360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
Abby has now been in our home for almost a month and she has settled in so well. The transition was very comfortable for all of us because Abby is a very easygoing and loving dog.
Along with having a new home, Abby also has a new feline friend in the house. He often likes to play around with her and egg her on, but once Abby gets up, she shows him who is queen boss and chases him around. It is so entertaining to watch them. Abby is enjoying her long walks around the neighborhood and barking at the squirrels. She loves her walks so much that she will often scratch at the elevator door as if she's trying to get it open. She also enjoys meeting the other dogs in the building on her way outside. A quick lick and sniff to say "hello" and then she is off on her way.
We are so happy to report that Abby's pH levels have been amazing. We check it every Saturday morning. We've also decided to keep Abby on the food she was on from Pugalug.
Abby is an over-the-top amazing dog. Thank you Pugalug for picking us to adopt Abby and we would also like to give a huge thank you to Abby's foster parent who cared for and nursed her after her surgeries until she was 100% well enough to go to her forever home which is now with us. She has made our family complete and we couldn't be any happier.
Happy Abby as she is known around here is a completely different dog from the one who came into our care. Now that her bladder has been repaired she can pee freely and is lovin' it. Now that her Grade 4 Periodontal gum disease has been taken care of, she eats with gusto. When I come home and sit on the floor she is ecstatic with joy. At first she was shy with giving kisses, but now she climbs on me lap, bum wiggling and gives little licks. She has even gummed my nose a couple of times. She really understands what it means to be pain free. That's why I call her Happy Abby.
Abby is ready for her forever home. She is a very loving pug and will bring lots of smiles to your home.
Her most recent urine check came back positive -- no infection, no blood and concentration levels are normal. Her urine will need to be regularly monitoring so that the infection does not return. This can be done at home with pH strips and also at the vet. She is on a diet of canned, wet food called Rayne that helps to keep the urine concentration from building. And the food is flooded with water for the same reason. Given that she has only 3 teeth left, the canned wet food is easier for her to eat.
Abby sleeps the whole night through. She will sleep in her own bed. When she comes up on the big bed, she likes to first burrow under the covers, curl up and snore contentedly. But then she will make her way out of the covers and sleep at the bottom of the big bed.
As soon as Abby gets up she needs to go out for a pee. This is important because she does not need to carry a full bladder for longer than necessary.
Abby loves her walks and is always out front, running point guard. In the early morning, while still dark, she will bark a warning if she sees a figure in the distance (or squirrels at any other time). However, if she sees a family in the park, she loves to go up to them for pets and hugs. She seems particularly good with children.
She has an incredible amount of energy. During the cold snap she would go out to the backyard, do her thing and then head right back into the warmth. But when the cold snap was over, she loved walking out around the streets and parks and snow.
Abby is going to make a warm, loving addition to any family looking to adopt a pug.
Okay, first the good news:
No more Urinary Tract Infection
No more bladder stones
No more disease in the mouth
No doubt that Abby is so happy to have all that guck out of her body. The bum wiggles and hippy hippy shakes that I get from her is a testament to the collective efforts of everyone who has helped this wee one to a better life. Thank you so much. To see the pain removed from this pug's life is a wonder that I will cherish.
The vet cost for the dental was $2,100 - which brings her vet total to over $5,000. Thanks again to all of you who donated to Pugalug to help these precious ones like Abby and Jaelyn.
Speaking of her dental, Abby had 24 teeth extracted because of gum disease and looseness. Unfortunately, she had lost 15 teeth pre-Pugalug, leaving her with only three teeth left - two back lower molars and the lower one next to the molars. Dr. Wozniak and the staff at Usher Animal Hospital did an amazing job in taking care of Abby. In fact, there was such extensive work done and Abby was under for longer than expected that they decided to keep her overnight for additional recuperation. A staff member stayed with Abby to ensure her safety. We will be going for a dental recheck on Dec 21 to make sure Abby has healed properly and no new issues have popped up.
It's been an adjustment, but Abby is getting use to "gumming" her food. She still stops and hangs her head over the bowl, not quite sure what to do. I can see her tongue working over her gums as she wonders what happened to her teeth, but she's slowly getting the hang of it. It helps now that she's eating a holistic food called Rayne (from Australia). It is a canned wet food that will hopefully help her urinary Ph balance.
Unfortunately, Abby is still struggling with her bladder and Ph levels. Her most recent urine culture test showed a 7.5 Ph so I'm flooding her food with water and encouraging her to drink as often as she can. Also, as a result of her bladder stone analysis, we will be taking Abby for an ultrasound in the new year to get a better look at things and make sure there are no other issues.
