An oldie foster dog has landed.

[bunn]

He has come to stay for a while until he finds his forever home. We've not had a Golden Retriever before, so it will make a change from all the lurchers.

He transferred to Oldies Club from a kennel-based rescue in Wales because he wasn't doing very well in kennels.  He has bald patches on his feet where he's been nibbling them.   Supposedly he is only 10, but at the moment he seems older: he struggles a bit with steps, and standing up when he's been lying down a while.  But it may be that he will seem younger once he's had a good sleep: he has had a rather busy day.   I didn't take him for our usual long evening walk with Rosie and Brythen, because he was clearly worn out.  We did a little 'introduction' walk when he arrived, to make sure Rosie wasn't going to try to eat him, and that was more than enough.

Comments

[diejacobsleiter.livejournal.com]

He looks happy and grateful. He obviously expresses his loyalty in the first photo.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He's adorable, and clearly loves his people!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

He looks like a very fine dog, and I hope he survives the night uneaten.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Rosie has been very gracious to him and only told him off a tiny bit when he became too enthusiastic about sniffing her bottom, which seems fair enough.

[topum.livejournal.com]

What a handsome fellow.

[apel.livejournal.com]

My experience with goldens is that, given a chance, they will lick you to death. :-) Very affectionate dogs.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He's not excessively licky, thankfully - since I am used to sighthounds, a very licky dog might be a bit of a strain, but he's more likely to present you proudly with an orange monkey or a floofy ball.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

What a cutie! I'm sure he will feel better at your place!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He is adorable, but I'm a bit worried about his legs. We did a fairly short walk this morning and it really wiped him out, I think I shall have to walk him on his own and take him very short distances. I believe Goldens are prone to hip dysplasia, and I'm thinking a vet trip looms...

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a trip is needed, yes, but I hope it will turn out to be nothing to worry about!

[songblaze.livejournal.com]

They are, sadly, prone to hip dysplasia, poor things.

I grew up with a very much loved golden retriever Samoyed cross, and visually he reminds me of Sarah a bit. Very sweet looking pup!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm a bit worried about that. I am used to foster dogs that are a bit unfit and wobbly as often they arrive after not having had much exercise, but he really seems to struggle just to stand up, taking him for long walks with my pair is definitely not an option, poor old thing.

[songblaze.livejournal.com]

Of course, it could just be arthritis. Have you tried him on something for the pain? Rimadyl or even a bit of aspirin might provide enough pain relief for him to move better. If he moves better on a pain med, that would suggest it's arthritis. If it's hip dysplasia, the instability would make it so he still had trouble standing and moving even without the pain. In either case, a heating pad for him to lay on might help, as long as you're careful about the temp. You might want to get a dog one, as they tend to be a bit tougher and have a lower temperature. I assume you have dog beds everywhere so he always has the option of something soft to lay on.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He's had a vet check and is on loxicom now, which really seems to be helping a lot, he's much more mobile and even did a reasonable walk this morning.

Vet thinks it's mostly arthritis and general lack of fitness, plus I have also discovered that he's quite obstinate, and goes FLOMP in protest if you ask him to do something he doesn't want :-D

I do have dog beds all over the place, but he will not use them, he occasionally will sit on vetbed, but he prefers the carpet.

[songblaze.livejournal.com]

Loxicam is good stuff - better for long-term applications like arthritis than rimadyl or aspirin. Did the vet warn you that it may upset his stomach? It's one you definitely want to give with food if possible, especially if you expect him to be on it for a while. The stomach irritation can be cumulative, so you'll want to keep an eye on that. I'm more familiar with it as a human drug (brand name Mobic, generic Meloxicam) but it's pretty similar for dogs. Does he have you planning to try a lower dose in a week or so? As I recall, the typical use in dogs is to start with a higher dose, use it for long enough to get the inflammation down, and then titer down to see how low a dose is sufficient, to minimize side effects, but your vet would know better than I.

Sounds like quite the stubborn boy! It took my service dog years to discover that dog beds are comfortable, because he really didn't have one in the prison-puppy raising program or the training kennel. It wasn't until we got a second dog (originally a pet, but now my fiance's emotional support dog) and he saw her making use of a bed (and eventually flattening it out a bit via use) that he was finally convinced to lay on it. He still doesn't use it much, even at 9 years old, but I figure he knows it's there and that it's comfortable. He does refuse to use fluffy or thick dog beds, and prefers relatively flat ones. Go figure, eh?

