Gunner GH-1125 (LTF)
LTF Background:
Gunner came back to Goldheart on April 4, 2021, because his family was preparing for a long-distance move, and could not take him along. Gunner was with his adoptive family for less than a year, after initially coming into GoldHeart in September 2019 (his original give-up family was also moving), where he lived with a wonderful GH foster home until his short-lived adoption in June 2020.
Gunner is a super sweet boy, with a curly light-colored coat, and he loves to go between your legs to get his butt scratched. He will follow his people room to room, and loves to venture out into his new yard often, and enjoys settling on a deck area, gazing out through the fence to activity in his neighborhood. With multiple and long-term health issues, the GoldHeart Board recently voted to make him a long-term foster, and he will enjoy his last chapter with a renewed sense of freedom and will be showered with love and affection. We truly hope Gunner will be around to celebrate his Birthday – #14, on October 25, 2021.
Upon his return, we discovered he had a raging UTI, and that was treated and #1 accidents are now a distant memory, not so lucky on #2 (it can be tough when you get older), but with frequent access and trips outside, it thankfully, isn’t too often. Gunner had dropped a good deal of weight at his last home, but overall, that was not a bad thing, because it helps his mobility (he falls and flops down often like a rag doll – don’t worry, he can get right back up) and reduced the amount of Trilostane needed to address his Cushing’s Disease (we just rechecked and levels are perfect). He has already added back a few pounds, and hopefully will be back to a healthy 60+ pounds.
Unfortunately, just as he was settling into his new routine with his welcoming foster brother Jay and sister GG, he had a severe vestibular attack. If you have never seen, it is not uncommon in older dogs, and often idiopathic (they don’t know the cause), and poor Gunner was a classic presentation (click the link to learn more), and no underlying cause was found by the vet. This occurred on 4/26, and he was on some anti-nausea meds for 3 weeks, carried in and out of the house for over a week, and then things started to slowly improve. This sweet boy has now regained his balance, and in a few weeks, he was able to walk straight, and it will be 4 weeks since onset soon, and except for the head tilt, and being a little more unsure on his feet, he is back to his happy self. Gunner also has reduced sight in one eye (cataract), and while he has relatively no arthritis in his front legs, he is challenged in his back legs and hips, so we have added Galliprant to his health regimen. He also needs Cushing’s medication, cranberry supplements (to prevent future UTI), and gets probiotics to help his tender tummy, along with joint supplements.