Buddy 12-182

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Profile

May 17, 2012

My eye sight is going, I need to lose weight, my hips sway when I walk, doing stairs is tricky... man it's tough getting old. Oh wait, I am supposed to be talking about Buddy the 10 year old senior Golden, not myself.

Ten year old Buddy joined our household last Friday. He is a purebred GR, now UTD, and approximately 110 pounds of sheer love. He has the typical senior white face, lots and lots of beautiful fur streaked with gray, and although 30 pounds overweight is in really good health for a senior dog.. Buddy was an outdoor dog used to being on a tie up, although he did sleep indoors. He has adjusted to indoor life with very little effort. He is allowed to free roam when I am gone and he is completely house broken. He sleeps in the kitchen at night, I have tried to bring him into my room, or let him free roam, but he is very restless. . . when confined in the kitchen he settles right down and I don't hear a peep all night. He understands sit and come, and loves to chase my stuffed Frisbee. He absolutely can't wait for our daily walks and after just one day, I let him walk on his own with a trailing leash on, (just in case). We go over to RDs favorite dog field and they run, and smell, and run and smell and then Buddy walks and smells, and walks and smells... He does need a little work to get back into shape, but appears more than willing to put in the effort. A good inspiration for FM, I must say!

His vet check went very well, he was a trooper and put up with all the poking and prodding and all his labs came back showing a healthy dog. He does have typical Golden ears, so they are being treated, and we are going to put him on some thyroid meds to help with his weight loss. He also has the start of cataracts in both eyes, but nothing to be concerned about at this point. He is getting groomed on Friday, and I am going to get him a very short summer cut, his coat is so thick and he is already warm in it.

I have to confess, I fell in love with this boy the moment I laid eyes on him. He is a sweet, sweet boy. I think he would fit well in just about any type of household, he just wants love and attention. Note: I have a new kitten in my household and we are having to keep him separated. He is so interested in her, he just can't help himself. He is not threatening, just very curious, and his sheer size is a little too much for baby kitty. I think a cat used to bossing dogs around would do just fine.

At a Glance #12-182

Golden Retriever Born: April 2002
Male 90 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

May 17, 2012

My eye sight is going, I need to lose weight, my hips sway when I walk, doing stairs is tricky... man it's tough getting old. Oh wait, I am supposed to be talking about Buddy the 10 year old senior Golden, not myself.

Ten year old Buddy joined our household last Friday. He is a purebred GR, now UTD, and approximately 110 pounds of sheer love. He has the typical senior white face, lots and lots of beautiful fur streaked with gray, and although 30 pounds overweight is in really good health for a senior dog.. Buddy was an outdoor dog used to being on a tie up, although he did sleep indoors. He has adjusted to indoor life with very little effort. He is allowed to free roam when I am gone and he is completely house broken. He sleeps in the kitchen at night, I have tried to bring him into my room, or let him free roam, but he is very restless. . . when confined in the kitchen he settles right down and I don't hear a peep all night. He understands sit and come, and loves to chase my stuffed Frisbee. He absolutely can't wait for our daily walks and after just one day, I let him walk on his own with a trailing leash on, (just in case). We go over to RDs favorite dog field and they run, and smell, and run and smell and then Buddy walks and smells, and walks and smells... He does need a little work to get back into shape, but appears more than willing to put in the effort. A good inspiration for FM, I must say!

His vet check went very well, he was a trooper and put up with all the poking and prodding and all his labs came back showing a healthy dog. He does have typical Golden ears, so they are being treated, and we are going to put him on some thyroid meds to help with his weight loss. He also has the start of cataracts in both eyes, but nothing to be concerned about at this point. He is getting groomed on Friday, and I am going to get him a very short summer cut, his coat is so thick and he is already warm in it.

I have to confess, I fell in love with this boy the moment I laid eyes on him. He is a sweet, sweet boy. I think he would fit well in just about any type of household, he just wants love and attention. Note: I have a new kitten in my household and we are having to keep him separated. He is so interested in her, he just can't help himself. He is not threatening, just very curious, and his sheer size is a little too much for baby kitty. I think a cat used to bossing dogs around would do just fine.

