Rocky 11

---

Updated 9/12/07: It is never easy to lose a Springer, but the sadness surrounding Rocky’s loss is all the more poignant because of the tremendous effort over the last five months to save him. His foster family and the many other MAESSR volunteers who knew him were steadfast in their hope that he was progressing toward a very special adopting family. However, last weekend and for no apparent reason, his medication failed him again. He endured multiple grand mal seizures and the difficult decision to give him freedom from his struggle was made.

Updated 8/27/07: Rocky continues to make progress in controlling his epilepsy. Since the second medication was added about 8 weeks ago, Rocky’s seizures are less severe but still more frequent, every 7 to 10 days, than his foster mom or vet would like to see. Rocky’s less severe seizures can be anything from jerking his head and body, to walking like a drunken sailor with no destination, to finding a corner in the house and standing there staring at the walls for a while. He has only had one grand mal seizure in the past 2 months, so that is progress to be very thankful for. His foster mom and the vet will continue monitoring his medications, which he takes every 8 hours, to further reduce the episodes.

Other than his seizures, Rocky is a very sweet, innocent Springer. Due to his medications, his energy level is moderate. Aside from food, he really loves to swim or just float on a raft in a pool. Rocky also loves to go for walks and rides well in a car. He gets along well most of the time with the two resident Springers, but he just doesn’t seem to comprehend pack behavior and does not always respect the boundaries of the alpha male; this does cause the resident male to put Rocky in his place every now and then. Not surprisingly, it’s the resident female that Rocky loves to wrestle and play with.

When someone is home with him, Rocky has full run of the house. When home alone, he is confined to a game room since there are stairs in the house that could present a danger should he have a seizure. After a seizure, there is a period of time when Rocky is in a trance-like mode and not fully coherent. He is mostly housebroken but does have an accident now and then, probably after he has had a seizure and is in less control. The medications he is on also make him continuously thirsty, resulting in a need to urinate more frequently.

With Rocky’s increased stability, the vet is willing now to schedule him for neutering. After that, he will be available for adoption. Rocky would be a wonderful addition to a very special family who can tend to his medications and allow for his special needs which really aren’t too many. Mostly, this boy will need steady, patient, and compassionate humans in his life, people who will rejoice in each good day and who will abide when he needs them most. If making a very special commitment to a loving and lovely Springer is something you would like to do, Rocky is worthy of consideration. Your love will be repaid 100 fold!   

Updated 6/26/07: Though making some progress, Rocky is still having seizures. Despite many tests, there does not appear to be any medical problems that the seizures can be attributed to. Therefore, his diagnosis is idiopathic epilepsy, simply meaning that the cause is unknown. He is receiving a medication every 8 hours which has enabled him to go seizure-free for 14 days. It is hoped that this “magic” dosage will control his seizures. Rock remains intact and cannot be neutered until his epilepsy is under control, hopefully soon.

Rocky has settled into his second foster home well. He remains a very sweet and somewhat aloof Springer who loves to take walks, chew rawhides and play with his new foster sister. Rocky and this Springer are close in age and in energy levels, so they are a good match at play. There is also a resident, male Springer that Rocky is learning to get along with. Due in part to Rocky being intact and to his medication, Rocky does not always respect the boundaries of an Alpha dog and is a slow learner in this category. He has encountered the same problem with other Alpha males which is not unusual with the medication he is on. The med also slows his reaction time somewhat.

Rocky likes to swim whenever and wherever he can, be it in a swimming pool or in ponds. He has attended two of MAESSR’s picnics this season and mixed and mingled with lots of Springers and their families. He is a great car rider and loves to go anywhere. Rocky and his foster mom will continue working to control his seizures and to get him neutered. At that point he will be able to be adopted by a very special family, one who can administer his meds as needed and give him all the patience and love that a young pup requires. In return, Rocky should enjoy sharing most all of the activities that Springers love with their families and be a wonderful companion.

Updated 5/18/07: Like most springers his age, Rocky has a lot of energy and doesn’t miss an opportunity to play. He can tend to get a little pushy when playing, that is, he jumps and won’t back down at times, but it is definitely all play. When at the dog park, he loves to go up to every dog and say “hello.” Having an active canine buddy to share his home with is at the top of Rocky’s wish list. He does fairly well on a leash and, though he pulls a little bit, it is more to keep up at the same pace as the resident springer. His foster mom thinks if he were walked alone, Rocky would do just fine.

With time to settle, his personality is emerging. Rocky is one who definitely barks when he wants attention. No need for an alarm clock when Rocky is sleeping bedside on the floor. He is an early riser and wakes at 6 AM. He thinks his foster mom should start her day then as well and refuses to let her go back to sleep. Still she sees him as a definitely lovable guy.

Rocky has not had any accidents in the house since the first week he arrived that weren’t related to his seizures. Unfortunately, Rocky’s seizures are happening more often and closer together. After a seizure, Rocky is disoriented for a day or two and very sleepy. The effort continues to get a handle on what is causing the seizures and an appropriate dose of medication to help control them. His foster family is working with two veterinarians, one who has done a lot of research on springers with seizures and the other, a specialist. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough soon so that Rocky can be rising and shining in his forever home at 6 AM!!

Original: This young springer has seizures and his owner could not afford his veterinary care. She loved Rocky dearly and knew that she had to place him somewhere that he could get the help that he needed. So, she relinquished him to MAESSR.

Rocky is a sweet pup with lots of energy. He loves other dogs and enjoys playing with them. Sometimes he doesn’t know when to stop! Even so, he would do very well and would thrive in a home with another dog. He seems to need this canine companionship. Like many young dogs, Rocky still play bites and his foster mom is teaching him that this is not correct behavior. He knows his name but does not necessarily always come when called. Rocky seems to be familiar with “lie down.”  His foster mom is working on “sit”  with him. He will sit for his treats and takes them very nicely and gently. Rocky does bark when his foster mom has something that he wants, though.

This little guy likes to chew and dig. His foster family makes sure he has plenty of appropriate things to chew on and keeps inappropriate items like tasty shoes out of his reach. It is clear that Rocky has aspirations to be a geologist since he digs holes in the yard to try to get rocks. Rocky also loves to play ball and he will fetch whatever his foster mom will throw for him. He’s always up for tug of war with his human or canine companions, too.

Rocky is house trained for the most part. He has had a few accidents, but this is believed due mostly to the fact that he isn’t neutered yet and he is marking. He hasn’t been crate trained up to this point in his young life; there’s just so much to learn when you’re less than a year old! Sometimes, Rocky does jump up on the counters, but he is learning this also is not acceptable. He does have riding in the car down pat, though. He sits still like a good passenger should and he doesn’t jump around.

At bed time Rocky is invited up on his foster mom’s bed, but he soon jumps off and sleeps the night on his dog bed in a corner of the bedroom. Since his foster mom is just getting to know him and is learning about his seizures, she likes to keep him under close supervision. The vet is still trying to determine the right medication for controlling Rocky’s seizures. His relinquishing owner reported that when Rocky was about to have a seizure, he would pace and nibble at her pant leg as if he were very nervous. Aside from the seizures, Rocky seems to be in perfect health and is a normal springer puppy.

Keep watching for updates on Rocky!