Benny 15-170

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"Welcome to the Golden Life." -Kathy and Hailie W

"Good luck finding your forever home, from Patch 10-223." -Michelle H

"Hugs from Sandie." -Karin S

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 07-24-2015 Not Required   Children Age 10+ Optional  Yes 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Introducing Benny, a dashingly handsome purebred Golden Retriever!  Benny was lovingly surrendered to RAGOM by a family who loved him very much.  It was a difficult and emotional decision for them to make, and one they put a lot of thought into.  They knew RAGOM had the resources to help Benny with his medical needs and we thank them for entrusting us with the care of their sweet boy.  Benny sends you a great big kiss and wants you to know he's doing okay!

Benny turned 2 years old on June 6th. He had his wellness exam this past week and tested negative for heart worm and Lyme disease, which we always like to see!  He is on monthly preventatives and is due for his vaccines in September.  He currently weighs 75 lbs. and needs to lose about 10 lbs.  He is getting lots of walks and play time in the yard and he and Foster Mom are having their own Biggest Loser competition!  Benny is on a grain free food because he suffers from some allergies, which is very common in Goldens. This past February, Benny had a seizure.  Over the next several months, additional seizures followed and he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy. He was brought to the emergency vet on two occasions after he had several cluster seizures in a row.  They administered a sedative and kept him overnight for observation.  After the frequency of his seizures increased, he was placed on daily medication in an attempt to control them.   It's important to note that because he has epilepsy, his seizures will never completely go away.  However, the hope is they become less frequent and more controlled.  Benny's last seizure was on July 16th.  He is currently prescribed Phenobarbital and receives two 68 mg tablets 2 times a day (for a total of 4 tablets). He is also prescribed 1500 mg of Potassium Bromide daily, which he takes in the form of 3 chew-able tablets with breakfast. During his wellness exam, the vet was concerned his current dose of Phenobarbital might be too high for his weight.  He has a follow-up appointment the 2nd week in August, where his Phenol levels will be checked and his liver and kidney values will be assessed.  At that point his dosage may be decreased slightly.  Watching Benny on a day to day basis, we believe it's possible his dose is too high.  He often acts "loopy" and a little unsteady, almost as if he closed the bar down and had a few too many cocktails!  There is a great website dedicated to canine epilepsy, and we encourage you to check it out if you're interested in learning more about it.  It is www.canine-epilepsy.net .  On his current dose of medication, Benny's Phenobarbital costs approximately $50 a month.  His Potassium Bromide costs about $65 a month for chew-able tablets.  However, your vet can special order capsules from a compounding pharmacy, which reduces the cost to approximately $30 a month.  Please keep in mind that prices do change periodically and there could be times where you would pay more.  Benny may also require more frequent blood work throughout the year due to his condition.

Now - on to some fun stuff!  Benny is a happy, silly boy who loves to play!  He loves to empty the toy bin every night and loves to play chase with our dogs in the yard. He has a happy go lucky personality and gives the best kisses!  While Benny likes other dogs, he LOVES people!  We joke that his name should have been Shadow!  He follows us from room to room and likes to be wherever we are.  It's not uncommon to step out of the shower and have to step over him because he is sound asleep on the bath mat!  He just loves to be wherever you are.  His love and adoration for Foster Dad can be seen in this video .  

Benny loves to "talk" to you if you're not paying attention to him. How dare you have a free hand and not give him a pet!  Of course, we are always happy to oblige!  One issue we are trying to work thru is him sleeping thru the night.  Between 12:30 and 2:30 AM, he gets restless and will start "talking" to us.  If we ignore him it progresses to barking and it lasts for a couple of hours.  He does better sleeping in bed with us then he does separated in his crate or baby gated.  However, it isn't a complete problem solver and we're hoping this behavior decreases as he gets settled in even more.  During the day we baby gate him in the bathroom when we're gone.  While I suspect he'd do just fine with free roam, I don't want to take the chance that he'll have a seizure near the stairs.  When we come home, we have to wake him up as he's sound asleep on his favorite blanket - even though 2 of our dogs bark as soon as they hear the garage door, Benny is oblivious!  He is house trained and has not had any accidents - good boy, Benny!

