Gatsby has been adopted! He will get to go to work with his new mom after training as a therapy dog and is now the younger brother to Lucy (dog) and Sasha (cat). I'll miss the little peanut but know he's in a great home and will be well loved!
Gatsby 16-189TD
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Posted | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 9/8/16 | Optional | Yes | Optional | Unknown | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
|
Adoption fee: $600 |
Welcome to Gatsby all the way from Turkey! This little peanut has been through a lot in his young life but is such a sweetheart that just wants to be loved. Gatsby is estimated at about 8 months old and is very small at 28#. The poor little guy was rescued from a shelter in Izmir when he was very sick. He spent a couple days in a private veterinary hospital on IV fluids for severe dehydration, diarrhea, and emaciation. He arrived in America still a bit thin and unfortunately, with fleas. He has been successfully treated for fleas at this time.
Gatsby had his first vet visit yesterday and is an overall healthy boy. He is neutered already and besides a booster in 3 weeks for a vaccine, is all up to date and microchipped. We are waiting for the results on his heartworm and tick-borne disease tests. He does have a small sore on his elbow that we are keeping an eye on to make sure it wasn't an abscess. I had shaved it over the weekend for easier cleaning and I think it looks better already.
Gatsby picks up on stuff very fast and responds well to praise and treats. Because he is on the thinner side, I've been feeding him smaller meals but multiple times a day. He now runs right to his crate when coming in from outside because he knows he'll either get treats or a meal! He's quiet in his crate and hasn't had any accidents, good boy! Some of the other dogs he traveled with were having some stomach problems with bad diarrhea and vomiting. Gatsby hasn't had any diarrhea and has only vomited twice after drinking water too fast.He has already learned how great tennis balls are and is a natural retriever that will bring the ball back to be thrown again. He also loves rolling in the grass and chewing sticks :)
Because he had fleas, I haven't had him around my resident dogs to look for any resource guarding he may do but will do introductions tonight. I do not have cats but he does chase squirrels and anything that moves outside so may have a higher prey drive. Gatsby can be pretty nervous or skittish with fast movements or loud noises but recovers quickly. For this reason, my initial thought is that a home with older kids may be better but that could change, I've only had him a couple days. He has quite a bit of tartar and gingivitis on his teeth for a young pup but I'm not surprised as a staple in diet in Turkey is bread so he hasn't had anything to cause friction from chewing to clean them. I may try to brush his teeth in the next couple days; if it's as easy as his nail trim, it'll be a piece of cake. He kind of becomes a limp noodle and did it for his exam at the vet too! He just wants to be petted and any attention is good attention, even when it involves poking and prodding by the vet :)
I'll update more once I get to know the little nugget but he will make some lucky family extremely happy, I can tell already! Gatsby will be at Goldzilla on Sunday , feel free to come meet the sweetest pup there!
At a Glance #16-189TD
| Golden Retriever | Born: January 2016 |
| Male | Weight not specified |
Status: Adopted
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Posted | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 9/8/16 | Optional | Yes | Optional | Unknown | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
|
Adoption fee: $600 |
Welcome to Gatsby all the way from Turkey! This little peanut has been through a lot in his young life but is such a sweetheart that just wants to be loved. Gatsby is estimated at about 8 months old and is very small at 28#. The poor little guy was rescued from a shelter in Izmir when he was very sick. He spent a couple days in a private veterinary hospital on IV fluids for severe dehydration, diarrhea, and emaciation. He arrived in America still a bit thin and unfortunately, with fleas. He has been successfully treated for fleas at this time.
Gatsby had his first vet visit yesterday and is an overall healthy boy. He is neutered already and besides a booster in 3 weeks for a vaccine, is all up to date and microchipped. We are waiting for the results on his heartworm and tick-borne disease tests. He does have a small sore on his elbow that we are keeping an eye on to make sure it wasn't an abscess. I had shaved it over the weekend for easier cleaning and I think it looks better already.
