Missy 5

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Update 09/30/12:

Missy V peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge in the arms of her foster mom. The sweetest of girls, this precious baby loved to lie on her bed and squeak the squeaky toys over, and over, and over again. She would root through the “toy box” until she found just the right one to squeak and cuddle with. 

Missy came to MAESSR with congestive heart failure. Unfortunately, after her surgery to remove a large growth on her jaw, the CHF progressed. She was in pain and there was nothing that could be done medically to relieve that and give her a better quality of life. Missy gave the vet kisses as the euthanasia was administered, as if she knew that she was going to a better place, where she would be able to breathe easily and be pain-free.

Missy won the hearts of all she met while in MAESSR’s care and will be missed dearly. Godspeed to you, Missy.

Original:

When Missy’s New Jersey family faced relocation to England, they thought it best for Missy to be re-homed in the States rather than making this big move with them. So, they contacted MAESSR to find their old girl a loving new home where she could live out her golden years.

Missy is a total sweetheart! A Velcro Springer, she loves to be wherever her people are, even if it means just sleeping at their feet. Housetrained and totally trustworthy, Missy has lovely house manners. She does not get up on furniture and does not counter-surf. The trash can is not accessible to her, but her foster mom is sure that she would not bother it even if it were. She loves to snuggle on her dog bed at night, snoring away! In the morning she greets her foster parents with a wiggly tail, rolling on her side for a tummy rub!

In her original home, Missy lived with another dog and had grown up with her family’s children who now are adults. Currently, Missy is living with a male ESS who is usually crabby when other dogs invade his territory, but he has been a gentleman with Missy. When either gets too close to the other when eating or drinking, they grumble at each other, so they are fed separately and have separate water bowls. Missy’s other four-legged housemates are three resident cats, whom she would love to chase. To maintain peaceful co-existence, baby gates keep the critters separated. Missy generally gets the kitchen and office and the cats get the rest of the house; the gating configuration changes to give all a change of scenery periodically. When Missy is outside, she is leashed so as not to chase the one outdoor cat.

Don’t think Missy is Miss Chubby Puppy because she weighs 58 lbs. She is long and lean; she does not have any extra flesh on her. She eats well and takes her meds nicely in peanut butter or a piece of meat. Gentle when taking a treat, Missy is not food possessive around her people. She does not beg when her people are eating their meals either. What a well-behaved girl she is!

As an older dog, Missy has developed some health issues that are being managed well. Arthritis in her knees makes climbing up and down a flight of stairs difficult for her. She had to move from her original MAESSR foster home to a second one because the stair issue. Now she just has just two stairs to go down to get off the deck and into the yard. She has been started on a supplement to ease any arthritic discomfort. 

Another issue is one that frequently comes when Springers age; Missy has numerous lumps under the skin and also warty growths on her body which sometimes get scratched and bleed. Her vet monitors these for any changes. One unsightly growth, a bengn pendulous one the size of a ping-pong ball, is soon going to be surgically removed from her left lower lip. People she meets tend to focus on that cosmetic flaw rather than on what a sweet, pretty girl Missy is. 

Although it is well under control, perhaps the biggest health issue that Missy faces is congestive heart failure. Diagnosed in 2011, Missy luckily has been on medication that successfully controls this condition. Missy is still active and spry and loves to go on walks and chase rabbits and birds in the yard. She still has that lovely Springer prance in her step. After lots of physical activity, Missy likes to catch up on her sleep, as do most dogs. Hopefully, Missy will enjoy this good quality of life for a long time to come. 

A perfect walking companion, Missy does not pull on her leash but just trots nicely by your side on a loose leash. She enjoys sniffing in the yard to see what rabbits she can flush out and reportedly she enjoys swimming. Inside the house, Missy loves carrying around soft toys and if one has a squeaky in it, so much the better! She will lightly mouth it to activate its squeaker! If one of her foster parents will play tug-of-war with her, she is delighted too! Missy is great on car rides; she is a wonderful passenger settling down quietly in the back seat to watch the scenery or to rest quietly.

Missy was such a good girl for her vet appointment and did not make a fuss during any part of her check-up, even when she got her nails clipped. Because of a yeast infection in one of her ears, Missy has to have her ears regularly cleaned and then have medication applied twice daily. She willingly allows her foster mom to do these tasks to her without so much as a grumble. Good girl, Missy! When she first came into foster care, she needed a bath and ear cleaning badly, and she cooperated with her first foster mom completely. What a champ!

If you never have adopted a senior Springer before, it is a wonderful experience. Seasoned seniors like Missy are affectionate, appreciative, cooperative, and not too demanding physically. They just want to love and be loved. If you are new to the Springer breed, adopting a seasoned senior is a wonderful beginning. Missy is waiting for her new family and she has plenty of love to share.