We've been lucky to witness Benny's love for water.  And when I say love, I mean he LOVES the water!  When I water the plants he loves to stand under the hanging baskets in case any water drips out of the bottom.  Of course, he has also been known to drink it straight from the watering can!  When we get the pool out he doesn't even wait for it to fill up before he jumps in.  During a recent trip to the lake, he surprised us by jumping off the dock to retrieve his toy.  He would have stayed there all day if we let him!  I'm pretty sure this handsome boy may have been born in the water!  

 

Are you waiting to hear what Benny's forever home looks like?

 

  • A fence is NOT required.  He lived on 6 acres in his previous home and was boundary trained. He loves his people so much that he sticks close.  
  • He doesn't potty on leash, so a townhouse or condo would not be an option for him.
  • Benny is good with kids but can be a little mouthy or grabby when excited. He also loves to chase when they run (just like he does with our dogs!) For these reasons, he would do best if the children living in the home were 10 years or older.
  • Another dog is NOT required.  Benny is used to being an only dog and I think he'd love to soak up all your love and attention!
  • The family that adopts Benny needs to be patient and help him thru his barking sessions in the middle of the night.  There will be times when you'll wake up tired!
  • Most importantly, Benny's family should be committed to providing the medical care he needs for the rest of his life.  His medication can be expensive and he needs a family committed to taking the best care of him, no matter the cost.  He will pay you back in kisses tenfold!  

 

If you think Benny might fit into your home, please contact your placement adviser.  He is looking forward to meeting you!

 

At a Glance #15-170

Golden Retriever Born: June 2013
Male 70 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

"Welcome to the Golden Life." -Kathy and Hailie W

"Good luck finding your forever home, from Patch 10-223." -Michelle H

"Hugs from Sandie." -Karin S

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 07-24-2015 Not Required   Children Age 10+ Optional  Yes 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Introducing Benny, a dashingly handsome purebred Golden Retriever!  Benny was lovingly surrendered to RAGOM by a family who loved him very much.  It was a difficult and emotional decision for them to make, and one they put a lot of thought into.  They knew RAGOM had the resources to help Benny with his medical needs and we thank them for entrusting us with the care of their sweet boy.  Benny sends you a great big kiss and wants you to know he's doing okay!

Benny turned 2 years old on June 6th. He had his wellness exam this past week and tested negative for heart worm and Lyme disease, which we always like to see!  He is on monthly preventatives and is due for his vaccines in September.  He currently weighs 75 lbs. and needs to lose about 10 lbs.  He is getting lots of walks and play time in the yard and he and Foster Mom are having their own Biggest Loser competition!  Benny is on a grain free food because he suffers from some allergies, which is very common in Goldens. This past February, Benny had a seizure.  Over the next several months, additional seizures followed and he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy. He was brought to the emergency vet on two occasions after he had several cluster seizures in a row.  They administered a sedative and kept him overnight for observation.  After the frequency of his seizures increased, he was placed on daily medication in an attempt to control them.   It's important to note that because he has epilepsy, his seizures will never completely go away.  However, the hope is they become less frequent and more controlled.  Benny's last seizure was on July 16th.  He is currently prescribed Phenobarbital and receives two 68 mg tablets 2 times a day (for a total of 4 tablets). He is also prescribed 1500 mg of Potassium Bromide daily, which he takes in the form of 3 chew-able tablets with breakfast. During his wellness exam, the vet was concerned his current dose of Phenobarbital might be too high for his weight.  He has a follow-up appointment the 2nd week in August, where his Phenol levels will be checked and his liver and kidney values will be assessed.  At that point his dosage may be decreased slightly.  Watching Benny on a day to day basis, we believe it's possible his dose is too high.  He often acts "loopy" and a little unsteady, almost as if he closed the bar down and had a few too many cocktails!  There is a great website dedicated to canine epilepsy, and we encourage you to check it out if you're interested in learning more about it.  It is www.canine-epilepsy.net .  On his current dose of medication, Benny's Phenobarbital costs approximately $50 a month.  His Potassium Bromide costs about $65 a month for chew-able tablets.  However, your vet can special order capsules from a compounding pharmacy, which reduces the cost to approximately $30 a month.  Please keep in mind that prices do change periodically and there could be times where you would pay more.  Benny may also require more frequent blood work throughout the year due to his condition.