Abby had a wonderful time at Pug Claus and made lots of new friends. She wants to thank all those who came to say hi to her. She also asked Santa to leave her a couple of teeth after her pre-Christmas dental and her wish came true!
Abby continues to be a loving, cuddly being. Despite all the suffering she has gone through, she remains a happy go lucky pug and will be on the lookout for her new home in the new year.
Abby continues to flourish and bounce in her new, bladder stone free body. Everyone in the local park can see the difference in her attitude. She goes right up to the people who call her name and greets them with affection.
Her urine check last week came back clean - no crystals, no sediment, no blood in the urine. The vet showed me the container with all the stones they took out - except for the big ones they sent off to the lab.
Thanks to everyone who donated to help with Abby's surgery. You have made a world of difference for this sweet little pug.
She has also gained some weight - up to 6.5 kg. She had her rabies vaccination and we have scheduled her dental work for December 6th.
Abby had a great time at Pugalug's Pugoween. She got a Wonder Woman harness from Peachy Keen Pets to go with her Wonder Woman costume. She is planning on going to Pug Claus so she can ask Santa for a new forever home after Christmas.
She is comfortable now on the walks around the neighbourhood. However, in the morning when it is still dark, she is on the look out. When she sees someone walking in the distance, she will get a little defensive. I have been working with her on the "Watch Me" command and she has perfected it. Now, when I want her attention I just have to call out Watch Me and she immediately focuses on my face.
She is never far from my side. However she now knows I go to work in the morning and, like the resident pugs, finds a bed to sleep until I get home.
If a pug can express joy, then surely Abby is experiencing it now that her bladder is stone-free! The vet staff could not believe the number of stones in her little bladder. She is a small pug, only 6 kg and one stone was 1.5 inches. The poor girl must have been in such pain while trying to urinate.
Today, thanks to the staff at Usher Animal Hospital, Abby is able to pee freely as much as she wants! I can almost see a smile on her face as she squats.
During surgery, the vet noted that Abby's bladder was quite inflamed and there was infection in her urinary tract. She is on post-op medications to help clear things up, but it will take a while for her to heal. However, we are all very thankful to be over the crisis and that her surgery went well. Abby was also spayed and microchipped today without any issues.
Abby's spirit has remained so positive throughout everything and I have no doubt that she'll show everyone more of her funny, fantastic personality as she continues along the road to recovery.
Thank you to Pugalug for providing Abby with veterinary care needed for her to return to her happy and healthy self. Of course, none of it would be possible without fundraisers and donations from our fellow pug-lovers. You may have noticed that Pugalug has had quite the cluster of pugs with serious medical issues as of late. If anyone is able to help out in any way, it would be greatly appreciated by both Pugalug and all the pugs that need rescuing.
Stay tuned for more updates about Abby and her wonderful adventures!
Abby is a delightful, happy little female pug who will be nine years young in November. She has been with us for a week and was able to settle into our routine with ease. On walks, she likes to be a little ahead of us, exploring the surroundings and greeting people with affection. She has an energy to her that makes everyone think she is much younger than her (almost) nine years. Abby also gets along well with the resident pugs. She prefers to stay close to me when we see dogs at the park, but she is indifferent as opposed to anxious about them being there.
Abby has a wonderful, playful personality. At one point this week, I came home from work and she spun around and around in greeting, making these vocal noises. When I went to take a shower, she popped her head around the curtain looking for me. Next thing I know, she has jumped into the tub to be with me! I figured it was her way of saying she wanted a bath too. Haha!
Although she hides her pain with her sweet disposition, Abby is going to need some major surgery and dental work. Although it was previously thought that she was suffering from urinary crystals, her first vet visit revealed quite a number of bladder stones. On our walks, Abby squats about every 10 feet trying to urinate, but it is clear that she cannot completely empty her bladder and urinating is extremely uncomfortable. Obviously this bladder issue will be our first concern, however Abby will also need to be spayed and have her various pug-related dental issues resolved. She will be going in after Thanksgiving to have both the spay and the bladder stones removed. The stones will be sent out for analysis so we can determine the next course of action to get her healthy. Currently, Abby is on antibiotics to help with any infection prior to her surgery. Once all the urinary issues are resolved, Abby will have a dental to treat the Grade 4 periodontal disease and hopefully make eating much easier for the poor, wee girl.
Despite these conditions Abby is a joy to have around. She will cuddle up close to me on the couch and the big bed. She is having to wear a diaper inside, but is not bothered by it. She just wants to love and be loved.
