Abby (Niki 07-661)

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Sponsored by:

Ken and Barb Kostial

Pat and Paul Forsman and RAGOM dogs Cody and Teddy

 

Niki came to RAGOM because an older MN man knew he was over his head as a Back Yard Breeder. Niki actually came into RAGOM last Sunday afternoon and a wonderful volunteer took her home. During our in-take Diane and I knew that poor Niki was in trouble. She is a very small Golden in a very FAT body. Niki weighed in at 80 pounds and should be more like 45. She is so large she was not able to get up or walk on her hind legs so she would scoot using her front legs to pull her. To make matters worse, she has so much fat that her eyes are almost completely covered so she can not see. That first night Diane (original foster) knew that Niki was going to need some real help to get her through this first phase of her new Golden Life!

Diane brought Niki to the vet on Monday and found there were many issues that needed to be looked at. By far the most pressing was to manage her pain. Dr G. got her started on some Rimadyl and did several x-rays on the back legs to see if they could figure out what was going on and to find out why Niki was not getting up and walking. As of Friday we still do not have as many answers as we would like, but Niki is a little more comfortable and is able to pick her back end up with help and walk a few steps. She still can not go potty without someone helping her, but she is getting better.

Niki came home with us this afternoon and as you can imagine she is a little scared, a little worried, and wondering what is going on. We will take the next few days very slow with her and get her to see an orthopedic surgeon within the next few days. Her appointment with Dr. R. will be to look at her back hips and knees. We heard that she will possibly need surgery to repair her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which is when a tear happens that makes the joint unstable and the femur and tibia can move back and forth across each other and thus create a lot of pain. If it is her ACL, Niki will be restricted to the amount of exercise she can do. Also she will need to get to normal body weight. Once these happen then we will be able to see if she will have any long term effects which could be degenerative joint disease.

Niki already tries to follow the girls around and plays with toys. She seems to seek us out even if she has to scoot to get to us. I can tell she will lose weight quickly for the first couple weeks, but we will be very careful that it is not too much. Oh yes and Niki got her first bath already! Oh the most amazing thing in all of this is Niki’s legs are only 12 inches long and she is around 12 inches wide too! She is like a little box, no wonder the poor girl has a tough time walking!

So take at a look at our big girl and watch her become the shrinking Golden to her appropriate weight. It will be slow going, but it will definitely happen. Feel free to send Niki all your best wishes!

   
 

At a Glance #07-661

Golden Retriever Born: November 2003
Female Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:

Ken and Barb Kostial

Pat and Paul Forsman and RAGOM dogs Cody and Teddy

 

Niki came to RAGOM because an older MN man knew he was over his head as a Back Yard Breeder. Niki actually came into RAGOM last Sunday afternoon and a wonderful volunteer took her home. During our in-take Diane and I knew that poor Niki was in trouble. She is a very small Golden in a very FAT body. Niki weighed in at 80 pounds and should be more like 45. She is so large she was not able to get up or walk on her hind legs so she would scoot using her front legs to pull her. To make matters worse, she has so much fat that her eyes are almost completely covered so she can not see. That first night Diane (original foster) knew that Niki was going to need some real help to get her through this first phase of her new Golden Life!

Diane brought Niki to the vet on Monday and found there were many issues that needed to be looked at. By far the most pressing was to manage her pain. Dr G. got her started on some Rimadyl and did several x-rays on the back legs to see if they could figure out what was going on and to find out why Niki was not getting up and walking. As of Friday we still do not have as many answers as we would like, but Niki is a little more comfortable and is able to pick her back end up with help and walk a few steps. She still can not go potty without someone helping her, but she is getting better.

Niki came home with us this afternoon and as you can imagine she is a little scared, a little worried, and wondering what is going on. We will take the next few days very slow with her and get her to see an orthopedic surgeon within the next few days. Her appointment with Dr. R. will be to look at her back hips and knees. We heard that she will possibly need surgery to repair her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which is when a tear happens that makes the joint unstable and the femur and tibia can move back and forth across each other and thus create a lot of pain. If it is her ACL, Niki will be restricted to the amount of exercise she can do. Also she will need to get to normal body weight. Once these happen then we will be able to see if she will have any long term effects which could be degenerative joint disease.

