectionate.

UPDATE FROM LYNN

Holly has been with me for a few days now. She is such a lovely natured dog and is an absolute pleasure to foster. Her wounds from her operation are healing well and her stitches have just been taken out so she is now able to leave off her comfy cone collar for much of the time. She enjoys the company of both other dogs and people and will make a wonderful pet. I will miss her a lot.

VISIT TO NICK THOMPSON

Having had her stitches out yesterday (2nd Nov) and been given the “all clear” by Lyn’s vet, Holly went to see Nick Thompson on 3rd Nov for an assessment. www.holisticvet.co.uk

Having already met and fallen in love with Holly earlier in the week, her new mum, Fleur, made the long journey up from Devon again to be at the consultation with foster mum Lyn and with Pauline. Nick was very pleased with Holly and, after discussing diet and lifestyle preferences at length, he has started her on the holistic anti-cancer supplement http://www.cancernet.co.uk/cv247.htm.

As usual, Holly just wagged her tail when he examined her thoroughly although she did look for Lynn and cry a little at the door when she quietly sneaked out after a few minutes.

On the way back to Devon, Fleur stopped off for Holly to be microchipped by Nicola in Radstock and then the happy couple set off for home together.

HOLLY FROM FLEUR

Holly was brilliant on the way home from Bath and was absolutely fine being left in the car on her own for 5 minutes twice. She was very waggy when I returned both times.

She’s had three lead walks so far (two wee walks and a proper one this morning) and is very, very interested in the Hoe! I took her up there at exactly the time I knew a bunch of dog-walkers would be up there so she’s met the 9.00 am crew already and behaved beautifully. She’s already pulling less on the lead.

Bosun (the cat) thinks she’s interesting and benign, so that’s a fantastic start.

ONE WEEK ON

Holly has been to the vet and all is going along nicely after her operation. She has now come into season so she will be able to be safely spayed in early March. She has met and played with a young (neutered) Jack Russell friend who will be spending Christmas with her. Fleur was very concerned that Holly seemed depressed and wasn’t eating to start with but all seemed to be getting better.

Fleur said “Great news! Holly is now eating properly! Having spoken to pretty well everyone yesterday connected with her, I followed something a couple of people mentioned starting by giving her a bowl of live yoghurt. I am thrilled to be able to say that as soon as she had that inside her she moved on to the bowl of food she’d been ignoring all day and wolfed it ALL down, and then spent 20 minutes sniffing her bowl hopefully. At bedtime, she scoffed down all the biscuits I put on her nightbed, and kept wanting more. This is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT and just what she and I both needed. Quite extra-ordinarily, Bosun (the cat)) decided last night for the first time that if it was good enough for the dog it was good enough for him, and started eating dog food as well – not that he’s jealous of the attention she’s getting, or anything like that!”

AN UNSELFISH DECISION

Fleur wrote “I think this poor little dog is under the most extreme stress and I don’t think it is ever going to get better until she is with other dogs again, no matter how much she is loved. This is a dog that NEEDS to be with other dogs. I think she can take anything anyone throws at her except being without at least one of her kind. I’d give almost anything for it to have worked out but, while most things appear to help her for a bit, we then get something that indicates the level of stress she’s tying to deal with and that’s not fair to her.”

Feeling extremely sad, Fleur returned Holly to our care and she is now back with her foster mum, Lyn, and Golden Retriever sisters in Bristol. She was absolutely delighted to see them again so Fleur’s unselfish decision was clearly in Holly’s best interests. Holly will now stay with Lyn until it is safe for her to be spayed and she will, of course, be staying on the holistic anti-cancer treatment recommended by Nick Thompson.

TWO DAYS ON

Holly is back to her old self and is very much enjoying being back with her friends. She is in season so she will be able to be safely spayed in March. This has very kindly been paid for by Valerie Bamber and Jean Morgan as their Christmas donations to IRR. We are extremely grateful for their continued generosity.

HOLLY FURTHER UPDATE (FEBRUARY 2010)

Holly continues to thrive in her foster home with Lynne and will be able to be spayed next month. She is now on the special CV247 anti cancer treatment and is doing very well under the watchful eye of Nick Thompson.

She loves her food, her cuddles and her walks and being with her 2 Golden Retriever sisters who are now her very best friends. She enjoys the frequent visits and short stopovers of other Golden boys and girls and she even has a new foster friend now too. She still wags her tail at everyone and everyone. She is a delight.

We are all thrilled to hear of the great progress made by Holly’s original sister Lucy. Many congratulations to Westie Rescue Ireland for such a success and we wish Lucy all the very best in her wonderful new home.

MARVELLOUS NEWS FOR HOLLY

It had been decided that the best option for Holly would be staying in forever foster with Lynne but the angels have smiled on her and a really lovely kind and generous lady has come along who is happy to adopt her despite her massive health problems.

In March, having recovered from her spay operation, Holly went to live with Jean in Essex where she is being spoilt rotten. She has a new Golden Retriever boyfriend called Toby who she unashamedly bosses about and she is treated like royalty by Jean, with only the very best, when it comes to mealtimes. We are delighted that our special girl Holly has definitely fallen on all four paws.

Holly and Toby make regular visits to a local Retirement Home where they are both a huge hit and where they are much loved by all the residents.