Linus 03-022

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Sponsored by:

 Paul and Mary T.
"Linus, you may be 'one hot mess,' but you are soooooo loved! Please get well soon! Welcome to RAGOM!"

Tuesday, 7/9/2013:

Once a RAGOM dog, ALWAYS a RAGOM dog. Linus was adopted as a young pup, and has found his way back to rescue as an 11-year-old senior boy. Linus was surrendered because his family was unable to provide proper and necessary medical care for him, and he was in desperate need of care. We are thankful they chose to do the right thing for this sweet boy and let us help him! I can promise that he is in good hands, and is receiving loads of love.

When I first saw Linus, I immediately melted. He has the sweetest, most adorable face! My attention immediately shifted to a very large, external mass on his abdomen. Softball-sized and angry-looking, it was clear this needed immediate attention. He was unable to lay down comfortably and was chewing on it, a sign of obvious discomfort. He also had an abcess on his tail that was full of dried blood. Along with these things, his ears were very dirty, his toenails were so long he was having trouble walking, and his eyes were full of green discharge. However, he still greeted me with a wagging tail! What a boy!

We made our way to the vet a few hours after his arrival to get a handle on what needed to be addressed and to begin on the road to help Linus feel good again. The doctor suggested removal of the abdominal mass as soon as possible, his tail area was shaved and the wound cleaned (it was so bad that dead maggots were found when cleaning the area), both ears were examined and found to be infected, he had severe dental disease, he was also diagnosed with dry eye, a condition in which the eyes do not produce tears and the eyes lack moisture and become very irritated. His dry eye is severe, and he suffered substantial vision loss due to his lack of treatment. The good news, his blood work came back looking good and his heartworm test was negative. :) Yay!

We scheduled the mass removal and dental cleaning for the next day, and left the vet with antibiotics, 2 eye medications, ear medication, and some pain medication! We arrived back home, and Linus found a soft dog bed he liked. :) I told him that everything was going to be okay, and that I already loved him and would do everything in my power to help him feel better.

Wednesday, 7/10/2013:

I dropped Linus off at the vet at 8:00 am for his surgery. He reluctantly went into the back, and I got teary-eyed saying goodbye. I knew he was in great hands, but couldn't wait to bring him back home! The vet called me in the afternoon to let me know that surgery to remove the mass was successful. They were able to get the entire thing with clean margins. The tumor was very vascular and required an extensive removal of skin, so his incision has quite a bit of tension on it. This means he is on strict rest (he's happy to oblige). His teeth were cleaned, and his tail absess cleaned and drained. While he was under anesthesia, the extensive matting behind his ears was also addressed. The hair had formed baseball-sized mats, and they were so heavy and so tightly adhered to the skin, one side was successfully shaved, the other while being shaved revealed an open wound caused by the extent of the matting. This was cleaned, clipped, and sutured closed.

I picked Linus up last night and brought him home (we stopped at Dairy Queen for a little ice cream treat, but he wasn't interested ... yet!). He ate a small meal and took his medicine and rested well all evening.

Thursday, 7/11/2013:

Linus has some pep in his step today! :) He is eating with gusto and taking his meds like a champ. He is so tolerant of me cleaning and medicating his eyes and ears, I think he knows it will help him feel better. Because the dry eye condition went untreated for far too long, he has VERY limited vision. He can probably only see shadows. He navigates our house just fine, though, and even (slowly) does the stairs without a problem.

Linus is an amazing and truly special dog. Even though he had to endure pain and neglect, which no animal deserves, it didn't break his spirit or his ability to love. Only good things for Linus from now on. He's an angel boy who is learning all about what it means to be spoiled and loved like crazy! Please keep him in your thoughts as he continues on his road to recovery! More updates and pictures soon. Prepare to fall in love...

 

At a Glance #03-022

Golden Retriever Born: October 2002
Male 80 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:

 Paul and Mary T.
"Linus, you may be 'one hot mess,' but you are soooooo loved! Please get well soon! Welcome to RAGOM!"

Tuesday, 7/9/2013:

Once a RAGOM dog, ALWAYS a RAGOM dog. Linus was adopted as a young pup, and has found his way back to rescue as an 11-year-old senior boy. Linus was surrendered because his family was unable to provide proper and necessary medical care for him, and he was in desperate need of care. We are thankful they chose to do the right thing for this sweet boy and let us help him! I can promise that he is in good hands, and is receiving loads of love.

