360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
As hard as we try, we cannot always save the dogs in our care. Bear came to us as a diabetic dog who had not been well controlled for a while. And hard as we tried, his diabetes remained hard to control. He'd stabilize, then his levels would go south. He was monitored closely by both his foster mom and the vet -- but it remained a struggle.
On June 24th, Bear began to seizure and continued to seizure even under sedation at the vet's office. He remained unresponsive and tests showed that he was in complete kidney failure - an issue that had likely been building over time due to his long history of unregulated diabetes. Because we could not fix this problem and due to the extreme nature of his seizures and his lack of responsiveness, the decision was made to let Bear go.
As much as we try, we can't always beat the odds and in Bear's case, the kindest thing we could do was to release him from his body. Please give your thoughts and sympathy to his foster mother and her family who were very saddened by this outcome.
Run Fast. Run Far. Run Free, Bear.
Bear continues to be a little love of a dog. He continues to love all people and other dogs that he meets.
However, he does have good days and bad days with his diabetes. Some days he feels crummy, but on others, his numbers are fine. He gave us quite a few scares over the last couple of weeks, he wouldn't eat or got a bit lethargic. He seems to be past it now.
We gave Bear his first bath with us today. We aren't sure if he liked it or not though. He just kept his eyes closed for the whole bath. He definitely loved the rub down and cuddle afterwards. He smells a lot better now too.
Bear continues to have numerous accidents throughout the day and early morning with little to no awareness that it's happening. However, his backend is getting a bit stronger over time. Hopefully that continues to improve.
With this wee man, it appears as though we take 2 steps forward and 1 back....but Bear is a wonderful, sweet boy who is definitely worth the effort!
I wanted to leave you with this cute antecdote. We also discovered last weekend that he loves belly rubs. He rolls over immediately if he thinks he's getting one. Below are some adorable pictures of Bear poolside last weekend rolling over for belly rubs.
Stay tuned for more cuteness and health updates as we continue with Bear on this latest puggy adventure.
Since his arrival, Bear and I have been working hard to gain more control of his diabetes. Although his numbers are still not perfect, they have improved greatly!! At the moment, Bear's average reading is around 10 (versus 25 when he first arrived). We have also found a food that works for him. It's called Natural and Delicious (pumpkin formula). It's a food imported from Italy, which is kind of a pain, but Bear loves it and it keeps his numbers lower so I'm more than happy to buy it. I've also noticed that Bear is drinking less water than when he arrived - another indication that his diabetes is improving.
Things aren't perfect though. I find that Bear has a bit of a crash between 2-3 AM every night--.it's usually when I have to get up and use the washroom so I catch it every time. I give him a treat at that time and he appears to be fine from then until morning. He used to sleep in his crate at night, but I have him on my bed so I can check on him through the night--he doesn't mind though. He really enjoys snuggling up to people and getting under the blankets when he gets cold.
From a physical perspective, Bear appears to be getting stronger in his back end. He still has no awareness when he is peeing, but some awareness seems to be developing when he is pooping. His stamina also is much better than it was and he loves to go for his daily walks now that he doesn't get so tired. For the safety of the floors in my house, we have to crate him when we are not home, but he loves his stuffed puppy, who keeps him company, and has no issues in the crate.
As for his overall personality, the longer Bear is with us, the funnier he becomes. We understand that he is an 8 year old diabetic dog, but now (on a very regular basis) he loves to full out play, pretend nibbling on our hands and even does the pugatonic (albeit it's a Bear version that is in somewhat slow motion). Basically he's a goof ball who appears to be very happy hanging out with people and pets of all descriptions. It's clear that he just loves life and enjoys whatever might be happening in that very moment!
Introducing Bear - the 8 year old fawn pug with the face of a puppy! So far he loves everyone including my fur crew, children, my giant husband and the vet's cat
Although he only arrived a few days ago, he has already made himself at home. He loves to carry his stuffed dog and small Kong balls around the house. He also loves to play like a puppy and enjoys wandering the neighbourhood investigating all the new smells of the area.
Bear eats like a champ and drinks water like a mastiff during a heat wave (and creates a flood like a mastiff too!) His only challenge appears to be his diabetes, but he is incredibly tolerant of both his insulin injections and blood sugar testing. At the moment, Bear's numbers are higher than we'd like, but we're working on it. Hopefully in the upcoming weeks, we will get his numbers down into a more acceptable range. We'll be sure to keep everyone updated on Bear's progress so keep checking the website!