Gatsby picks up on stuff very fast and responds well to praise and treats. Because he is on the thinner side, I've been feeding him smaller meals but multiple times a day. He now runs right to his crate when coming in from outside because he knows he'll either get treats or a meal! He's quiet in his crate and hasn't had any accidents, good boy! Some of the other dogs he traveled with were having some stomach problems with bad diarrhea and vomiting. Gatsby hasn't had any diarrhea and has only vomited twice after drinking water too fast.He has already learned how great tennis balls are and is a natural retriever that will bring the ball back to be thrown again. He also loves rolling in the grass and chewing sticks :)
Because he had fleas, I haven't had him around my resident dogs to look for any resource guarding he may do but will do introductions tonight. I do not have cats but he does chase squirrels and anything that moves outside so may have a higher prey drive. Gatsby can be pretty nervous or skittish with fast movements or loud noises but recovers quickly. For this reason, my initial thought is that a home with older kids may be better but that could change, I've only had him a couple days. He has quite a bit of tartar and gingivitis on his teeth for a young pup but I'm not surprised as a staple in diet in Turkey is bread so he hasn't had anything to cause friction from chewing to clean them. I may try to brush his teeth in the next couple days; if it's as easy as his nail trim, it'll be a piece of cake. He kind of becomes a limp noodle and did it for his exam at the vet too! He just wants to be petted and any attention is good attention, even when it involves poking and prodding by the vet :)
I'll update more once I get to know the little nugget but he will make some lucky family extremely happy, I can tell already! Gatsby will be at Goldzilla on Sunday , feel free to come meet the sweetest pup there!
Updates
Monday, November 7, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Gatsby has been cat-tested and approved! He tried to give Thor (cat) a kiss and was more interested in all the new smells.
Gatsby is enjoying the fall weather and loves sitting outside in the leaves chewing on sticks. He is back on Rimadyl in the morning to help with his limping and it's much improved. He's also a pro at sleeping out of the kennel now and knows when it's bedtime, he tries to steal my pillow! But he looks so cute laying on it waiting for me to get under the covers then he moves and curls up right next to me. Gatsby still craves human contact but has also gotten more confident and will sometimes stay laying on the couch when I get up to go to the bathroom or grab something off the printer.
Fingers crossed for this handsome boy as he's meeting a family this weekend!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Gatsby is recovered from his elbow surgery and doing wonderful! I apologize for the delay in updates; midterms and 5 frisky pups have kept me busy J Gatsby still has a slight limp and hard play can make it more pronounced. After talking to the vet, he may always have a limp from his original injury or it could be due to inflammation from removing the pin still; only time will tell. He’s now on a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement with each meal in addition to his fish oil which he scarfs down like no problem! He has completed his course of antibiotics from the Anaplasmosis and his blood count levels are normal, yay! But Gatsby did test positive for roundworms. I was having a hard time building muscle on his small frame so we did another fecal to re-check for parasites and there were “rare” roundworm eggs found. Because Gatsby is on heartworm prevention (which should treat/prevent roundworm), I’m guessing he had it before and the heartworm preventative was possibly treating it thus only the rare eggs found. He had his first dose of Pyrantel and will need another one in about 2 weeks. Hopefully after that he’s completely healthy! He’s currently on a high protein, grain free diet and has started building muscle; he weighs 36# now and is close to his ideal weight.
Gatsby continues to do well in the house and has come a long way. He has been eating out of his crate for about a week and a half now and is doing well. He redirects so easily that if he goes towards another dog’s dish, I can just say his name and he comes and sits by me. He still can be timid but he’s such a love bug! We are still working on him not jumping and there’s been progress; I can say “off” and he sits right away, sometimes he just gets so excited he forgets to sit first J He has also slept out of his crate at night for 2 nights now with no problems. I put a baby-gate up so he can’t leave my bedroom but I don’t think he moves from my side in the night haha. He likes any kind of contact with people and even rubs on your feet if you are busy with your hands lol!
Gatsby has met many people of all ages and loves everyone. Because of his jumping and still prone to getting overwhelmed with a lot of commotion, I think kids over 5 would be best. He’s very gentle but I wouldn’t want him to accidentally knock anyone over. When he does get overwhelmed, he seeks me or another adult out and just hangs by them until things settle down. This has definitely gotten better the longer he’s been here and I’m sure will improve in his new home as well. He is a fast learner and very treat motivated; he knows “sit,” “off,” “wait,” and “come.” We are working on “stay.”