Now - on to some fun stuff!  Benny is a happy, silly boy who loves to play!  He loves to empty the toy bin every night and loves to play chase with our dogs in the yard. He has a happy go lucky personality and gives the best kisses!  While Benny likes other dogs, he LOVES people!  We joke that his name should have been Shadow!  He follows us from room to room and likes to be wherever we are.  It's not uncommon to step out of the shower and have to step over him because he is sound asleep on the bath mat!  He just loves to be wherever you are.  His love and adoration for Foster Dad can be seen in this video .  

Benny loves to "talk" to you if you're not paying attention to him. How dare you have a free hand and not give him a pet!  Of course, we are always happy to oblige!  One issue we are trying to work thru is him sleeping thru the night.  Between 12:30 and 2:30 AM, he gets restless and will start "talking" to us.  If we ignore him it progresses to barking and it lasts for a couple of hours.  He does better sleeping in bed with us then he does separated in his crate or baby gated.  However, it isn't a complete problem solver and we're hoping this behavior decreases as he gets settled in even more.  During the day we baby gate him in the bathroom when we're gone.  While I suspect he'd do just fine with free roam, I don't want to take the chance that he'll have a seizure near the stairs.  When we come home, we have to wake him up as he's sound asleep on his favorite blanket - even though 2 of our dogs bark as soon as they hear the garage door, Benny is oblivious!  He is house trained and has not had any accidents - good boy, Benny!

We've been lucky to witness Benny's love for water.  And when I say love, I mean he LOVES the water!  When I water the plants he loves to stand under the hanging baskets in case any water drips out of the bottom.  Of course, he has also been known to drink it straight from the watering can!  When we get the pool out he doesn't even wait for it to fill up before he jumps in.  During a recent trip to the lake, he surprised us by jumping off the dock to retrieve his toy.  He would have stayed there all day if we let him!  I'm pretty sure this handsome boy may have been born in the water!  

 

Are you waiting to hear what Benny's forever home looks like?

 

  • A fence is NOT required.  He lived on 6 acres in his previous home and was boundary trained. He loves his people so much that he sticks close.  
  • He doesn't potty on leash, so a townhouse or condo would not be an option for him.
  • Benny is good with kids but can be a little mouthy or grabby when excited. He also loves to chase when they run (just like he does with our dogs!) For these reasons, he would do best if the children living in the home were 10 years or older.
  • Another dog is NOT required.  Benny is used to being an only dog and I think he'd love to soak up all your love and attention!
  • The family that adopts Benny needs to be patient and help him thru his barking sessions in the middle of the night.  There will be times when you'll wake up tired!
  • Most importantly, Benny's family should be committed to providing the medical care he needs for the rest of his life.  His medication can be expensive and he needs a family committed to taking the best care of him, no matter the cost.  He will pay you back in kisses tenfold!  

 

If you think Benny might fit into your home, please contact your placement adviser.  He is looking forward to meeting you!

 

Updates

Saturday, August 12, 2017

We recently met Benny and his mom for lunch and he's doing so well!  It was so nice to see him again and he's just as sweet as when we fostered him.  

Benny's mom has taken great care of him and he's doing great on his new seizure medication. He also sleeps well at night and has found a best friend in his kitty sibling!  They are adorable together!

I think Benny was happy to see us again, but he really adores his mom and you can tell they have a wonderful bond.  He is one lucky boy and they are a perfect match!  

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Hello RAGOM - my name is Gena and I would like to submit an update for my sweet Benny who I adopted last October. Benny was originally surrendered by his family due to suddenly having seizures. Since joining our family he has had a tough road getting his seizures under control. At first he was on phenobarbital and KBR, however he was still having breakthrough seizures. After four episodes of seizures about a month apart, each episode lasting multiple days, it was time to take the next step and see a neurologist. The neurologist we met with was absolutely amazing (he is actually the only one in the state)! He took his time completely checking out Benny and discussed all of the options. We decided to add a third medication called zonisamide. Since adding this medication in February, I am happy to say, Benny has been seizure free! 

