Murphy 17-002

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 Happy Valentine's Day, Murphy!

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:Date AvailableFenceKid FriendlyAnother DogCat Friendly2/11/2017 Not Required 12+Ok with older dogs dog/cat savvy This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

 

Please welcome Murphy to the RAGOM family. He appears to be a pure bred Golden who came to us as a stray found wandering in a St. Paul suburb. We were told by Animal Control that he was an older boy who weighed in at about 80 lbs. They were right about the “older” part as we think that he is at least 10 years old but he only weighs 55 lbs. – a little peanut!

When Murphy met our two dogs (resident dog Beau and foster dog Tank), we initially had a few problems. Beau, who is blind, got excited and accidentally ran right into him. The boys have patched up their differences and now get along well. We still have some grumbling when high value toys are out and about but we watch that pretty carefully. Murph was initially quite interested in our two old cats but never has had any problems with them.

 

Like many old dogs who come to us off the streets we have several medical issues that we have to sort out. We’re just working through them one at a time. In his first series of blood tests his electrolyte counts were off. He is scheduled for his neuter surgery next week and, if his electrolytes are still not right he will be given an ACTH Stim test to determine if he has Addison’s Disease. We understand that this is treatable with medication but Dr. Danielle doesn’t want to neuter him until she gets a handle on this.

 

Murphy also has some muscle or joint weakness in his rear end. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain but he has trouble navigating more than a couple of steps at a time and needs some help to get into the van. We have started him on Glucosamine (Glycoflex II) to see if this helps. We’ve already noticed that he able to take longer walks with the pack than when he came to us. Our house has ramps to the front door and we can set it up for one-level living so Murphy is doing fine going in and out and trotting around the house.

Finally, he has a lick granuloma on one of his rear legs. This is described as a spot that the dog starts to lick compulsively so that it gets infected. Gradually the skin turns red and thickens. Murphy does not lick the spot often which makes us think that he may have been chained up in his previous life and began licking out of frustration or boredom. The next step will be to work with our Vet to find a treatment that will soften the skin and calm everything down.

Whew! We know that this seems like a daunting list but, for us and for Murphy they are just boxes we need to tick off one at a time. Daily life for Murph is great. He runs with the pack to greet any and all callers. He loves to go on walks and sleep in front of the fireplace with the other boys. Coming home, when he knows he’ll get a treat back at the house, he will literally gallop to get back faster. Granted his gallop is equivalent to a fast walking pace for us, but it’s great to see him happily heading home with a big smile on his face.

 

Murphy is very affectionate and has mastered both the golden paw and the nose nudge to assure that you continue to pay attention to him. He has discovered that putting his nose on the computer keyboard will get him lots of attention. We found that he loves his kennel and will “kennel up” on command. One day he was being a bit of a pest for attention and we told him to knock it off or he’d have to take a “time out”. Murphy looked at us and headed right into his kennel and gave himself a 10-minute time-out! He sleeps through the night in his kennel. He is completely house trained and has had no accidents. He’s the epitome of the sweet, happy old dog. He is a light colored Golden and, with age, his entire head is turning white which gives him a wonderful, distinguished look.

 

For now we’re listing him as unavailable until we get a couple of the medical issues clarified but we hope to soon be able to make him available to potential adopters. Stay tuned!

At a Glance #17-002

Golden Retriever Born: January 2007
Male 80 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

 Happy Valentine's Day, Murphy!

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:Date AvailableFenceKid FriendlyAnother DogCat Friendly2/11/2017 Not Required 12+Ok with older dogs dog/cat savvy This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

 

Please welcome Murphy to the RAGOM family. He appears to be a pure bred Golden who came to us as a stray found wandering in a St. Paul suburb. We were told by Animal Control that he was an older boy who weighed in at about 80 lbs. They were right about the “older” part as we think that he is at least 10 years old but he only weighs 55 lbs. – a little peanut!

When Murphy met our two dogs (resident dog Beau and foster dog Tank), we initially had a few problems. Beau, who is blind, got excited and accidentally ran right into him. The boys have patched up their differences and now get along well. We still have some grumbling when high value toys are out and about but we watch that pretty carefully. Murph was initially quite interested in our two old cats but never has had any problems with them.

 

Like many old dogs who come to us off the streets we have several medical issues that we have to sort out. We’re just working through them one at a time. In his first series of blood tests his electrolyte counts were off. He is scheduled for his neuter surgery next week and, if his electrolytes are still not right he will be given an ACTH Stim test to determine if he has Addison’s Disease. We understand that this is treatable with medication but Dr. Danielle doesn’t want to neuter him until she gets a handle on this.

 

Murphy also has some muscle or joint weakness in his rear end. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain but he has trouble navigating more than a couple of steps at a time and needs some help to get into the van. We have started him on Glucosamine (Glycoflex II) to see if this helps. We’ve already noticed that he able to take longer walks with the pack than when he came to us. Our house has ramps to the front door and we can set it up for one-level living so Murphy is doing fine going in and out and trotting around the house.