In his new home, Gatsby needs:
- someone with patience to help build his confidence and continue working on obedience. He may be older than initially thought but he’s still very much a puppy and needs soft redirection/corrections with lots of praise.
- an active family that will include him in their lives, he craves attention J It will also help keep his muscles strong.
- cats are still unknown but he would love to have a dog playmate or playdates if he’s an “only fur-child”
- a physical fence is optional; he loves his people and redirects well
In return, Gatsby promises to shower you with oodles of love, make you laugh at his silly antics, and be your best friend.
Patiently waiting to go home after his surgery
Relaxing after his surgery
Spoiled boy
Tired after a morning of hard play
Foster mom has to study so I make her pet me with her feet!
Sleeping while waiting for a blood draw
Puppy playdate!
Helping foster mom study!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Gatsby continues to do well and has adjusted to life in a house very well. He is definitely a Velcro boy and follows me wherever I go. Gatsby has met dogs as small as 8# and his favorite playmate is my Saint Bernard puppy, Hugo, who is 127#! He loves playing hard and a bit rough and then crashes on the couch or in my lap! He has not had any accidents in the house and though I watch closely, I would say he’s housetrained. He doesn’t really let me know he has to go outside yet. We are working on “sit” and he walks well on a Gentle Leader (pulls without one).
Gatsby had a great time at Goldzilla and met many people, all friends of course! He loves people of all ages and is great with children. We are working on him sitting for attention rather than jumping. Though he is small and gentle, I would recommend a home with kids 5 and up because of the jumping and also because he will get overwhelmed when there’s a lot of noise or commotion going on. When this happens, Gatsby will seek me out and stay with me until the commotion stops. He is afraid of the vacuum, lawn mower, and leaf blower due to the noise. I believe a fence would be best for Gatsby because of his sensitivity to noise and he LOVES chasing squirrels.
He is extremely food motivated and will counter-surf if given the opportunity. I keep my counters clear but he has put his paws up there to check it out. He is easily redirected and will respond to “down.” He will also get into the garbage if given the chance. My kitchen garbage locks but I gate my bathroom off as he will sneak Kleenexes out of there. Gatsby will also grab shoes or rugs to chew on despite having many toys/bones to play with so he’s not left out when unsupervised. He crates easily with a treat and is crated when I’m gone, overnight, and when he’s eating. I’m going to try feeding him out of his kennel but he scarfs it down and I think he’ll try to steal the other dogs’ food. He has minor resource guarding with high value bones but again, is easily redirected. He shares toys just fine and is a bit of a hoarder. The other night we had a fire and I have a big bin of tennis balls in my garage; by the end of the night, Gatsby had 12 tennis balls in his favorite spot to lay outside!!
Gatsby tested positive for a tick-borne disease called Anaplasmosis. His platelet count was low so he is on Doxycycline once daily for a month. I just put it in his food and he eats it happily. I have also started him on fish oil which he thinks is delicious! We were also watching Gatsby’s left elbow because of a sore on it. He began limping so x-rays were taken. It was discovered that Gatsby has previously had surgery on both elbows, possibly due to a being hit by a car, and has a pin in his right elbow and both a pin and a plate in his left elbow. It appears the pin is extending outside of the joint in his left elbow which is causing the sore and limp. Gatsby will be having surgery on Monday to remove this pin. The x-rays also showed that his growth plates are fully closed so we are now estimating his age at a year to a year and a half. He’s put on a few pounds and is now about 34#; I don’t think he’ll get much bigger so he is quite a peanut! Though he has put on weight, he seems to still have low muscle mass so I’m going to start doing some strengthening exercises with him.
Gatsby is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met! In his home, I think he needs:
- someone to continue obedience training with him as he’s still very much a puppy
- a fenced yard for his safety (I think he could be trained to an invisible fence)
- another dog is optional; he loves playing but would be fine being an only dog that gets all the lovin’
- daily exercise to continue building up his muscles and as an outlet for his puppy energy
- someone with patience; Gatsby is sensitive because of his past and requires gentle/soft redirections and lots of praise
- I have not had him around cats but could test him if needed
I will update again soon following Gatsby’s surgery!