Niki already tries to follow the girls around and plays with toys. She seems to seek us out even if she has to scoot to get to us. I can tell she will lose weight quickly for the first couple weeks, but we will be very careful that it is not too much. Oh yes and Niki got her first bath already! Oh the most amazing thing in all of this is Niki’s legs are only 12 inches long and she is around 12 inches wide too! She is like a little box, no wonder the poor girl has a tough time walking!

So take at a look at our big girl and watch her become the shrinking Golden to her appropriate weight. It will be slow going, but it will definitely happen. Feel free to send Niki all your best wishes!

   
 

Updates

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Hi Everyone! Abby here. I'm going to write a quick update here because I know you're interested in how I'm doing. I am doing great! Last weekend, foster mom took me to my forever mom's house to do a meet and greet with my new fur-sibs. First of all, my forever mom hardly knew who I was - I'm only about half the size I was when I came in to RAGOM. Yep, slim and trim Abby - Abbs for short, cause I have Abbs now - get it?

So, we went into the house and my forever mom showed me the great big round bed that she bought me. I hopped right up on it and made myself at home - I'm not shy. Then, my forever mom showed me a basket full of stuffies. Foster mom was worried because I like to chew up stuffies. My forever mom told foster mom not to worry and the two of them went into the kitchen to have coffee and discuss current events. After a while, foster mom thought it might be a little too quiet and they should check on me. There I was, sound to sleep - most likely snoring, with all the stuffies I could find gathered around me. My forever mom thought that was the cutest thing, and foster mom was in shock. Do you think either of them had a camera handy - NOT! Anyway, I'm moving to my forever home on May 4 and I know I'm really going to like it there. I'm going to have a senior fur-sister that thought I was OK, and a 4 year old fur-sister that didn't quite appreciate my charm. That's OK, I still have a paw full of tricks - I'll win her over in no time :)

Today was the nicest day ever - nearly 70 degrees outside. I spent nearly the whole day outside helping foster mom with yardwork. Foster mom took a picture of me working in the yard - she was so very proud of how helpful I am.

Gotta run - I have to make sure Sophie doesn't take my bed again. Our beds are right next to each other. Sometimes Sophie lays in my bed. Being the kind, sweet gal I am, I don't say a word - I just sit and stare at her. Foster mom won't go to bed until I'm tucked in and I won't go to sleep until I'm in my own bed, so foster mom has to intervene and have Sophie move over so I can sleep in my own bed. Sophie is old enough to know better than to pull those shenanigans...

TTFN. Abbs

 
Abby gardening...

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Just a quick update on Abby and some new pics.....

Check out Abby's slim and trim tummy - no more fluid build up!! Abby is doing so well. She's more motivated and is moving about more freely. She still likes her naps, but I don't have to drag her out of bed anymore :) And, for the second night in a row, Abby hasn't peeped in the night, so foster mom is able to sleep all the way through! :)

I removed Abby's stitches yesterday and my girl slept (snored actually) through all of my poking and prodding. She's some laid back kind of gal!

Each day gets better and more comfortable for Abby and I know she's very thankful for her sponsors and all the RAGOM angels who are helping her live that Golden life!

Abby's adoption will likely become formal at the end of April....

