Entered: 06/14/2014
Status: Adopted
Age: 9
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 48 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, benefiting from thyroid supplementation, weaning from medication for arthritis, recovery from bladder stone removal and treatment for a UTI complete, dental and treatment for an ear infection complete, some age-related clouding in eyes
Temperament: Good with adults and older youth, good with most other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 10/07/2014: “The thyroid supplementation that started in his new foster home is viewed as helping to bring about his progress.”
With a month in his new foster home, Mr. Sam is making a break-through. He has a lot more energy and dashes around his big fenced yard as never before. He’ll run around the yard with a stick like a puppy. He’ll put it down and walk around for a minute; then, he’ll pick it back up and run again. It’s hilarious to watch. Also delightful is that Sam is being slowly weaned from a regimen to support some mild arthritis which doesn’t seem to bother him at all.
Check out his new pictures! His coat had been soft but dull when he became a MAESSR boy. It’s much improved, even has a nice sheen now and, with a visit down the road to a groomer, Sam looks as good as he feels these days.
Sam is also a more relaxed boy. He’s more comfortable with casual petting and is happiest if it’s his foster dad who gives him the attention. Sam LOVES his foster dad and feels compelled to be bedside (or better yet on the bed) when his dad pulls off a mid-day nap and at night. With reluctance, Sam will also crate for the night if asked.
These changes in Sam are all good to see. The thyroid supplementation that started in his new foster home is viewed as helping to bring about his progress. He’ll be retested shortly to assure his thyroid levels remain appropriate. If all is well, Sam will likely be receiving supplementation on an ongoing basis. Having other health issues firmly and farther behind him is likely helping Sam too. And, no one can dispute the value of having a human buddy as Sam has found in his foster dad.
Sharing Sam’s good news is timely. Check back to see where he goes from here………………
Update 09/08/2014: “Grooming brings total relaxation to Sam which makes his weekly home sessions a pleasure for everyone.”
The “green bean” boy has no trouble with eating his veggies. They were first offered as he recouped from his bladder stone removal. The vet counseled that Sam might never experience this medical problem again, but that adding vegetables to his diet was a step which might discourage such obstructions from happening. A cup is stirred into Sam’s kibble at each meal and he doesn’t miss a bite, whether green or brown.
Once his recovery from the surgery was moving along well, he got the OK for a dental. There were no extractions, so Sam was eating normally the next day with all his nice, shiny white teeth. The occasional limping that seemed to stem from arthritis has completely disappeared with continuing treatment; many afternoons Sam is out for hours of off-leash time in the yard and his trot looks good at day’s end!
With better health, Sam is not so worried and barks less. His foster mom has been working with him to extinguish what remains of his reactivity to some touch. By contrast Sam is never, ever sensitive to touch on the grooming table; his happiest hours are spent there. When the crew goes to the basement where the table is set up, Sam is the one who eagerly puts his paws up for a boost onto the table. Once there a dreamy-like expression overtakes him after a bit of brushing and he often slumps into a “sit” shortly after that. Grooming brings total relaxation to Sam which makes his weekly home sessions a pleasure for everyone.
Sam will be moving to another foster home shortly so his current family can do some traveling. It will give him a chance to meet some new folks and their dogs and to prove he can adapt to another daily routine. He’ll also have the chance to show them how much he loves to be brushed…………
Update 07/24/2014: “Rather, Sam has opted for nose wrinkles and soft grumbles……………sort of like he deals with people when he’s uncomfortable about something.”
Sam has had an eventful first month in foster care, culminating in an emergency surgery to remove a bladder stone. He’s recovering without complications and is a much happier boy than in the days surrounding the diagnosis and procedure.
Now understandable, Sam went through a stretch before the surgery when he didn’t want to be touched. Even a friendly pat might cause him to wrinkle his nose and show his pearly whites. Once the bladder stone was identified in x-rays, it was clear that Sam was experiencing significant pain. The first days past the surgery were a little rough as well but the grimaced look on his face is gone. His stitches are out and he’s moving freely again…….and he can pee a wonderful stream!! He’s enjoying daily walks and off leash time in the yard once again.
Additional diagnostics were done for Sam before and after the surgery, all of which are helping his foster family understand him better. While under anesthesia, the vet x-rayed Sam’s left leg from the shoulder to his toes. There had been an occasional limp on that leg and some mixed signals when touching it. Sam would readily offer that paw but, often when his foster mom accepted it, he would let her know he didn’t want to be touched there either. With confirmation of arthritis in that elbow, Sam was started on treatment and can offer his paw with a smile now. During the surgery, his urine was also checked a second time and with a more detailed test. It showed that Sam has a resistant infection which requires a different med, a longer treatment period and then a retest. Needless to say, Sam has become quite the frequent flyer to the vet’s office and still has a dental pending.
To complicate his life a little, Sam has had to share his foster home with an additional dog in need of safe haven. The new guy is sweet, sweet, sweet but young and doesn’t have all of his dog-dog manners quite down. Somewhat to everyone’s surprise, Sam has shown incredible patience with the youngster’s overzealous greetings. If Sam had wanted to snap at him, he certainly could have. Rather, Sam has opted for nose wrinkles and soft grumbles…………..sort of like he deals with people when he’s uncomfortable about something.
Hopefully Sam’s second month in foster care will be less tumultuous than his first. Please keep him in your best thoughts as he strives toward better health………………
Original: “Indeed, time to settle once again, after a series of moves, may be Sam’s greatest need.“
Sam came into MAESSR’s care in Virginia. He had lived with his original family from puppyhood until shortly after the family moved to a home with a toddler. Not accustomed to such a little person, Sam was surrendered to a shelter. The shelter staff assessed Sam and placed him with an adopting family, only to have that family return him a short time later………..just not a good fit. Continuing to feel Sam was a good boy, MAESSR was approached toward finding him the right family for his new beginning.
Many fosters participate in MAESSR events and Sam has already shared in one. On the day of the Virginia Celebration, a MAESSR volunteer picked him up at the shelter and traveled to Williamsburg where Sam met his foster family. He was comfortable with the activities of the day, amid lots of new human and canine faces. At day’s end, he moteled with a second volunteer and the next morning, he crated easily for a road trip of many hours to his foster home. A busy start for Sam!
Since his first weekend, Sam has had the chance to settle in at a slower pace. He’s living with other Springers and largely ignores them. Sam is a “people” dog and follows his foster mom throughout the house. He’s always the one closest to her feet when she sits down. He’s housetrained, has no access to waste cans and has counter-surfed but responded to “off.” “Off” also works when Sam opts for the couch without an invitation! He’s walking daily at a leisurely pace on a Harness Leash. His skills are improving nicely as he finds he can get lots of sniffing in without pulling. There’s also time for him to be off leash in a fenced yard daily. Much of Sam’s activity in the yard centers on trying to determine exactly where his foster mom is. If she’s in the yard, he’s typically very close by or wandering off to sniff out a bunny. When she’s out of the yard and in sight, he’s good. If she disappears around a corner, Sam is concerned and paces or barks until she’s back. An evening walk or home grooming session rounds out Sam’s day and is enough activity for him to sleep through the night in the bedroom, along with the rest of his family.
It took Sam many days after arrival to find his appetite and begin eating regularly. Now he eagerly awaits mealtime. He has started 2 inexpensive supplements, one to help with anxiety and one to improve his skin and dry coat. During his vet exam, Sam checked out well and will complete his basic requirements shortly. Toward temperament, the vet observed him to be a needy dog. Indeed, time to settle once again, after a series of moves, may be Sam’s greatest need. Please check back on his progress………….