Finally, he has a lick granuloma on one of his rear legs. This is described as a spot that the dog starts to lick compulsively so that it gets infected. Gradually the skin turns red and thickens. Murphy does not lick the spot often which makes us think that he may have been chained up in his previous life and began licking out of frustration or boredom. The next step will be to work with our Vet to find a treatment that will soften the skin and calm everything down.

Whew! We know that this seems like a daunting list but, for us and for Murphy they are just boxes we need to tick off one at a time. Daily life for Murph is great. He runs with the pack to greet any and all callers. He loves to go on walks and sleep in front of the fireplace with the other boys. Coming home, when he knows he’ll get a treat back at the house, he will literally gallop to get back faster. Granted his gallop is equivalent to a fast walking pace for us, but it’s great to see him happily heading home with a big smile on his face.

 

Murphy is very affectionate and has mastered both the golden paw and the nose nudge to assure that you continue to pay attention to him. He has discovered that putting his nose on the computer keyboard will get him lots of attention. We found that he loves his kennel and will “kennel up” on command. One day he was being a bit of a pest for attention and we told him to knock it off or he’d have to take a “time out”. Murphy looked at us and headed right into his kennel and gave himself a 10-minute time-out! He sleeps through the night in his kennel. He is completely house trained and has had no accidents. He’s the epitome of the sweet, happy old dog. He is a light colored Golden and, with age, his entire head is turning white which gives him a wonderful, distinguished look.

 

For now we’re listing him as unavailable until we get a couple of the medical issues clarified but we hope to soon be able to make him available to potential adopters. Stay tuned!

Updates

Monday, September 4, 2017

 

We heard from Murphy's adopters in early August that their sweet boy was diagnosed with cancer that was too far advanced for any helpful treatment. They tearfully sent him to the Rainbow Bridge that day. We were privileged to babysit Murphy once after he was adopted and we kept in frequent with them. While they were devastated by his sudden departure, they were so glad that he came into their lives. He was the perfect dog for them and they were the perfect mom and dad for him.

Run free at the Bridge Mr. Murphy.

 

Monday, March 13, 2017

Hey everybody, this is Murphy again.  Keep your fingers crossed for me as FD says that I have two people interested in making me a part of their family!  It’s not a done-deal yet because we have to meet first and all decide that we’re just right for each other.  They are in Florida for another week watching something they call Spring Training.  I don’t have a clue but FD was pretty impressed that they were doing whatever that is.

Meanwhile I’m working away back here in Minnesota.  We went into the Twin Cities on Saturday to a Meet & Greet.  It was a lot of fun.  I met a lot of dogs and ate a LOT of treats.  FM said that I really did well meeting and greeting both humans and animals.  Later this week I’m going to be working with FD to see if I can learn to use a ramp to get in and out of a car.  I’m pretty good, using a small step, at getting in and out of our van but my new family has a hatchback and I’d like to see if a ramp would work better.  FD has promised lots of treats during the training classes. 

Other than that, we’re all just having a good time, taking walks, and hanging out.  Here I am taking a snooze.  Yes, I know, I sort of look like a chipmunk in the picture but those are just my big old jowls.  I think they make me look distinctive – don’t you agree?

Murphy17002g1.jpg

Goodbye for now.  I’ll write again soon.

-Your friend Murphy

 

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Hi Everybody,

It was a great week for me! The highlight was a trip to the Vet’s office. First, I love to ride in the car. FD now has a low step that he puts in front of the side door of the van so that I can walk right up and into the van. This time all three of us boys piled into the van for the trip.

Second, and this is the big thing, I wasn’t there for surgery or anything like that. FD, FM, and foster brothers Beau and Tank were there with me to film a video telling people how much they like Dr. Jean and everyone at the Vet Clinic. Instead of all that poking and prodding, a photographer was there and took hundreds of pictures of all of us along with Dr. Jean. During the filming, we all got treats. I’ve never had so many treats in my life. It was great!

Alisha, the photographer, gave FM and FD copies of some of the best ones and I’ve picked out some of my favorites (mostly of me) to share with you. I must admit that Dr. Jean did slip one over on me though. In the midst of the treat-fest she quickly gave me my Bordetella booster shot.

  

 

I was hoping that we would hear from one of you last week saying that you would like me to join your family. I know that FD says that I’ll need a house without a lot of steps but I want to make sure that you know that that means steps coming into the house and in the main living areas. I love my kennel and I would be just fine there if you all had to go upstairs to sleep. As long as I can be with you during the day I would be a happy boy. Please let Placement know if you’d like to see if I would be a good fit for your home. You won’t be sorry!

Thanks for reading about me.

Your Friend,

Murphy

Monday, February 20, 2017

Hi Everyone, this is Murphy again.

On Monday FD and I took a long car trip into the Twin Cities. We went to a pet hospital where they looked at me to decide if I needed surgery (whatever that is) for my laryngeal paralysis. I got to wait in a warm room with a big dog bed so I curled up and took a nice nap. After Dr. Razz came into see me I was able to take a second nap. When they woke me up FD was there and said that we were going home. I guess I didn’t need the surgery after all. The best part of the trip home is that he had brought a bag of treats and he would give me some every 15 minutes on the way home. I guess that was his way of making it up to me that I missed out on breakfast this morning.