Also when Benny was being fostered he wasn't the best sleeper, but now he has absolutely no problems sleeping through the night with no medication intervention! He broke this habit almost immediately after adding the new medication.

On another note he has really fallen right into our family. His "brother" (the big orange kitty in the pictures) loves following him around and playing with Benny's toys. Benny also has multiple friends he sees on a regular basis during our trips to the dog park. He loves everyone he meets and is an absolute joy to have in my life! We recently drove 500 miles to see my grandma, his "great grandma", and he enjoyed every minute of it! I hope to be enrolling Benny into therapy dog training soon so that he can make even more people happy. Even though it was a rough start I wouldn't change having this wonderful boy in my life!

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Benny's new mom was so excited to adopt him that she wanted to take him home the same day she returned from her trip.  Since she already had a long drive that day, we loaded Benny into our car and off we went to bring him to his forever home.  They were so excited to see each other again that the love just radiated from both of them!We had the pleasure of meeting Benny's new grandparents and they are just as smitten with him!  He has so many wonderful people in his life and he is going to have the kind of life we always hoped and imagined for him.  He is adjusting well and although he was antsy the first night, which we all expected, he has slept great the last few nights and has only woken up once each night!  We are very proud of him and are excited for the wonderful future he has ahead!
We want to thank Benny's surrendering owners for recognizing he needed more, even though it was difficult to say goodbye.  I can assure you he found the most wonderful home and will be a happy and spoiled boy for the rest of his life!  He took his favorite zebra blanket with him to his new home and his new mom has sent me several pictures of him napping with it.  He is the sweetest boy and is settling in to his new environment very well.
It's always hard to say goodbye to our foster dogs, and I will admit I shed a few tears! I am so excited for the life Benny has ahead of him - so full of love, adventure, and happiness!  His new mom is dedicated to his needs and loves the quirky boy that he is. She took the week off from work in order to spend time with him and help him adjust to his new surroundings.  He is a lucky, lucky, boy!  And they don't live too far from us so we are already planning to get together for play dates!  Thank you, Gena, for providing the great life we imagined for him!  

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Benny had a great time with his friend Ruby and all that playing helped him reach his goal weight!  He's now a healthy 65 lbs. and looks and feels fantastic!  He has been seizure free since coming into RAGOM and you can just tell that he feels great for so many reasons.  He is a happy boy!

Early last month, I took Benny to a Meet and Greet in Edina.  I discovered there was a very special person that had been watching him on the website, and she came to the event just to meet him!  She had experience with seizures and seemed very patient and understanding regarding his antsy behaviors at night. Benny and I fell in love with her right away!  We talked some more over the next couple of weeks, and today she made the trip to our house to visit with Benny again.  It was clear to see she loved and adored him - and Benny was just as smitten!  It was evident they belonged together and we are so very happy that Benny found his forever home with such a sweet, kind, and caring person.  He will be an only dog but will get to take lots of trips to the dog park and has already been invited to some neighborhood play dates.  There are also lots of plans to take him swimming, which I know he's excited about!  He will have 3 kitty siblings and already has lots of human friends that are just as excited about his adoption.  I really can't imagine a better home for him - he really hit the jackpot!  His new mom has a vacation planned so we get to love him up for a couple more weeks before he goes home.  We'll be sure to update again once he's adopted - in the meantime, we have a lot of celebrating to do!

Monday, September 21, 2015

Benny had a fun few days leading up to Goldzilla!  Our friend Michelle came up from Iowa and stayed with us for 4 days, and so did her 2 young dogs, Sully and Finn.  To say Benny had a blast is an understatement!  He had so much fun wrestling and playing chase.  His friend Ruby even came over for a play date and joined the fun!  On Sunday Benny attended Goldzilla for the very first time and had such a blast!  He loved visiting with all the people and dogs and he even got to go swimming!  All foster dogs have to be on leash, for understandable reasons, so we made sure to bring his long line with so he could have fun in the water with the rest of the dogs.  We knew he would be in heaven, and he was!  He was having the time of his life.  He even gained some fans at the big event, and wants to give a shout out and thank you to Kathy and Halie, Michelle and Patch, and Karin and Sandie for decorating his page with paw prints!  Thanks so much for thinking of our sweet guy!  

