Edmund

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Original: Edmund, or Ed as he is lovingly referred to, is a wonderful house guest. He had a delayed start in his foster home because he was suffering from a horrible case of kennel cough as well as bronchitis when he was pulled from a shelter in central West Virginia. Ed spent his first week as a MAESSR dog in isolation with the vet so he could best launch his recovery. His foster parents visited him daily until he got the vet’s approval to go home with them.

X-rays helped Ed’s vet to assess the condition of his lungs during his confinement. It seems that while the bronchitis is chronic, it had been exacerbated by the kennel cough. With the kennel cough gone, the only sign of the bronchitis is panting when he engages in strenuous activity. Once Ed finishes his current meds, he shouldn’t need continuing treatment but should have close monitoring. He is also underweight, but with improving health and an irresistible wet and dry menu, Ed is eating well and gaining weight. He has some dry skin issues that are clearing up quickly with his new dog food too. One remaining health condition is noticeable but not a problem for Ed in any way.  He has a cataract in one eye. The result is limited vision in that eye but he manages just fine. He doesn’t bump into anything and can certainly maneuver perfectly well.

Once in his foster home Ed quickly advanced his housetraining. He is nearly housebroken and has had no mistakes for 3 days! Ed’s parents believe the steroid he is taking to combat his bronchitis has had some impact on his accidents. The med makes him drink extra water so he has to go out more than normal right now. As he is tapered off of the steroid, his bladder control should improve.

Ed does great in a crate. He sleeps quietly in one the entire night and will remain there during the day, patiently waiting while his foster parents are at work. He does bark to greet them when he hears the door open at the end of the day. And, if there is a human stirring, he will whine at night.

There is a nice fenced yard at Ed’s foster home and he shows no signs of trying to escape, even though there are a few escape hatches for sneaky dogs. With his long legs, it appears that Ed could easily jump over too, if he wanted to, but he simply doesn’t want to leave home. Of course, his parents keep a watchful eye when he is outdoors, but what they see is that he will go outside to do his business and return to the door like he’s been there forever.

Ed gets along famously with his canine housemate. She tries to play, but he doesn’t understand what she is doing so he seeks shelter from her overtures. He adores the cats in his home. He wants to love and kiss them. However, only one of his feline housemates will allow this. He gets so excited he whines and kisses her feverishly! She purrs and moves into him. It is such an adorable site!

So far, Ed is not interested in toys, but his foster parents are working on that. He does enjoy chewing rawhide. He seems uninterested in chewing items that are off limits– good dog! He will put his front paws on furniture but shows no interest in getting on it aside from one sneaky jump on the bed when his foster mom was home alone sick in bed. Ed shows no signs of food aggression. He allows anyone to touch him while he is eating and also to remove the food and bowl. His first nail trim and ear cleaning went well. Aside from a little scared trembling, he did great.

Ed pulls a bit on the leash but does well overall. He is a bit of a nervous rider in the car. He will settle down but wants to be with the people so badly it upsets him to ride in “coach” seating. Ed is becoming more and more affectionate with the humans in his home. At first, he wasn’t interested in cuddling; now, he lies under someone’s feet at every opportunity and greets anyone at the door. He will be a great, sweet addition to any family. He is a very mild natured and strikingly handsome sweetheart. What he wants most in the coming year is a family to match his gentle manner.