Abby sends many tail wags your way!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Hi! Attached are pictures as promised. I'm still a little swollen, but you can see that I'm slimming down quite nicely. And, boy, do I like to walk around now. I walked to the mailbox with foster mom and Emma (Emma likes to bring the newspaper to dad) and when I saw Emma fly by with the newspaper in her mouth, I grabbed it and ran the rest of the way to the house and dropped it by the front door. Emma usually brings it right to dad (hey, it was my first time, give me a break). If you could've seen the look of panic on foster mom's face when she saw me running, oh my gosh! I'm supposed to stay quiet for a few days. If that wasn't enough, foster dad caught me walking up a flight of stairs - YIKES! Last time I was up in the family room, foster dad carried me cause no one thought I knew how to climb stairs!!! And, I've never tried to climb them by myself. So, foster dad marched me back down the stairs and darned if I didn't turn around and start right back up (there was a little Yorkie dog upstairs that I was sure needed "mothering"). So, up went the baby gate, and that was the end of my climbing experience - for now anyway....

The picture of me all covered up is all about foster mom worrying about me getting cold since so much of my fur is shaved off. So, I get on my bed and she covers me up and tucks me in. I stay real quiet and go right to sleep.

Gotta run, it's supper time! Abby

   
   

Monday, February 4, 2008

Hi Everyone! It's me, Pumpkin. Just thought I'd check in with a couple of pictures of me. Foster mom said that I should show you how good I'm doing on my diet - and it shows!!! Then she said that pictures really do put 5-10 pounds on a gal, so I really do look slimmer than my pictures show :) I'm getting all ready for my Spa and Spay appointment next week - I'm going to ask if they can sneak a tummy tuck in there too - I can hardly wait! I'll check in with you next Thursday, OK? Please keep your paws crossed that all goes well. I have no doubts - I just like the thought that you'll be thinking of me :)

P.S. Check out my foster sister, Sophie 07-437! She's very nice to me :)

   
 

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Pumpkin is doing fine and finally getting up and moving around. For the first time ever she met me at the door on Friday afternoon. The really bad part of this is all the dogs come running and so I have to worry about her safety. So I have to get all the big girls away from her to visit with her and thank her for coming to welcome me home.

Cindee, our daughter, took out Pumpkin's stitches and so she is stitch free now – however she is still licking so we may have to keep wearing the cone.

Pumpkin has decided to make an appearance at the Petco event in Burnsville on Saturday, January 12th, for all her followers and potential adopted parents. It will be fun to see everyone and then you will be able to see just how much weight she has lost – at least I hope we are losing again!

See you on Saturday – Pumpkin (the golden dog in the picture) and Hope 07-661 (the black dog) will both be at Petco!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Niki is doing great. We took the cast off last night and she is much more comfortable. She has to wear a wonderful cone around her head when we are not watching her because she wants to lick and pull at her stitches. For the next week she is not supposed to walk without assistance, but already she proved us wrong. She came in from outside and went to the first bed available for a nap. Next thing we know she is walking over to her bed. I just about jumped out of my skin. But she was fine and was wondering what the big deal was. So I asked her nicely to let us know when she wants to move.

We still have not gone number two, now I am worried, I called the vet and she will need to be seen tomorrow if the Metamucil does not work today or tonight. Niki has someone interested in her so we will try to get the home visit done to meet the family. She is pretty excited that someone would actually see how wonderful she really is.

We had friends over and they could not believe how much weight Pumpkin has lost. They commented on being able to see her eyes more clearly and also her neck area is not so “thick”. I was so happy to hear someone else could notice the loss. So keep Pumpkin in your thoughts, she has definitely started to heal.

By the way, the other picture is what we do when we head down the driveway for our walks – yep she sleeps when we go down, quick power nap!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Hello Sponsors and fellow Pumpkin Followers:

I just wanted to give you a quick update on Pumpkin, her first night at home went fairly well, last night however was a tough night. I am not sure she was in much pain except for the fact that she desperately needs to go number 2 if you know what I mean. I know, too much information! But what can I say. So today, we started her therapy. Three times a day we will wheel her in the wagon to the end of the back driveway and have her walk around for 5 to 10 minutes. This morning she did great and in fact decided she was going to make it up the drive way on her own. So we let her, now she is passed out! Unfortunately she still did not do a number 2, but maybe at her 2:00 walk or 8:00 walk.