We try to spend a few minutes each day doing some obedience, and as you can see, Benny is a natural! https://youtu.be/uoxNb64WcrI He came to us knowing a few commands and is also a very quick learner. He can be a little excitable and jumpy at times, but he has learned pretty quickly that when we turn our back to him he needs to stop and be calm.  He is a smart boy!  He is still a young pup so he does get into mischief at times, however.  Lately he has really taken a liking to toilet paper!  He never touches it when we're home, but when we're gone sometimes he will nibble on it.  So, we now take it off the holder and put it in the drawer when we're gone.  It made us chuckle when we came home to that the first time!  Benny and I popped into the vet today for a quick weigh in and were pleased to see he is down to 67 lbs!!  He's lost 8 lbs. since coming into foster care and has just 2 more to go! All those walks and playtime have really paid off and he's looking great!  This coming weekend we'll be out of state for a wedding, so his friend Ruby and her mom are going to be staying here and watching Benny - something tells me it won't be long until those last 2 lbs. melt right off of him!

 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Benny had a great time at the Edina Meet and Greet last weekend and was such a social butterfly!  He pulled me over to say hi to everyone that walked in!  He sure knows how to work a room and turn on the charm!  Speaking of events, we told him all about Goldzilla and he is SUPER excited to make an appearance at the big day!  I know he can't wait to go swimming and of course meet all of his adoring fans!  Who wouldn't want to meet a handsome and sweet boy like Benny?!


Benny continues to do very well here. After speaking to our vet, as well as the wonderful RAGOM Foster Help team, we started Benny on Trazadone last week. He takes it right before bed and he is sleeping much, much, better at night!  The vet is hopeful, as are we, that he will only need this for a short time as he learns to break his pattern of antsy behavior at night.   This is a low cost medication and so far we are seeing great results!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Benny's dosages were reduced last week and he's feeling fantastic! His pacing has decreased significantly and he's much more steady on his feet. His friend Ruby came over for a play date tonight, and Benny zoomed around the yard chasing after her and Bauer. It was easy to tell he was feeling better! We are hopeful that he is on the right track and are so excited about how great he's been feeling! Just two days after decreasing his medication, he was running around with his favorite frisbee, and I got it all on video!

Benny is such a lovable, happy boy. In many ways, he reminds us of our boy Cooper who passed away in January. We took a break from fostering after he passed away, and Benny is the first dog we've fostered since we jumped back into things. He loves to snuggle with us and simply just loves to be with us. For so many months, the other dogs didn't play with Cooper's favorite toys. Everyone missed him so much. It's been fun to watch Benny dig for them in the toy bin and whip them around the room. He and Bauer play tug almost every night - it's something I've missed so much since Cooper passed away. Bauer clearly missed it, too! He's had a great time having Benny as a playmate. We are very lucky to be fostering him!

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Benny is hanging out in North Branch waiting for his forever family! I know I've said it before, but this boy is so SWEET! (Not to mention handsome!) He just loves to be loved and he makes it so easy to do. I can't even get mad at him when he chews my favorite plants! The score is currently Benny: 1, Foster Mom's favorite hibiscus: 0.

Benny loves to play and enjoys his play sessions with our dog Bauer and our neighborhood friend Ruby (also a RAGOM alum!) Those 3 could run and play chase for hours, and they are so happy doing so! I couldn't resist including a picture of them running and playing, even though it's a little blurry. Ruby comes over about once a week and Benny is always so happy to see her! They run and play and swim and have a ball!

