Adopter Update - Sept 12, 2008

"With some good veterinary intervention, lots of kind thoughts, and a guardian angel or two, Mack is doing much better! We went to the vet yesterday, and Mack got a big whopping shot of the medicine that will keep him going for the rest of his life. With a shot every 25 days and regular doses of good ol' prednisolone, he should live a happy, hopefully long, life. He's like a different dog today--eating heartily, walking around, going down stairs though he still can't come up yet, wagging his tail, and looking pretty much like his old sweet self! What a miracle!

Mack - Adopter Update December 30-07

Mack - Adopter Update January 16-07

Mack is doing just great. Pugs sure are adaptable critters! We've had several outings in the car, and he travels like a champ. I took him to the dance studio where I teach last night, and he had a great time getting all the attention. He was quite a hit. He's met several other dogs, one of whom will be his "big brother". They're getting along very well. Two of my three cats think he's just fine--the other is a little upset but warming up. Mack is so easy with them, and he gives the scaredy one a lot of room, unlike Stella who thought cats really should be played with whether they liked it or not!

His eye is fine. No redness at all. He takes his ointment and drops like a trouper. He sleeps through the night, and we're getting the morning ritual down to include a potty and a short walk. He has totally snuggled his way into my heart, as you say. We've bonded very well, and I feel like I've had this little guy around forever.

Mack had a great checkup at my local vet, and he got a clean bill of health. He now weighs 14.2 kg (31 pounds) and is his usual solid self. He has a minor heart murmur, but since it doesn't affect his activity there's no need to worry yet. The corneal graft looks great, so my vet referred me to an ophthalmic specialist to look into having it trimmed. Since Mack also needs to have a couple more teeth removed, we would do the trim at the same time. No hurry on either account. I'll contact the vets there who worked on him and get his records so we know about his chemistry panel and his heartworm status. So Mack continues to do well, and he's the light of my life! Hugs to y'all!
Cassandra and Mack

Good-bye Mack - it's been good to know ya

Mack will be living in Rochester, NY with his new family. He will continue to receive eye checkups, walks in the park and tender loving care. Adios, amigo, come back and visit us.

Mack - Adopted Jan 13th

Mack - Foster Update, Dec 23

Mack is an easy going, lovable dog. He should fit into many different types of homes. Mack loves to chase the big dogs and runs very well. He might enjoy a big furry brother or sister. He gets along with my cats and my three pugs. Mack would get along with children. He is very gentle and sweet natured.

Mack loves to talk and tells you he is excited about going for a walk or being fed. He will let you know when someone is at the door, too. The rest of the time, he is very quiet and happy to cuddle with his people or other animals.

He is healthy and once his teeth are looked after, he should be just great. He will require eye medication, for the rest of his life and would benefit from visits to an eye specialist, to keep track of how his eye is doing. That isn't unusual for pugs. All three of my pugs get eye meds and go for check-ups at the eye vet.

Mack, Foster Update December 19th

Mack, Foster Update December 9th

Mack got another great eye check. His sight is good and the graft is getting smaller all the time. He has gotten the okay for his dental work to be done. That is scheduled for Dec. 19th. Mack should be ready for adoption in early January.

Mack, Foster Update November 13th

He has to wait until his next eye check to get the go ahead for his dental surgery, so he won't be ready for adoption until after the Christmas season. He has become a very happy, healthy dog and will make someone a wonderful loving companion.

Mack, Foster Update October 13th

Mack got some great news! His eye has 75% vision and he is cone free! On the way back home, he was all giddy and playful. It was very apparent that he felt "released" from cone prison. After 8 weeks in the cone and being on leash at the park, he was able to run free. It was a pleasure to watch him tear around after a couple of big dogs and play with my pugs too. He had a wonderful time and came over to tell me all about it, before going back to play.

Now, we will get a chance to see the real Mack. When he first came to us, he looked so full of pain and had a nasty skin problem. Now he is a perky, happy dog that is full of energy and ready to have some fun!

He will still be having his eye checked for a month or so and when given the go ahead, he will get some dental work done.

Mack, Foster Update September 9th

Mack is just a big teddy bear. He loves to cuddle and be close by. He has had to have blood drawn twice, his eye checked on a weekly basis, and eye drops 4 times a day plus cleaning the eye area. Through all of the different vets and my eye care too, he has been a real trouper. The two regular vets and the three different eye vets have all commented on how sweet natured he is and what a good patient he is.

We have just gotten his second set of blood work and I am very happy to report that his anemia has improved! The vet was very pleased with how much of an improvement he has made and his anemia is now only a minor issue. We expect that this will become completely normal, with a continued good diet and lots of love thrown in . Once his eye graft has healed (another 6 to 8 weeks), he will need to have dental work done. I expect that by then we will see a totally transformed dog! I can't wait for him to be able to play at the park. For now, he must be on leash and just watch the other dogs play. He whines and barks and wants to play so badly. Once his eye heals, he will be able to frolick with the dogs. It will be a pleasure to watch.

Foster Mom Candace

Mack, Foster Update August 22nd

Many thanks go out to the Forest Hill Animal Clinic - Dr. Klys, Dr. Goldstein and the wonderful staff for the work that they have done for Mack. He was found to have 1 large and 2 small corneal ulcers. A skin graft would be necessary but, once done, Mack would have good vision.

However the blood tests came back and showed low anemia and electrolytes. Concerned that there may be a mass or blockage, an ultrasound was done before any eye surgery was started. The ultrasound proved inconclusive but we wanted to give Mack every chance. Therefore the eye surgery went ahead as scheduled.

Mack got out of surgery and is now recovering well. He will be wearing a cone for 8 to 10 weeks. In the meantime foster mom Candace will continue to improve his blood count through an improvement in diet and consultation with Dr. Nasir of the Danforth Animal Clinic

Mack, Introduction, August 16th

Mack was found by police wandering the streets of Scarborough. He was taken to the Animal Services Centre and held for observation and a medical checkup. We got a message from pugalugger James that Mack could now be released to pug rescue. So Blanche picked him up, took a couple of pictures and he is now safely in foster care. He may not exactly be the "littlest" hobo pug - in fact he is quite a hefty guy (see the photo of him next to Bob) - but not overweight

Mack has a corneal ulcer that he is getting drops for. His coat has a couple of hot spots, most likely caused by diet. He is estimated to be around 7 years, is neutered and house broken. Initial assessment is that he is a gentle dog, gets along with the others.