Tomorrow afternoon the cast and the patch will come off. I will send a picture of that. But wanted to show you a picture of our girl who has definitely started the losing process in the weight!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Niki is safe at home and sleeping well. We picked her up from the vet hospital at 3:30, it took us about an hour to get through all the instruction, I wish I had a tape recorder because I know tomorrow I will be calling back! Niki refused to potty for them, she did not want any part of being by them. As soon as she was coming out the door she saw Rick and I and her tail just started a wagging. She was positive she was going to go home. She settled into her Rescue Wagon and off we went to the car, she thought she was in heaven!

We got to the car and drove home and back in the wagon so we could bring her out to potty, we barely made it out of the wagon and she started going and going and going. She got in the house and received kisses from everyone and she gave out kisses too. We told Pumpkin she had to lie down and be very still, but just for today.

She drank lots of water, has gone out potty yet another time (which is close to a 15 minute ordeal) and now she is sound to sleep. Pumpkin has this lovely Purple cast on but only for a few days and than we will take it off so she can start using that leg more. For now we just want to keep it dry so we can keep it on as long as possible.

Pumpkin is such a wonderful little girl, I can not wait until she meets that special family for her.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Niki continues to do well and is looking forward to lots of dog bones after her surgery on Wednesday. I promised if she was real good she would be able to have one even though she is on a strict diet! We ran into a few problems the past couple of days with her walking, she is back to scooting more than walking so we added a new pain med in the morning to see if that would help her a bit.

Niki loves her foster sister Hope (07-694). Hope seems to like Pumpkin too because she will lie next to Hope and clean her like Hope is her puppy. It’s really cute. In the picture below Pumpkin has her arm around Hope.

I also have included a picture of Pumpkin and Coal. I won’t do another update until Wednesday night to let everyone know how her surgery went. Please everyone keep us in your thoughts and remember you can meet this girl to see if she is the one you were meant to be with. Contact Placementatragom [dot] org and ask to meet Niki…


Niki and Hope (07-694)


Niki and Coal

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Pumpkin is still doing well. We were hoping she would have her surgery at least scheduled by now, but I still have not heard a thing. The waiting is the hardest part. I just wish things could happen, I really was hoping for her first ACL surgery to take place before Christmas.

Other than that, Pumpkin has never had an accident in the house, she is now walking out with the big girls three or four times a day, I have included a couple of pictures to actually prove she is moving. Pumpkin moves really slow, but she is moving and I think that is the best Christmas gift we could have asked for.

Pumpkin still has problems sleeping at night. However, she is only getting up 3 times a night now. I now just go and pet her when she wakes up and let her know she is fine. That way she lies down and goes back to sleep. Usually at 2:30 she won’t settle down because she has to go potty. So we get up and potty and than head back to bed. Around 5:00 she wants to make sure we are still around so she will get up and do her little cry and bark. I go over, pet her and she lays right down and goes to sleep until 8, then we make her get out of bed since everyone else has been up since 6.

Yesterday Rick went out during the day and so Pumpkin and crew were all by themselves. When Rick came home Pumpkin was waiting at the door for him. Rick thought that was the most perfect gift she could have given him. He said that she just sat there wagging her tail. Of course he was so worried about the Newfs stepping on her, but he said he just protected her from the big feet and everything was okay.

Anyhow here are a couple new pictures of Pumpkin – Sophee and Pumpkin are laying on the bed, Sophee is the light, thin one and Pumpkin is the red, heavy one! The other two pictures are her walking around in back. You can tell her back legs are a little malformed, but they will get better after the surgery.

   

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Niki had her orthopedic appointment today. The good news is the left hip is not bad and the right hip is good. So no surgery there. Now the bad news, both knees are shot so she needs to have 2 ACL surgeries - poor girl. So we are trying to get one scheduled before Christmas if at all possible. Then the second one will be 4 to 6 weeks after that and then 3 weeks after that she can have her spay done. Oh my, that is a lot of surgery in a short amount of time!