It was good news that I didn’t need surgery. The even better news is that FD says that I am ready to start looking for my forever home! I like it here but I’m ready to head out on my next adventure. I’ll let him come in here now and explain more of the details which, I must admit, are still a bit fuzzy to me. 

FD here - Mr. Murphy had an eventful week. Here’s what we understand. He does have laryngeal paralysis (click on the link in Murphy’s 2/5/17 update to learn more) but, at this point, the risks of surgery and recovery outweigh the benefits to his quality of life. There may come a time, when the hot weather and humidity of this summer hit, that he may begin to have more difficulty in getting enough oxygen into his lungs. We can talk to potential adopters about adding a clause to his adoption agreement for a re-evaluation and surgery if indicated at that point. 

Here’s what we think we know about Murphy:

 

  • No or minimal steps – We have a ramp up to our front door so Murph has no problems. We have a small box in the van that we put out for him. He can step on the box and then up into the side door of our Dodge Minivan. Anything beyond a couple of steps will cause him some problems and he’ll need a boost.
  • No small, active children. Because of the weakness in his rear quarters he is somewhat wary of being bumped into and falling down. Older kids who understand this would be just fine.
  • He is fine on wooden floors as long as he isn’t in a hurry. He does appreciate throw rugs where he can find them.
  • He doesn’t need a fenced yard. He walks great on a leash without pulling. He has very good recall. He would be fine out in your yard under supervision. Murphy loves going out for walks but his range is limited. A walk around the block with you would be just about the best thing he could imagine doing.
  • Murphy does fine with our two other senior male GR’s but we think that he would absolutely shine as an only dog. He’d love to be the center of your life. A young, active dog who wanted to play would not be his favorite thing.
  • Murphy loves his kennel. It truly is just about his favorite place to be. He sleeps quietly through the night there and will take a “time-out” there if he’s been told that he’s becoming a pest. We’ve left the kennel in the living room as he likes to hang out there and watch what’s going on.

 

We think that Murphy would love a quiet household and a settled routine. He doesn’t need an active lifestyle to thrive. He just would like to be a loving, affectionate member of your family. If you would like to talk about Murphy please let your Placement Advisor know. 

 

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day, Murphy!  Happy Valentine's Day, Murphy!

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Just a quick update on Mr. Murphy. We are going into the Twin Cities on Monday to have him evaluated for possible surgery for Laryngeal Paralysis. If surgery is indicated, he will have it done then and there. We haven’t had the heart to tell him that he will have to fast, beginning Sunday night, prior to surgery – not even any treats. The good news for him is that he’ll likely get to be hand-fed canned dog food for two weeks afterwards!

Every day that goes by he has adjusted more and more to his foster home and to his canine brothers and feline sisters. He continues to love his kennel. We were going to move it into our bedroom but he loves to go in during the day to nap and he likes to be able to see anything interesting that might be going on. Murphy seems to be perfectly happy sleeping overnight in the kennel in the living room. He knows when bedtime is and heads right in.

Now that his incision from his neutering has healed he has more zip in his step. We’re hoping he’ll be able to further build up his speed and endurance following surgery. Meanwhile we just watch, with smiles on our faces, while goes about enjoying his first taste of the Golden Life. 

Sunday, February 5, 2017

This week has been a good one. We went in for another blood test to determine whether he might have Addison’s Disease. Murph passed with flying colors! His electrolytes are normal so he doesn’t have Addison’s – check one off on the Murphy list!

Because the bloodwork was ok we could proceed with his neuter surgery. Today he’s in day two of recovery and is doing very well. When we got home he was pretty much out of things but by the next morning he was getting back to being the same old Murphy we know and love. Today we’re having to get him to slow down a bit as he is supposed to take things easy for the first five days after surgery. He is the first dog we have ever met who actually seems to like the plastic “cone of shame”. He will we come when we call and will sit and wait for us to put it on him when he sees one of us with the cone in our hands.

Check another item off of Murphy’s to-do medical list!

While Murph was under, our Vet injected some steroids around his lick granuloma to see if that will jump start the healing process. The final medical item on his list was to check for possible laryngeal paralysis while he was still under sedation. It does appear that he may have this condition. We will be consulting with a veterinary surgeon within the next several weeks to see if surgery would be a good option for him. Here is a link that explains Lar Par if you’re interested in finding out more: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/laryngeal-paralysis One of our resident dogs had this condition a few years ago and we did the surgery. We were very pleased with the results as he could breathe better and got a lot of his zip and energy back. We’ll keep you appraised of the results of the consult. We can’t check either of these items off the list but we’re all making progress.

The more we see of Murphy, the more we find to like. He is a happy, curious guy and is one of the most affectionate dogs you would ever want to meet. Being a senior dog he makes sure that he gets his beauty sleep.

He and his two foster brothers spend a lot of time together in a prone position. Keep checking this page and we’ll keep you up to date on Murphy’s journey.