When I first saw Linus, I immediately melted. He has the sweetest, most adorable face! My attention immediately shifted to a very large, external mass on his abdomen. Softball-sized and angry-looking, it was clear this needed immediate attention. He was unable to lay down comfortably and was chewing on it, a sign of obvious discomfort. He also had an abcess on his tail that was full of dried blood. Along with these things, his ears were very dirty, his toenails were so long he was having trouble walking, and his eyes were full of green discharge. However, he still greeted me with a wagging tail! What a boy!

We made our way to the vet a few hours after his arrival to get a handle on what needed to be addressed and to begin on the road to help Linus feel good again. The doctor suggested removal of the abdominal mass as soon as possible, his tail area was shaved and the wound cleaned (it was so bad that dead maggots were found when cleaning the area), both ears were examined and found to be infected, he had severe dental disease, he was also diagnosed with dry eye, a condition in which the eyes do not produce tears and the eyes lack moisture and become very irritated. His dry eye is severe, and he suffered substantial vision loss due to his lack of treatment. The good news, his blood work came back looking good and his heartworm test was negative. :) Yay!

We scheduled the mass removal and dental cleaning for the next day, and left the vet with antibiotics, 2 eye medications, ear medication, and some pain medication! We arrived back home, and Linus found a soft dog bed he liked. :) I told him that everything was going to be okay, and that I already loved him and would do everything in my power to help him feel better.

Wednesday, 7/10/2013:

I dropped Linus off at the vet at 8:00 am for his surgery. He reluctantly went into the back, and I got teary-eyed saying goodbye. I knew he was in great hands, but couldn't wait to bring him back home! The vet called me in the afternoon to let me know that surgery to remove the mass was successful. They were able to get the entire thing with clean margins. The tumor was very vascular and required an extensive removal of skin, so his incision has quite a bit of tension on it. This means he is on strict rest (he's happy to oblige). His teeth were cleaned, and his tail absess cleaned and drained. While he was under anesthesia, the extensive matting behind his ears was also addressed. The hair had formed baseball-sized mats, and they were so heavy and so tightly adhered to the skin, one side was successfully shaved, the other while being shaved revealed an open wound caused by the extent of the matting. This was cleaned, clipped, and sutured closed.

I picked Linus up last night and brought him home (we stopped at Dairy Queen for a little ice cream treat, but he wasn't interested ... yet!). He ate a small meal and took his medicine and rested well all evening.

Thursday, 7/11/2013:

Linus has some pep in his step today! :) He is eating with gusto and taking his meds like a champ. He is so tolerant of me cleaning and medicating his eyes and ears, I think he knows it will help him feel better. Because the dry eye condition went untreated for far too long, he has VERY limited vision. He can probably only see shadows. He navigates our house just fine, though, and even (slowly) does the stairs without a problem.

Linus is an amazing and truly special dog. Even though he had to endure pain and neglect, which no animal deserves, it didn't break his spirit or his ability to love. Only good things for Linus from now on. He's an angel boy who is learning all about what it means to be spoiled and loved like crazy! Please keep him in your thoughts as he continues on his road to recovery! More updates and pictures soon. Prepare to fall in love...

 

Updates

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

 

We are broken hearted to share that our boy, Linus left us suddenly on Sunday morning. I awoke to find Linus in the hallway outside of our bedroom (normally he is curled up next to my side of the bed) he slowly got up when I called him to go outside, and I instantly got a pit in my stomach. He normally hopped up and down with excitement in the morning (he knew breakfast was near... food was his FAVORITE). He went outside, did his business came in and collapsed to the floor. I filled his food bowl, hoping and praying that he would gobble it down. He didn't even lift his head. We headed to the clinic and there they confirmed my worst fear, we were losing him. He had a bleeding mass on his spleen that was almost certainly cancer and his abdomen was filled with blood. After soul searching, looking into his eyes and many tears the decision was made to help send him to heaven. It still feels raw and our home seems empty without him.