Updates

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

 

Buddy's Story

It all started May of 2012. We were approved to adopt a Golden after volunteers Mike and Michelle told my husband all about RAGOM. How exciting for our family ~ it would soon be growing. Thank you to Joanne & Dennis for doing our home visit and meeting us ~ we are forever grateful to all of you.

We started our search for the perfect dog. I found Buddy on the web page. He sounded like the perfect pooch for us. Mike contacted placement and the ball started rolling. I think there was a little hesitation due to his age but that didn't stop us.

We met Buddy on June 18th, 2012. His FM Ann was travelling to Pequot Lakes for the weekend and we were going to be in Park Rapids for the weekend so the timing was perfect. We went to meet Buddy, went for a walk and went in to town to talk it over. There really was nothing to talk over ~ we knew he was coming home.

We went back, visited and signed the papers. We went out to the Jeep and the big old lug jumped right in the back seat and wouldn't move. Ann said, "He is going home and he knows it". He was so big that we couldn't figure out how to move the stubborn old butt, so we crammed in somehow and back to Park Rapids we went. He was coming home...

Buddy was overweight and it was evident that his legs were bothering him. Mike walked him 3 times a day for a long time. We got him down to 80lbs ~ right about where he should have been. You could tell he felt much better and got around easier. He sure did love his walks and he was so happy. His Dad was so dedicated ~ every morning, whether rain, shine, snow, minus zero temps, Buddy got his walk.

Buddy got regular trips to the dog park and played and ran like a pup. All the other dog owners couldn't believe he was 10 years old. He didn't have much use for tennis balls, but sure loved to play tug-of-war. He wasn't too interested in swimming unless there were other dogs participating.

He was such a good boy - he didn't countersurf or jump up. At mealtime, he would set his big head on the table next to our daughter. He would eventually give up and lay down by her feet. He usually ended up with a little snack once mealtime was over. He also discovered the dishwasher had some good stuff and would stand there and wait for a lick - sometimes getting in our way and being stubborn he wouldn't move.

He definitely had the Golden paw and Golden nudge. He would lean in to your leg for pets - no matter who you were. If you stopped petting him he would give you the paw. Such a sweet boy.

In November 2013, we discovered Buddy had a tumor in his mouth. We didn't have it tested as the vet said the only way to fix it would be to take out part of his jaw. That was not in the cards due to his age and we didn't want to put him through any unnecessary procedures. If it was indeed cancer, it probably had already spread or the procedure would cause it to spread. He started to drool a lot and it was stinky, but we didn't care ~ we would just keep going on and keep him comfortable. Every day we cleaned him up and he was fine.

Eventually, the tumor caused him problems when he would eat, so he started a soft food diet. The last couple months, he was not always interested in food and we knew he was not feeling himself. He didn't get up much and stopped going upstairs. He usually slept in our bedroom or on the landing outside the bedroom door. He would look up the steps thinking he should go up, but he knew it was too hard. He liked to lay on the balcony too, and I am sad to say once the weather got better this Spring, he never made it back out there. His walks got shorter and he would walk and sniff - no longer was he ahead of us. When he came to us, Mike was not used to such a big dog on the leash, but after a while, Buddy got the hang of it. He could spot a bunny or squirrel a long way off and always wanted to get at them. He also went after a skunk at the lake and guess what - he got sprayed! I was so upset with his Dad about this, but I got over it.

Buddy got really sick a few weeks ago with diarrhea and I started cooking him food. He started to turn around. Then it was day by day, but he always wanted his walks. I had him at the vet Mid-May and he was down to 67lbs. The vet didn't give him any shots as I now know she knew he was coming to the end. His muscles were deteriorating and he was not always steady on his feet. We just kept plugging away as he didn't exhibit any pain. Buddy had two great days last week - able to be outside in the nice weather and eating well and loving life.

On Friday morning, Buddy got sick again and didn't eat. Saturday, he was still sick and he stayed home with the neighbors keeping watch over him until his Dad got home from work. He didn't touch his food that day. Dad arrived at the lake at 11 pm Saturday night with Buddy and I stayed outside petting him until 1:30 am, and then I laid with him inside for an hour petting and talking to him. I told him it was ok to let go. Mike and I didn't sleep all night. At 7am, Mike carried him outside ~ where he liked to be. Sometime between 8:15am and 9am Sunday, May 25th, Buddy passed away peacefully on his own. Mike had thought about staying home with him that night, but I am glad that our family was with him and that he passed at his favorite place.

