360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
Zoe (fka Zonnie) here updating you on life with my furever family. Well I packed my bags and moved my bouncy butt to my new home. It's now been 1 month and I am pleased to announce that I have them all wrapped around my little paw! My nickname is 'The Kissing Bandit' as I will crawl up and sneak kisses then quickly run away!
I have full run of my family's home and am never crated. Yes I can go into every room if I want! However I haven't ventured into the basement yet. It looks like there is a lot of stuff to be sorted out down there. Think I'll stay away for now.
I have a cushy, big, fashionable, cougar print bed and I sleep in my mommy's bedroom right beside her on the floor. My lamb chop toy helps me keep warm and fuzzy all night. My mommy is impressed that I don't snore, even though she does!
While my mommy works, I keep her company on the sofa. I must say that it's a very comfy sofa. I have a toy basket too, with all my toys, old and new. I can simply go in anytime I please and choose a toy for playtime. With a cock of my head, someone's always willing to play with me.
One complaint that I have is that my mommy takes too long getting my meal out! I repeatedly remind her, but I am sure she takes her time because she enjoys my cute squealing.
I have decided that going to the backyard for my toilet needs is so yesterday! I enjoy going for long walks in my great new neighborhood every morning and several times daily. It's much more dignified. I like sniffing and marking my territory, because a girl's gotta do whatta girl's gotta do! I've trained my new family to understand that I am one feisty and determined little lady.
I have met two new friends -- a pug and a Portguese water dog. The pug is my step sister and the PWD is my cousin. The pug is 10 and the PWD is the same age as me. The pug is very pretty. Her coat is softer and more apricot. The PWD is very majestic and tall with green eyes. I must say that they are both lookers! However, I find them a bit annoying. For example, they both beg A LOT for food. I mean, I do too, but they are so blatant about it. They cry and howl. I yell at them to knock it off, but you know -- they do get results. I guess it's like they say 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'. The PWD likes to sniff my butt. Gross! The pug tries to ignore me. Really? I am not to be ignored, but I know in time they will both be my best friends.
I have a girl (22) and a boy (almost 21) and I get so excited when they come home. She gives me so many cuddles and loves kissing me. My boy is pretty swell and is especially protective of me. He makes me feel so special when he pets me and whispers sweet nothings in my velveteen ears. He's so dreamy!
My mommy loves spending time with me. We go on long walks and she is forever kissing and holding me. She doesn't quite get that I'm not very fond of being held -- got to keep working on her!
One of my favourite things to do is sunbathe on my backyard deck. It's simply sublime. The forest is so peaceful and it is very private so when I'm on my back letting it all hang out, I've got complete privacy -- except for the squirrels -- grrrr.
My health is now terrific. I've recently gone through several procedures and I'm happy to say that I'm now in tip top shape. I'm not allowed to eat anything except my prescribed kibble, which means no treats. My mommy says my kibble are treats. She is kind of mean that way. She keeps telling me that I can't have too many as I have to watch my figure. She also has the nerve to make me sit, give a paw (and then the other), lie down and roll over, all for a treat! Really?!
Everyone has fallen in love with my magical tail. It's not very curly (more long and straight), but boy can I wag it hard and fast! Everyone loves when I do! Along with my looks, charisma and charm, I've got these people! I often ask myself 'Am I dreaming? How can everything have worked out perfectly for me?'
I sure am looking forward to all the holidays coming up because my family enjoys entertaining and everyone falls head over heels for me! All this love means lots of kisses and hugs of which I can never get enough!
My birthday comes again in April. I just know my family will shower me with lots of gifts, love and attention on my special day. No doubt I'll get a pretty sweater. My mommy already has a wardrobe for me! My favourite so far is a houndstooth sweater, a jean jacket and pink kerchief (it's my Grease 'Sandy' look). For Halloween, my mommy will buy me a funny costume, which will make me feel silly, but everyone will fuss when I wear it. However, for Christmas, mommy has this Santa suit. She doesn't know it yet, but that's not happening!
Last, I would like to tell you that I am very happy and so loved. I really lucked out with my furever family as they love me and take such good care of me. I do think about my first family and my foster family and doggie pals. I've had such a good life so far and I owe it all to them. I have been and will continue to be exceptionally cared for and so well loved.
