Hero

Hero had his last vet appointment yesterday! His surgery scar and pulled tooth are healing well, his ears are free of bacteria and yeast, and his feet are fine. We love that his hair is growing in pretty much all over; there’s just a little pink area on his underside that’s being stubborn and his fosters are soothing that skin with Malaseb. Hero is off his prescription diet of Rabbit and Potato, but food is being introduced carefully to monitor allergic reactions. He is actually eating a commercial food now (dry, wet, and treats) and is tolerating it well. Hero is now neutered and totally off meds, so no more trips to the vet for this young man for quite some time. 

In short, we are thrilled to report that Hero is officially "AVAILABLE" and ready to find his own family!! Be the first to get an application in for this charming, goofy, sweet boy! 

Update 9/21/10 (from Hero himself!)

"Hi everybody. Um, this is Hero. I've never talked on a web site before! Just wanted to let you all know how I was doing. I went to my first-ever Meet & Greet this past Saturday and just loved all the attention I got! My foster mom and dad brought some of my early photos with them. Nobody could believe I was the same dog! My fur is really growing in great, despite my thick skin. I'm mostly black, with silver markings. I've gained a couple of pounds and I'm really enjoying this stuff called 'playing', especially Chase and Fetch. I love running around (mom says I'm like a train when I come at you), but my paws are still pretty swollen. I can do Sit and Shake like a champ, but I'm still struggling a little with housebreaking. What can I say? I lived outside a long time. Old habits are hard to break. ;-) Oh, and I'm still not "tutored" yet, whatever that means. Well, that's all for now, I guess. I'm really looking forward to getting completely well and finding my forever home!"

Update 9-7-10 

Hero is making the transition from confused, medically fragile castaway to happy-go-lucky, healthy dog! He still has a long way to go with his medical issues, but his temperament is changing daily. First, an update on his medical progress. Hero suffers from pachyditis (“elephant skin”), which means he has thickened skin which doesn’t allow hair to grow easily. Hair is not coming in quickly, but it is coming in, as you can tell from the photos above. His multiple infections are backing off his skin is healing beautifully – no more lesions or open sores. He has finished one course of antibiotics. Hero’s ears, which were full of gunk, are healing well with drops and his yeast level is down, which means he smells a whole heckuva lot better! He is being bathed every three days with a medicated shampoo. He has been placed on an all-rabbit and potato diet to control allergic reactions. Probably Hero’s most significant medical issue that is getting under control is the swelling in his paws, which, happily, is way down. When he first came to us, his paws were so swollen that he stumbled around as though drunk. He is much surer on his feet now, and is using them to do fun things. 

Which brings us to the update on his emotional progress. Hero, the completely unsocialized dog with no manners, is learning how fun it is to be a dog! He has just started integrating with the resident dogs, and while still a bit pushy with the male (since he is still unneutered), Hero is getting along beautifully with the resident female. He actually took her up on a game of chase recently and that alone is a significant improvement: Thanks to the medications reducing the swelling in his paws, Hero can run! He’s starting to be interested in playing tug-o-war, and a little fetching. When you call him, he runs straight for you. 

Other interesting tidbits: Hero loves, loves, loves going for car rides and knows to stay in the back. He knows Sit and Shake and is still working on housebreaking. His foster mom is delighted to see that he is growing in white eyebrows – she says they make his face so much more expressive! She also says that Hero is a four-month-old puppy trapped in a 90 lb. body. He’s rather clumsy, but sweetly so, and she is thrilled with the difference in his perkiness. Every day brings Hero new challenges and cool new cool things to learn. 

Thanks to everyone who has donated to his medical expenses. You are Hero’s hero! Check back in a couple of weeks for an update and new photos!