Linus was an extremely special boy. He loved everybody and every single thing he ever had the pleasure of meeting. He wrestled with our tiny kitten and our 6-year-old Golden every morning, he cleaned up after our messy baby boy (applesauce was his favorite), he was gentle and patient with out 4 year-old son at all times and they became buddies, he was my shadow and most often was either at my feet or resting his head in my lap, he even won my husband over in record time! Special doesn't even begin to describe him. He was brave. He came from a horrible situation of neglect yet he met me with a wagging tail, a kind and trusting eye and a love-filled heart. He was loyal and gentle, the first with a nose nudge and a quick kiss on a bad day. He was feisty and had a puppy-like spirit that always put a smile on every one's face. He was kind to all creatures great and small. If Linus was a person, I would want to be just like him. In fact, I learned so much from him. He never lost faith that there were good, kind people in the world. He gave fully to the people who loved him even though he had been hurt. He wagged his tail and made friends wherever he went. Linus was more than special, and now he is gone and it breaks my heart.

I am so thankful to have had 6 months with him. I am so thankful that he came into my life, that he became part of our family and that he let me love him and loved me back. I am thankful that I took so many pictures of him. I am thankful that when it was time to say goodbye he left this world with his head in my lap and the last words he heard were "I love you".

Thank you RAGOM for allowing us to foster and adopt one of the most wonderful dogs I will ever know. Goodbye Linus, run free and say Hi to our boys: Mr. Chips and Andy that you have joined at the bridge. We have three very special angels and are truly the lucky ones.

All of our love, sweet boy.

Your family: Christy, Joe, Maxwell, Bennett (and the "girls" Bella, Gracie, Tini and Olive)

 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Linus. He melted my heart before I even met him. Reading about him on the RAGOM "foster plea" (a daily email sent out to all active fosters detailing the dogs that are in need of a foster home).... was all I needed. Somehow I knew I would love him. I am a senior dog fan. It is no secret that a white face is the key to my heart. Linus is certainly no exception! He came to us on a rainy summer day and was in such horrible shape, it broke my heart and then I fell in love. Fast! We worked (with the help of RAGOM!) to bring him back to health. He had surgery, received treatment for his eye condition, had his teeth cleaned, and through it all remained thankful, sweet, and happy.

When December came, it was time to make a decision... continue to keep Linus up for adoption, or adopt him ourselves. It is not a huge surprise which decision was made. Linus is home. He always has been and he always will be.

Once again, we thank RAGOM for giving us such a wonderful gift. Linus is the kind of Golden Retriever that is a constant reminder of why we love this breed. He is loyal, gentle, playful, obedient, diplomatic, and ever so adorable! I cannot think of a more deserving dog to be given a second chance. I am forever grateful that he found his way back to RAGOM, that we became his foster family and that we were able to tell him he's home, sweet home.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Sweet Mr. Linus is doing GREAT! I apologize for the delay in updates... truth be told he fits in so well here I sometimes forget he's a foster dog. :)

Linus loves life! He is always happy and wagging his tail and his favorite pastimes are laying curled up at your feet, getting belly rubs (or anywhere rubs!), eating, and playing (especially with puppies!). It's true, Linus LOVES puppies! He wrestles and plays with them whenever he has been given the chance. At a recent RAGOM event, he had everyone laughing as he wrestled and played with a dog 10 years his junior! Here he settles for our 6-year-old Golden girl, Gracie. :) They continue to have a mini wrestle-mania every morning. It never ceases to put a huge smile on my face.


Linus and Gracie playing


Linus sits politely for his eye medications each and every day and lets me flush his eyes out with not a single fuss. Although it adds a little extra time to your day to manage his condition, it is a breeze because he makes it so easy. Such a good boy!

Linus is a sweet and loyal love of a boy who is just about the perfect definition of a Golden Retriever! Senior dogs rule!

  

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Sweet Linus is just wonderful. :) He is spunky and feeling GREAT! He is everything we all love about Golden Retrievers: loving, playful, go-with-the-flow, obedient, happy, tail-wagging, kiss-giving, ball of adorableness! He is a Velcro boy who is always in the same room and quite often right at our feet. He bounces up and down when we get home and loves to be loved. He sounds pretty much perfect, right? He is.

What does Linus need in his forever home?