[timetiger.livejournal.com]

He looks like a real sweetie. I once knew someone who rescued many a Golden Retriever. They were all affectionate and unless they were ill or very old, extremely *bouncy*.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He likes to bounce up and down on his backside and squeak at you, but he's reluctant to stand and certainly can't jump. I'm a bit worried that he may tick the 'very old/ill' box. He's supposed to be only 10, but his legs seem in a bit of a state. :-/

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

He's a sweet old boy. I love Golden Retrievers.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He's very cute and seems to have a lovely nature too!

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

He looks cute!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He's a real old sweetie!

[penichops.livejournal.com]

Goldens always seem disturbingly happy. This dog needs to be called Snuffles

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I wondered that. Do they have Happy Resting Face, in the same way that whippets have Disgruntled Greatuncle Resting Face...? And if so, how can you tell if they are really happy....? :-D

His actual name is 'Striker' which seems like a terrible name for him, but the rescue aren't keen on changing it, though I must say he doesn't seem to answer to it at all.

[penichops.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha ! Oh it's so true

[songblaze.livejournal.com]

Most of them do have Happy Resting Face. Very smiley dogs, the only breed I've seen compete on that front are pitties.

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

Look at those eyes, awwwww! What a good cute boy.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Isn't he? He has a lovely smile. Bit worried about his health though, he seems rather frail :-(

[motetus.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, that face in the first photo! He looks utterly adorable and I'm now very disgruntled that I can't give him a cuddle.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he would be very pleased to have a cuddle, but he doesn't share your disgruntlement. I'm not sure his smily face can even do 'disgruntled'

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Aww, I hope he begins to feel a bit less stressed out now that he'll have more walks and attention.

Tagging dawn_felagund because Cute Golden!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Well, so far not so good on the walks front, his legs seem very wobbly and I think I'll have to give him super-short walks so as not to overdo it. But we may be able to do something with medication...

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Oh, bless him! How could anyone resist him and his fluffy toy!

I hope he settles in well and soon finds his new family.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Isn't he? I cannot really find any excuses for the family who owned him from a pup, then handed him in to sit in a kennel and break his heart when he was old and had wobbly legs, and could not cope with a toddler in the house who kept grabbing at him.
It makes me very cross.

[songblaze.livejournal.com]

Those kinds of people just kill me. Ugh. I just cannot begin to come up with an excuse for that, no elderly animal deserves to be separated from their people (though of course I understand the sad choice that has to be made if said people are unable to care for their pet any longer). My parents' old, easily frightened, deaf and half-blind cocker mix survived my nephew's overly affectionate towards dogs baby and toddler years because my parents used baby gates to fence off areas to keep the nephew away from the dog if they weren't keeping a close eye on both (my parents were his primary caretakers until he was out of diapers). Yes, there were occasions when they slipped up and poor old Buddy got glommed on because he either was asleep or my nephew came up from behind, but on the whole they were able to manage the two so that Buddy was mostly left in peace.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Oh that makes me so cross! Dogs are for life, you don't ditch them when they become old and infirm unless you genuinely can't cope for a proper reason, a reason which is not having a toddler which requires wrangling in my book :( Poor old man.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

VERY MUCH THIS!

Baby gates are not exactly hard to come by.

[ylla.livejournal.com]

He's adorable - and he looks quite young and shiny in the photos. Hopefully his legs will catch up :-)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

His coat, eyes and teeth are great. Not sure if we can do anything about the legs, but we'll try...

[howlin-wolf-66.livejournal.com]

What a sweetie! Hope everybody gets along with each other. :-)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

My two are a bit baffled by him, but they have been very polite really. The cats were briefly concerned but soon decided he was too slow to worry about!

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Awww, hope Rosie has decided he's as harmless as he looks!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Rosie doesn't like him as much as our last foster, but she has decided to be a true princess and be very gracious to him. I think Brythen thinks he is a kind of cushion :-D

[oonaseckar.livejournal.com]

Aah, he's beautiful. Those are some soulful eyes.