Entered: 06/15/2020
Status: Adopted
Age: 9
Color: Black/White/Tan
Weight: 60 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW+ and receiving “slow kill” method of treatment, ehrlichia+ with no symptoms, benign mammary mass successfully removed, receiving supplements and medication for osteoarthritis in both hips and spine, losing a few pounds for joint health
Temperament: Good with people of all ages, will “guard” her person if another dog comes close when she is getting attention, unknown with cats
Update 07/08/2020: “Great news for Claire! Her mammary mass was removed, and the biopsy discovered a benign adenoma, NOT a cancerous mass.”
Great news for Claire! Her mammary mass was removed, and the biopsy discovered a benign adenoma, NOT a cancerous mass.
Claire is on her way to better health with help from her foster family and MAESSR. She will be excited to join a new forever home.
Original: “Despite being a former outdoor pup, Claire is totally housetrained and she has wonderful house manners.”
Claire was surrendered to MAESSR, along with three other Springers, due to her Virginia owners’ divorce. Previously Claire was living in an outdoor kennel, but she is an indoor girl now.
Claire has an extremely sweet personality. She wants to be close to her person at all times, which is okay most of the time. However, she will “guard” the person that is petting her if another dog comes close. It generally is just a warning growl, but there have been a couple of small fights in her foster home. For this reason, she probably would be best as an only dog. Claire is wonderful with people; there are no issues with them.
Claire has some significant osteoarthritis in both hips and, to a small extent, in her caudal lumbar spine. She has been started on a very good joint supplement and some pains meds and is feeling much better. She has lost a few pounds in foster care and hopefully will continue to lose a few more. This will make it much easier on her hips. Claire does not let her hips slow her down…she wants to be with her people no matter what they are doing.
A mammary mass was discovered during Claire’s vet visit. This is scheduled for removal.
Testing indicated that Claire was positive for heartworms. She currently is being treated with the “slow-kill” method. This involves giving the infected dog Heartgard tabs over the course of a year. (Doxycycline therapy is sometimes done as part of the treatment as well.) At the end of the year, the dog is re-tested for heartworms. MAESSR will supply the medication to the dog’s adoptive family and will pay for the follow-up vet visit and heartworm test. Although most dogs are heartworm-free after one year, MAESSR will pay for another year of treatment if the dog is still heartworm positive.
Even though Claire sounds like a train wreck when it comes to her health, she has the most wonderful, loving personality. All of her current health issues will go away with the treatment in place, with the exception of the osteoarthritis and if there is anything further to do with her mammary mass.
Despite being a former outdoor pup, Claire is totally housetrained; she has wonderful house manners. She does not counter-surf but occasionally will check out the counters just to see what’s up there. At night Claire sleeps on a dog bed beside her foster family’s bed. She would really like to be in the big bed, but there just isn’t enough room! Claire also rides well in the car and walks well on the leash.
This little girl is going to make some family extremely happy that they said “YES” to her!