  • LOVE and someone who loves the "Velcro" type!
  • Fenced yard - he is nearly blind and will wander (and not listen) if he is out of a fenced area. We found this out when our son didn't close the door behind him... thankfully he isn't very fast. :) He has lived all his life with a fence and he loves to wander around the yard, so for his safety and happiness we will require one in his adoptive home.
  • He is great with other dogs, but doesn't need one in his home to be happy. He does, however, wrestle with our Gracie girl (6 y/o Golden) every morning, so he would love a buddy!
  • Kids or no kids, doesn't matter to Linus! He is GREAT with our little ones, and I trust him with them 100%.
  • Someone aware of and committed to the treatment of his dry eye. His eyes need to be flushed at least 2x per day with saline to clean out the mucus that accumulates, and his eye medication Optimmune needs to be applied 2-3 times per day, and artificial tears applied 4-6 times per day. The artificial tears are cheap and can be bought over the counter, the Optimmune is approximately $60 per tube, and a tube lasts about 2 weeks. He will need this for life. However, the Optimmune may be able to be decreased in the future, to one application per day, but never completely eliminated. It just depends how his eyes continue to respond. He is perfect for his eye treatments and it is an easy part of our routine.


Linus's eyes before his morning treatment

  • He loves walks! But can only go a short distance... he loves to start out strong, but is TIRED after a mile.

This senior boy is really just awesome and we really enjoy having him around to love!


Linus is on the far right.

  

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Linus is doing just GREAT! He has fully recovered from his mass removal surgery and his sutures came out this week. :) It is amazing to see the transformation in him. It is clearly evident that he finally feels good, after feeling bad and in pain for so long. When he first came here, he was so sad and moved so slowly with his head down, and part of me was heartsick, silently wondering if he would recover, if he had a good quality of life left. Well, the answer to that is a resounding YES! He dances and prances when he sees us, or when it is time to go outside, or for a walk. It is quite adorable (as if he needs to get any MORE adorable!)... I'll have to take a video so all of his fans can see the cuteness! He loves everyone he meets and his tail wags nonstop. He is a happy and healthy boy, and that is just the greatest gift.

Linus does have a condition called dry eye, you can read more about it here.

Linus needs his eyes flushed with a saline twice a day to clear them out (morning and night), and he also needs eye lubricant (artificial tears) applied 4-6 times a day (the more the better). In addition to this, he is also receiving treatment with an ointment called Optimune, this is used to hopefully increase some tear production. It is an expensive medication, but is working. He tolerates all this eye treatment like a champ. He always gets a treat after each application, so I think he has decided it is a fair trade. :) And, I do think he knows that it helps him feel better. I feel so bad when I think of all the pain he had to endure all of the time he went without treatment. Poor guy.

It is no secret I am head over heels for this boy! He has stolen my heart, that is for sure. He's the sweetest, most appreciative and wonderful dog. He a perfect and EASY houseguest who has no "issues" whatsoever. We are happily sharing our home with him. Thanks for reading and loving Linus! And, thank you SO MUCH to his sponsors Mary and Paul T, you make it possible to take in and care for these special angels. Linus sends his love!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Linus is doing GREAT! He wants to give a big, huge THANK YOU to Mary and Paul T for sponsoring him!!! :) :) He says he loves you, and he sends tail wags and kisses your way!

We have started to see Linus' true personality shine through. It is incredible to watch him blossom as he begins to feel good again. He came here sweet, but aloof. He would just sort of sit there and not want to interact with us at all. He seemed so very sad. In less than a week, he has transformed! He follows us from room to room (unless he is napping :) ) and his tail wags all the time. He does the "Golden nose nudge" for pets and prances when he walks instead of dragging his feet with his head down. He smiles all the time and even gives kisses! He is loving being a much loved member of a family again, and we are so lucky to be his foster home.

Linus is recovering from his surgery pretty well. I have a couple of concerns to talk with the vet about tomorrow: He has had some seepage and inflammation from his incision site that is more than I would like to see. He is sporting a T-shirt to keep him from licking or scratching the area (instead of a cone, with his limited vision he would have a very hard time maneuvering with an e-collar!). The T-shirt trick is working, and he looks even more adorable, don't you think? :)

Linus felt well enough over the weekend to enjoy the ice cream I bought him the night of his surgery! I just had to capture this moment on camera once I saw his delight! Look at that tail wag each time he takes a lick. :) ADORABLE.

We are making up for lost time and loving this sweet boy up as he continues on his journey of feeling good again. Thanks to all of his fans for your love and support. Linus sends his love. :)