When we adopted Buddy, we knew that he would not live for another 10 years. If you are reading this story, please do not be afraid to adopt a Senior ~ this has been the most rewarding experience. We don't know much about his life before he came to us, but we know he was loved and we continued that love 100 times more. He was with us just shy of 2 years and we would like to think they were the best two years of his life. It seemed like he was here his whole life and he was a loved family member. We miss him terribly and a part of our family is missing, but how great to know he had a wonderful ending.

In this journey we have become a foster family for RAGOM. We had a 1-year-old pup for about a month - Buddy didn't really like that. We now have Buddy 14-009 and he was so respectful to Big Buddy - they lived together in peace. It is nice having another dog here right now or I have a feeling the house would be even emptier now that Biggie is gone. We have met a lot of great volunteers along the way and a special thanks to Mary & John for being there for us during these stressful times - it means the world to us.

Photos of this handsome guy are Christmas 2013, January 2014, and May 2014.


RIP, Buddy, Big Buddy, Bud, Biggie ~ we loved you so much and we will never forget you. Please be waiting for us at the Bridge.

BEST DOG EVER

 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Greetings!

We have been meaning to send an update on Buddy. He has settled well in to our family in Fargo ND!

We had to put our 15 year old Standard Pomeranian down about 3 weeks after adopting Buddy. His kidneys were failing and he had not been doing well for the past year. He was also Buddy so for a short time we had Little Buddy and Big Buddy.

Big Buddy is walked at least three times a day and we have gotten his weight down. He is doing really well and no one would guess that he is 10 years old. He takes trips to the dog park and runs and plays with the other dogs. He is so calm and gentle and gets a lot of love in our home. We are hoping that Big Buddy's final years are the best of his life. 

Here are a couple of pics of Buddy - one chilling on the patio at the lake and the other resting after a busy afternoon at the dog park.

Thank you for bringing such a special friend in to our lives.

The A Family

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Well, Mr. Buddy has been so busy these past two weeks, that FM feels like his personal assistant. First, his groom. All his feathers are gone, he smells good, and the heavy layers were brushed out. He is so handsome now! His follow up vet check went well, although his ears were still gunky and FM continues cleaning them and putting in drops.

He has started on thyroid meds and is now micro chipped. He is such a good boy at the vet, although he really doesn’t like anyone fussing with his ears. I have to sneak the cleaning and drops in while I give him loves and hugs.

The kitty chaos has definitely calmed down in the house, with RD, FD and RC all living in peace and harmony. Okay, maybe not exactly that, LOL, but they have worked out a play schedule that works for them. This morning RC wanted to try going outside for the first time, so the three of them hung out together while FM supervised. It went surprisingly well, no one chased Ms. Kitty and in fact both RD and FD played with her. Can you say ADORABLE? Buddy now calmly accepts kitty kisses and does not participate in the undignified chasing that goes on between RD and RC.

Eating continues to be a bit of a challenge, he doesn’t particularly care for kibble, but neither does RD, so I am making lamb stew and adding it to their kibble. It is all natural with lamb, water, carrots, celery and potatoes. He loves it and eats all his veggies like a good boy! He does love treats, I put his thyroid tab in a little piece of cheese or hot dog, and he sits patiently for it and takes it very gently.

I discovered that Buddy definitely misses his teenage peeps. I had my niece and a friend with me last weekend and he just could not get enough attention from them. They, of course, were happy to give it. When it was time for bed, they each took one of my couches in the living room and when I told Buddy it was time to go to the kitchen to sleep, he simply refused. He looked right at me, laid down right on the floor in between the couches and simply would not get up. WHO COULD FIGHT THAT?

Last, but not least, we took our first trip to the lake over Memorial weekend. Buddy enjoyed the water by walking back and forth in it, but fetching or swimming did not seem to interest him. He was very content to hang out wherever the action was happening. Both dogs slept well all the home and most of the next day!

Buddy is an amazing companion and will make his forever family very happy. Come meet him, I guarantee love at first sight!