I hope everyone has enjoyed my update, but I have to go and take a nap and look adorable.
Love and wet pink kisses!
Zoe
Zonnie has been adopted and is now at her furever home.
Zonnie has been such a pleasure to have in our home, but alas, the time has come for her to find a forever home.
For those of you who have followed Zonnie's progress, you are well aware of her history with allergies. As a result, she MUST remain on her prescribed diet, including using only kibble as treats and nothing else. Fortunately, Zonnie is very food driven and is always happy to receive her bonus kibble.
Despite being on her prescription diet, Zonnie still has issues with ear infections. As a preventative, we have her on a bi-weekly ear cleaning schedule that includes an ear treatment as well. She tolerates the cleaning, but it requires two pairs of hands to get it done. At the moment, Zonnie's allergies are fairly well controlled; however, they may flare up come fall. Should that happen, we would recommend using a medication that we find works well for her. She also has a tendency to lick her paws when relaxing at home. She does so to self-soothe (as opposed to quell an itch), but because she can lick her paws raw, we curb the behaviour by giving her a chew bone instead.
I should mention here that Zonnie is quite fidgety at the vet's office. She's not aggressive, just incredibly squirmy.
Zonnie is definitely a people-pug and would do best as the only dog or with a very low-key fur-sibling. She has no problems with other dogs, but she does not seek them out to play. She would much rather have human companionship instead. Zonnie is quite good at ensuring that we don't forget about her too. When another dog is getting attention, Zonnie will give a bark as if to say "Hey, what about me?" That's the only time she barks though. She loves snuggle time and will happily snuggle up with her humans, even if her fur-siblings are involved too.
Zonnie will need a home with a fully-fenced yard and some space to roam. She has quite the routine for doing her business, which includes lots of pacing and circling to ensure she finds just the right spot. In the house, Zonnie has been absolutely perfect in her housetraining and is quite flexible when it comes to our crazy, ever-changing schedule.
Zonnie does well in a crate and settles down quite quickly, with or without the door closed. She does not need to be crated in the house and would happily sleep with her new family if allowed. However, Zonnie MUST be crated in the car for both her safely and yours. She does fuss for the first few minutes, but then settles for the remainder of the car ride.
All in all, Zonnie is a very easy keeper. If you are looking for a pug to be your best friend, Zonnie is your gal. Her bond with her humans is very important and once she has that, she will love you with every ounce of her adorable little being!
Zonnie continues to be a very easy-going, happy pug. She doesn't have a super curly tail, and we are pretty sure that it's due to the fact that it's wagging all the time! She had her dental cleaning this week and it went much better than her previous surgery. The vet took extra precautions before the procedure to prevent aspiration, which was the cause of all the issues last time, and all went well during the surgery and recovery. Zonnie lost three teeth - two small ones and one large one that was actually broken. At the same time, she had a cyst removed from her left eyelid, which the vet sent away to be analyzed.
The vet did notice some mild yeast and bacteria in Zonnie's ears that we suspect is due to her various allergies. Surolan was prescribed to treat this issue along with the usual post-op medications from her dental. When Zonnie goes back to the vet to have the sutures removed from her eyelid, we will start her on a new allergy medication, Apoquel, which has no steroids in it. The vet has used this on her own dog with great results. We're hoping it will resolve the few allergy issues that are still plaguing her. She has done quite well on her vet-recommended food so we are going to keep her on that as well.
Recently, we also discovered a lump on Zonnie that seemed to come out of nowhere. Fortunately, a quick fine needle test at the vet determined that it was just fat cells. Phew! It just gives us more Zonnie to love I suppose!
All in all, Zonnie is a very easy keeper and we have no doubt that she'll fit right in with her forever family!
Zonnie continues to be a very sweet girl with a fantastic, laid back attitude. However, we have discovered that Zonnie is a weather weenie, who thinks that her feet of sugar will melt should they touch a single drop of rain. Fortunately, she has such a good nature that she is willing to brave the elements for us, with some encouragement of course.
As mentioned in her last update, Zonnie has very tight nares (nostrils); a condition that often goes hand in hand with an elogated soft palette. Given her breathing, we suspected the same to be the case with Zonnie. Thankfully, these two conditions can be corrected surgically and we quickly booked Zonnie in.