She only lost a pound in 1 week, and I know we should be happy with that but no one was. So the poor girl is going to cut back her food even more. Now we are going down to 1 - 1/2 cups of food a day. 1 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup at night.

We are hoping that once we get one knee fixed she will be able to start moving around a little better and thus start burning some calories. But until she can burn some calories she is NOT going to lose any weight. We are doing an extensive blood work-up too, just to make sure the thyroid is not causing her weight issues.

We got the Rescue Transport cart done - now isn't that cute? It even has a tail! I like it and thank you hubby for making my life so easy! Now if you could only rig something up that would put her in the cart so I did not have to.

See you at Petco in Maple Grove on Saturday, December 15th. Pumpkin will be the heavy dog, trust me, you can not miss her. She will be there from 11 to 12:30 or 1.

   
 

Monday, December 10, 2007

Pumpkin had a tough night last night and that led to foster mom and dad having a tough night. Pumpkin cried every 20 minutes, well, cried and then barked. Once we would check on her she would settle down for 20 minutes or so. I brought her out a few times and I think she may be constipated, because she would act like she had to go, but could not. I also am pretty sure she is NOT drinking enough.

We will bring Pumpkin to the vet tomorrow so be ready for a new update on what the orthopedic surgeon has to say. In the meantime, Pumpkin is getting along a little better, she still would rather scoot than walk, but we won’t let her do that. Once she is up though, she can go on her own so that is a good sign.

Keep us in your thoughts tomorrow. Just a couple of pictures of Pumpkin sleeping – the one you can see the rolls on her face. The other one is of Sophee Bear and Pumpkin. Sophee is 25 pounds lighter than Pumpkin and 1 foot taller! Tomorrow you will see pictures of her in her New Rescue Transportation Cart that Rick just had to buy and customize just for her!

   
 

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Niki AKA Pumpkin (it’s better than piglet or butterball) had a wonderful night. We had company over and they were in complete shock of our little, sorry big pumpkin. She is a great dog, but very overweight. She seems to be potty trained, she barks once and sits up, we then go and help her up and use the sling to keep her stable until she gets outside and off she goes potty. Currently we are keeping her in a very controlled area. Rick made the mistake of letting her out with the resident dogs and she ended clear out in the back yard and could not get back – so off we went to carry her home. NOT fun, add 80 pounds, 12 inches of snow and a hill! This is a recipe for more than one heart attack.

Our friends said they have a cart we can use to help haul her around in, so if she decides to wander in the way back, we go get the cart; for our doctor appointments, we get the cart and we are able to move her much easier than trying to carry her. Don’t get me wrong, she is getting PLENTY of exercise. She loves the dogs and follows them, we refuse to let her scoot like she would like to, so we are also doing a lot more walking and lifting. Finally... an exercise program I can stick with!

Pumpkin loves to be with the other dogs or by people. If she feels left out, she will do her one short bark and cry. She loves Grandma Coal the Newfoundland (that is the black dog in the pic). Coal is taking great care of Pumpkin and staying by her side when she needs someone to help her through any pain and difficult situations. Sophee the golden light Rescue is a little jealous because she does not always get to lie next to Coal's tummy, the warmest place in the house! Mistee Bubbles, the other rescue Newf, is a little unsure of this wobbling dog.

From the picture of Coal and Pumpkin, you can see how small she is in stature, but wider than a NEWF! Now how wrong is that? I also added the true picture of how overweight Pumpkin is. I know it is a little disturbing, but trust me; she is on a good stable diet and a great exercise program here. Within a few months she will be ready to gitty up and go with the other girls.

Pumpkin is looking for her forever home. She may not be ready to go there for a few months, but she can still find her forever home. How great would it be to know you have a family waiting just for you when she is done at the Newfy and Golden Spa? If you are interested in our Pumpkin, please send placement an e-mail at placementatragom [dot] org .

By the way, YES, she will be at Petco in Maple Grove on Saturday, December 15th, from 11 to 1, so please feel free to come and visit her!