Some long time volunteers and former caregivers, especially of Old Friends (Judie Pursell, Dee Willner, Nancy Van Buskirk, Liz Wood), will remember Sir Uno. He came from an abuse case in Lancaster, CA and was one of the most shut down dogs Ive met at BF. This Guardian Angel alumnus hit the jackpot one day about 4 years ago when a How to Start an Animal Sanctuary workshop attendee met him at OF and fell in love with him. Heres a recent update his mom sent me: Hi Tom, Thanks for your card. Sorry for the delayed response; January has gotten off to a hectic start. I also came down with the flu. Overall, I think Sir Uno is in a very good place. Physically he is one beautiful dog -- even now, people will stop us when were walking and comment about him. When he wants to be, hes also very photogenic. Its funny though, its like he knows when the camera is out and then he chooses whether to pose or be totally uncooperative. After he arrived here, we put him on Atopica for his skin. Everything cleared up nicely. We also adjusted his thyroid med slightly. We do watch his fur/itching during the spring and fall transitions. If we sense hes scratching or licking more, we give him baths. Regarding his sight, at the time he arrived an ophthalmologist estimated he had about 40% of his sight. I would say hes been completely blind for about 18 months or more. Around that time we took him for both behavioral and ophthalmology consultations at University of Penn Vet hospital. The doctor there felt he really had no sight. He does remarkable well; hes memorized our walks and the lay out of the house. But his world is narrow. Hes most comfortable with me, then Mike. I introduced a dog walker/pet sitter into our routine about a year ago. He started out doing OK. We built up the trust and he seemed good about going out with her. Then last spring he totally rebelled. Not only would he not go out for her, he had issues with us as well. I felt like all of the gains and confidence we built were disintegrating. Through most of the summer he was only going out about every 8-12 hours. It could also be that the summer was a busy time here and he may have been uncomfortable being out with all of the noise. The picture on the back of our card was taken in a hotel room. One of my objectives with the pet sitter was to build up the relationship so she could stay at the house while we would be away. Last Memorial Day weekend we had a wedding in north jersey. Since things didnt work out, we wound up taking Uno with us to a Hilton! The hotel staff was great and he did remarkably well. We brought his blankets and bones and he hung out in the room. Anytime I asked him to go outside he responded positively. About a year ago he had a mast cell tumor removed. Fortunately it was a grade 2 so no additional treatment was needed. Were just diligent about checking for lumps and bumps. We tried several times to socialize him with other dogs. Early on we took him to a group play managed by a trainer. After about 10 minutes he would find his way to the gate (amazing how he figures things out so quickly) and just sit there. After several sessions we decided it was more stressful for him. Anytime we would walk him and encounter another dog wed try to make an introduction. As his sight failed he seemed to get more uncomfortable around other dogs. Im sure he must feel threatened. Most times other dogs will either be polite or leave him alone, but a few have been aggressive. So now we dont go out of our way to make introductions. Several trainers suggested we just keep flooding him with an activity or behavior, one even suggested I walk him at a busy outdoor mall to desensitize him. The folks at U Penn and another trainer told me that technique doesnt work for all dogs and could create more issues. So Unos world is smaller than most other dogs. But I do feel hes content. One day he decided on his own he wanted to resume his two walks/day. So were back at it. But what Ive also learned through him he that I cant force anything. If he decides he doesnt want to go out thats OK too. Its impossible to get mad at him. When hes annoyed or bored that were out, sometimes he does chew carpets. He also has a tremendous appetite. Early on, we started a mid-morning snack together. Well for him thats evolved to every time I sit by the kitchen table he comes over looking for food. We have a plastic bin containing dry food next to the kitchen counter. When I open it for dinner he comes over, sticks his head in and starts eating directly! On his own he discovered going upstairs. We never encouraged it because of his sight. But not only does he go up on his own, he very quickly learned how to come back down. And when I tried to help him, he wouldnt budge. If I leave him alone, he comes down on his own. As Im typing, hes snoozing. Also enclosed is a pic on the stairs. Take care. Hope all is well at Best Friends. Remember if you ever find yourself on the east coast youre welcome to visit!
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 01:02:31 +0000
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