Zonnie came through the surgery very well. However, she did develop some minor complications. A couple of days post-surgery, Zonnie developed a fever and increased lung sounds. We brought her to the vet immediately and she spent the day at the clinic on IV fluids and IV antibiotics. The vet discovered that Zonnie's poor little throat was very swollen, making it difficult for her to eat, drink or take her medication. As a result, she did have to be transferred to the Emergency Clinic for an overnight stay to continue her treatments, but we were able to pick her up again first thing the next morning.
Once back in her foster home, it was clear that Zonnie was on the mend. Although quieter than usual, she was able to eat, drink and take her medications normally. We were fortunate to catch things early and thus she was able to recover quickly. She continues to gain pep in her step as she starts to feel more like herself. We are also getting back to our routine, including cuddling up at night to watch tv. As I write this update, Zonnie is getting settled in her favourite spot behind my knees for the Raptors playoff game. She is an adorable little pug! We will surely miss her when she finds that perfect home!
Zonnie had her first vet visit the other day and did fairly well. She was quite excited, but cooperated. Overall, Zonnie's ears, skin and coat looked great! She did have a little bit of blackish skin on the inside of her thighs. It appears to be more like staining from years of allergies than an actual rash of some kind. After speaking with the vet, we've decided to stop the medication and just stick with the diet change to see if the allergies are food-related or seasonal. We will be watching closely for any increase in allergy symptoms.
The vet did notice three little skin tags, but nothing to worry about. Zonnie does have a "growth" on the rim of her left eye. We are treating it as sty and the vet prescribed an antibiotic cream. Zonnie's teeth could use a cleaning, but it's not the worst mouth the vet has seen either and doesn't need immediate attention. The vet was far more concerned about Zonnie's breathing during the visit. It was evident that when she gets excited, Zonnie's breathing becomes strained and extremely loud. In fact, she was so loud during the exam that it was difficult for the vet and I to hear one another. It was obviously exhausting for Zonnie as well. When we arrived home, she immediately headed for the patio stones and stretched out until she recovered from her outings. Obviously this issue needs our attention and we will be discussing our options over the next little bit. It's likely that Zonnie's nares (her nostrils) will need to be done in order to help her breathe a bit better. It's not an uncommon surgery in pugs and will greatly improve her quality of life. The vet may also want to address any issues with Zonnie's soft palette during that surgery as well, but we are discussing all the options before making any decisions. We will update everyone as we progress.
Zonnie is a fawn, spayed female that joined Pugalug almost two weeks ago, just in time to celebrate her 7th birthday (April 17th). Zonnie was surrendered to Pugalug due to ongoing issues with allergies. Although it's obvious that her previous owners loved Zonnie very much, changes in their lives meant that they could no longer afford the care that she needed and they wanted the best for her. As always, our goal is to make sure that's exactly what she gets!
Zonnie is such a sweetheart! When this bouncy girl entered our home, she spent her first afternoon checking out the house and getting to know her foster brothers and sisters. She settled in very quickly and by her first evening, she was curled up behind my knees, sound asleep!
As mentioned above, Zonnie has had an on and off struggle with allergies for quite some time; an issue that has been compounded by ongoing ear troubles. Given that many allergies stem from food, we decided to switch Zonnie to a kangaroo-based kibble. She had no trouble at all changing diets and seems to be enjoying her new food. More importantly, it seems to be making a difference! Because she arrived in our care on Vanectyl-P (an allergy medication), we have continued to give her that until she has her first vet visit. Fortunately, we have been able to wean her down a bit, from every second day to every third day. We will keep her at this dose until her vet visit, but our eventual goal is to wean her off the medication altogether. Zonnie was also given weekly baths by her former owners and we have kept to that schedule as well. She is such a happy-go-lucky pug and was absolutely no trouble at all during her first bath and ear cleaning in foster care.
Our family has had such a great week getting to know Zonnie and it is amazing how quickly she adapts. Even though she's only been with us for a short time, she has picked up our house routine quite quickly. We do have quite the crew and she just goes with the flow no matter what happens. Although it may take a while to resolve her allergies, I suspect it will take no time at all to find her forever home once we do!