This past week we took an unplanned trip to the vet after a perfect storm of events happened and we had a dog spat. Foster Mom wants everyone to know Benny did absolutely nothing wrong! One of our dogs had a chewed up tennis ball in his month, and though he doesn't have a history of guarding issues, he snapped at Benny when Foster Mom went to take the ball away from him. Benny had followed me (remember he's our little shadow!) and had bumped into him as I was attempting to get him to drop his ball. This resulted in our sweet little Benny needing some stitches. He was well taken care of by Dr. Emily and all our friends at South Shore Vet Hospital and he thanks them for the fabulous care they gave him!! Dr. Emily said he was a good little patient and he did not need to be sedated when she worked on him. Foster Mom feels terrible but Benny is doing just fine! His neck is currently shaved and his stitches come out this weekend. When I brought him home from the vet, it was clear to see this was an isolated incident, because all they wanted to do was play, play, play! And of course I had to be the fun police and put a stop to it so that he can heal up. I promise, Benny, you'll be able to play again soon!

Benny's blood work also came back this week and everything was in the normal ranges. However, we are going to be decreasing his medication in an attempt to control some of the side effects he is experiencing. As we mentioned previously, Benny often acts "loopy" and unsteady. This usually occurs for a few hours after he's had his medication. He bumps into things, his hind end is week, he's wobbly, and he paces a lot. He has also slid down the stairs, which is something we want to prevent! He is still a bit antsy in the middle of the night, but overall that has improved greatly. We currently get up twice a night with him, but now it's only for a short time and everyone is sleeping much better! The vet thinks his behavior at night may be another side effect from his medication. She feels all of the side effects he's experiencing should have gone away by now, but since they haven't, we'll start decreasing his dosage this weekend to see how things go. Benny has not had a seizure in over a month, and of course by decreasing his medication it's possible he'll have a seizure, but it's important we find the right dose so that Benny can have a happy life without such harsh side effects. He will go back to the vet to check his blood work again after he's been on the decreased dosage for 2 weeks. Benny is such a happy guy and he handles each and every vet visit like a champ! He would love a sponsor to help with his medical bills - he is very thankful to RAGOM for taking him in and being totally committed to helping him! Benny is such a great dog with so much love to give! If you're interested in learning more about him, please contact your placement adviser. We'd love to talk to you about our sweet boy! Oh, and Benny wants you to know he's down 2 lbs - good boy!!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Benny is a very happy and social boy! If we see other people when we're out on walks, he always tries to pull me over to them to say hello! He is just so friendly. He had a blast this weekend when Foster Grandma was here - that meant more hands were available to pet him! Not only that but she played tug with him and gave him lots of belly rubs. When we're outside in the yard, he loves to stand by the fence and watch the neighborhood kids play. He always does so with a big happy smile and a tail wag!

Benny makes us smile and laugh every day. Earlier this week, I set my lunch box down and ran into another room for about 30 seconds. When I came back, my bag was on it's side and Bauer and Benny were licking and sniffing the floor. That's when I noticed my banana was missing! Bauer has been known to swipe a banana or two in his day, so I figured it was him. The next morning I put my bag down directly in front of me while I put on my shoes. Benny came over to say hi, and before I knew it, he put his nose down and pulled the banana out! Now Foster Mom puts the banana inside her bag, rather then the outside pocket. Sneaky little boy! We hadn't heard him bark at anything outside, but the other day he couldn't control himself when the shark toy from our neighbor's pool blew onto the ground and started sliding across the lawn. I wish I would have had my camera ready because it was hysterical! There was no way Benny was going to let that big bad shark get away without anyone noticing! And remember last week when I told you how much Benny loves water? Well that now extends to his water dish, because sometimes he likes to dunk his entire head in there! He cracks us up with his funny antics.

Benny loves to be brushed and is such a good boy when it comes to clipping his nails. He just sits there like a good boy and lets you trim them one by one. He's a dream! He loves to cuddle and continues to be our little shadow. He is still a little antsy at night but is much more settled then he was just a week ago. We have both laminate and carpet in our home and he seems to do better on the carpet. We feel that is likely because he is a little unsteady at times from his medication. He goes back to the vet this week for his blood work and they will determine at that time if his dosage should be adjusted. He is doing great at his weight loss and is surpassing Foster Mom in their competition! You can tell just by looking at him that he's slimmed down, so we're excited to see what the scale reveals. Be sure to check back next week to find out how his visit went!