Bear
WCRR welcomes Bear
This sweet boy is between 8 and 10 and appears to have fallen on hard times in the last while. At one time he must have been someone's pet. Bear knows about living in a house, he knows come, sit, down, stay, go to your bed. He knows to go to the door to be let out. He knows how to climb stairs and play with toys. But it was very clear that Bear had not been granted much inside time over the last years as his coat was filthy, matted and he smelt very very bad.
Bear seems to have quite a few medical issues going on and we will need to do some fundraising to pay for his needs. At this time he must stay in foster care so we can work on making him comfortable and as healthy as he can be. He has been to our vet and we are just waiting for results of a host of tests that needed to be performed so that we can find out what is going on.
Bear has many things wrong with him and most of them can not be fixed.
Bear has arthritis in his chest area and in his back ankles. We are treating this with Metacam and will be starting him on a series of Cartrophen injections to help with the discomfort.
Bear also has some nerves in his spine that seem to be compressed. This is most likely caused by regrowth in the spinal area, perhaps from an old injury. Bear is scheduled to start hydrotherapy to see if we can help with mobility. Thank you Kendall from
http://www.k9h2o.net for donating 8 swim sessions for this boy! We are hoping this gentle exercise will strengthen his back end.
And now for Mr. Bear's personality... He is such a loving boy and has fit right into our little pack. Initially he paid a little too much attention to our small dog but they have worked things out. Bear and Sashka are quickly becoming very good friends and insist on always going out together. Take one out without the other and the howling starts! Bear loves all people and quickly goes to them hoping for food (typical rotti) or affection. Once he meets you he is your friend.
Bear is particular about his dog friends. He certainly is not a dog park kind of guy. He does not want to play, most likely because his joints are weak and he could be easily hurt. He is not fond of male dogs but is good with respectful, calm females. He would do well in a home with a small female, but NO cats please. He would also be just fine without another dog as long as someone is home for the better part of the day. And no small children. It's not that he doesn't like children but this boy needs a quiet home where he can relax and not worry about being bumped. Right now Bear is able to handle stairs but we have guide him up and down so he doesn't fall. Bare floors would not work because this poor old boy is just too shaky on his feet.
WCRR would be open to Bear going into long term foster care if you are worried about adopting such an old boy. We would like to be able to monitor his health issues and be available for anything that he needs. This special boy has stolen all of our hearts, and only the best home will be good enough for him. If you would like to adopt or foster Bear, please email us for an application. Bear deserves a special place of his own.
January 6th - Update
First I am going to tell you all the good things about Bear. He is a wonderful houseguest. He doesn't ask for much other than a few toys, a belly rub and his meals and treats. He is quiet in the house, loves the little dog and greets everyone that comes in with a butt wiggle and a toy. Bear LOVES his toys. There is nothing more that makes him happy than to have them all around his dog bed. Big or small, if you allow it, there are all for him. He does give them up quickly when you ask but gets upset and worried when another dog plays with them. Really though, there is not a mean bone in this guy's body and when faced with a challenge he backs down every single time.
Bear has a fun side to him also; when we come home he loves to meet us at the door and then run to bring us a toy. The game is called Chase Me :) He won't let you take the toy; he wants you to chase him around our little living room for a moment yelling that you are going to steal that stuffie. Bear tires quickly and goes right to his bed but the game isn't over. YOU must stare at him and threaten to take that toy away. Then Bear gets to play "I'm a big mean Rottweiler". He crosses his paws over his toy and growls and may even give out a little bark but we know that it is just a game with him. He will happily play continue this game, but if you grab the toy from him, you can see his feelings are hurt and the game is over. But if you back away he will keep up this ruse for quite awhile. We allow Bear this moment to be his toy's protector.
Bear may be older than we first thought but really there is no way to tell. One of our vets recognized Bear as belonging to a line of Rottweilers that were breed locally. Most of those dogs are now gone and the breeder has passed away. Many of those dogs have died of cancer.
Bear has been to see a neurologist in the hopes of finding out more about his problems. After testing him, the neurologist found not only were his back legs weak, but also his front limbs. His reflexes are very slow and we think there is spinal and muscle degeneration. We took Bear back after 2 weeks for a recheck and it was very noticeable that there was more weakness even after that short time. There are tests that we could do to give us more information. These tests are expensive and what's even worse is that they are invasive. However the reality is that we cannot improve and lengthen his life.
At this time Bear is in no pain. He struggles to get up sometimes, stumbles often and drags his feet on walks. More and more he is having trouble getting out in time for the bathroom, and is most content to lie on his bed surrounded by his toys. We continue to help him up to bed at night, guiding him up and down the stairs and just letting him set his own pace when outside. We make sure fresh water is always within reach and are keeping a close watch on his weight so not to add any stress to those already weakening limbs. As long as Bear is comfortable and happy he will stay in our care. We are still in hope that a foster home dedicated just to Bear with miraculously show up.
Donations towards Bear's bills can be made directly to our vet (e-mail us for information) or via PayPal. Your help is so very appreciated.
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