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while yet, but he is getting healthier. His recent blood work showed that he is a bit anemic, and his thyroid was borderline. So he'll get a round of inexpensive thyroid meds. It could be that's all he'll need, or he may need thyroid meds for life; we just don't know. The meds are inexpensive, and he takes his pills just fine in his food.
Buddy is a restless boy because he's been on exercise restriction. We think he'll be an explorer when he gets outside. So he'll need training on recall, but he is highly food-motivated - so it should be an easy training.
He's learned to sit and wait for his food without us saying a word. He knows down, but it is still a work in progress. He knows the word "kennel" and goes in without any problems. A lot of the time you don't even need to say the word, just stand next to the kennel and in he goes.
We crate Buddy at night and when we leave the house. Buddy likes his kennel and goes in there even when we don't ask him to. It's his place, and he knows it. When I'm working he tends to lie down in the kennel or right in front of the kennel, or sometimes he lies down in the hallway outside my office. Just recently he was allowed free roam in the house while I was outside doing yard work, and he was a good boy. He has free roam when we are home – If there is more than one person home, and they are in separate parts of the house, he likes to check on them. Truthfully, I think Buddy is more of a guy's dog, but he listens to me just fine.
He's really a sweet boy and just wants your love.
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4/11/18 Buddy got his last two heartworm injections (overnight stay) plus an x-ray for his spine. Everyone at the clinic loved him as he has such a sweet temperament. One Tech said that every time they took him out of the crate to go outside he had to greet everyone he saw and sit on their feet.
Buddy has the spine of an older dog. He has arthritis and a couple of bone spurs, and one disc is bulging. Due to the fact that he obviously never got any exercise (so he has no muscle) and a rough beginning, one of his back legs pivots when he walks; he's slow to get up; and doesn't stand when he could sit or lie down. His left rear paw is slow to correct when they bend his paw under, which means he has feeling back there, but it isn't optimum. (He takes the stairs just fine but doesn't know how to jump up into the vehicle.)
He'll get his dental done once his heartworm test comes back negative, and then he'll be available for adoption.
He doesn't play fetch and can't catch worth a darn. Buddy just wants to be your bestest bud. He loves contact, but knows when to stay out of the way when you're busy. He's an older gentleman with love to give.
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3/16/18 Buddy got his first heartworm injection yesterday. He seems to be doing well but is a little bit droopy today. While being treated, he isn't supposed to do anything that will raise his heart rate. So he is on strict activity restriction for the next two months.
Buddy is a laid back, mellow boy who loves people and loves to lightly wrestle with other dogs if they're game. He just wants to be loved, but he knows to leave you alone if you're busy. He will follow you from room to room, even the bathroom. He's gotten better about not being in the way of where you want to walk. Although, when you're in the kitchen prepping food he will lie down in the middle of the floor. Outside, he likes to explore a bit.
He's no longer the alarm clock he once was, but he does start to do a soft whine about a half hour before the alarm goes off. He knows the command, "kennel" and is a really good boy about it. He enjoys his crate and will voluntarily go in there to wait for you to finish working. He also knows the nightly routine and will go into his crate without you saying anything. He's never messed his crate.
He's learned to sit and wait for his food until you tell him its okay. He's a slow eater, so if you've got chow hounds in your house, you might have to monitor your resident dogs to be sure they don't eat his food.
He's pretty dang quiet, rarely ever barks.
Because he loves people, and he isn't an exuberant dog, he would be good with kids, even the little ones. He doesn't know how to play fetch, and we haven't had the opportunity to work with him outside due to his exercise restriction since he came into Rescue.
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2/2/18 Buddy has been with us a couple of weeks now, but he's got months to go. So far he's shown himself to be a goofy, lovable lug. He's doing much better with his eating (still needs to gain weight) – I think he just felt so crappy when he arrived that he needed the antibiotics to help him feel better.
We are working on basic commands, but he loves to be where his people are when he's inside. When he's outside to do his business he explores. Since Buddy is on exercise restriction we can't work on his leash manners.
He loves to do some nibbling and light wrestling with my girls. Buddy is built big, and he could clobber my girls if he was so inclined, but he plays pretty gently. He's a funny boy - he has stolen the toy box, with the toys in it, and hauled it into his crate. He likes to hide toys in the crate, too, by burying them under the blankets.
His worst faults are that he is a sloppy drinker; he tends to be right where you want to walk; and he's our alarm clock in the morning (usually about an hour before our actual alarm).
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1/18/18 Buddy went to the Vet today and had a work up. He is positive for Lyme's and has heartworm, an infected canine tooth and a UTI. He started a deep, hoarse coughing on Sunday, and it could potentially be kennel cough as the Bordatella vaccine probably didn't have enough time to prevent it. The swelling and bruising of his genitals is much better. He is wearing a diaper to protect the incision so it doesn't re-open. He started his heartworm treatment today – The antibiotic he's getting to treat his infection will also treat the UTI, potential kennel cough, and Lyme's.
Because Buddy's urine had so many crystals in it, the Vet did an x-ray to be sure Buddy didn't have stones – fortunately, he is clear of that. The Vet doesn't want to do a dental until Buddy is clear of the heartworm. He is eating better than he was, but he still isn't eating enough. Hopefully his appetite will continue to increase as the antibiotic has a chance to get into his system, and he feels better. He's a messy eater and drinker. ;-0
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1/7/18 Meet Buddy. Buddy is about 8 years old whose owner surrendered him to a shelter, and the shelter called us. Buddy is going to be in foster care us for awhile because he has heartworm and is being treated; needs dental work for an infected canine tooth; and has a swollen oil gland near his eye.
All indications are that Buddy was an outdoor boy, but he is very mellow and absolutely loves attention. He's good with other dogs, but he is a bit rude with his greeting of them (sniff, sniff, and very snug sniffing in the nether regions). We don't know how he is with cats. He needs some training which we will work on, but he can't get any exercise while he's undergoing treatment for heartworm, which means months of bed rest.
Heartworm treatment is expensive and can be very hard on the dog, please consider donating to Buddy's care.