[DukeJazz]

HI all,

Making one last appeal for this poor boy. If I am unable to secure a commitment to adopt/rescue by Tue 11/9 he will be EU'd.
Please cross post !!!!

Diesel is a 5/6 year old purebred, neutered GSD. He is a MAGNIFICENT, large (115 lbs) boy. The only pic I have is poor, but he has a beautiful mahogany head and shoulders.
He has a great personality, holds his head high & proud, loves attention and being brushed.

Now for the bad part ..................

This poor boy was owner surrendered to us a few days ago. She claimed he had hurt his leg falling on her stairs & at 1st we believed it might just be a hip/knee/ACL injury.
However, after spending some time evaluating him, our Vet has determined he likely has DM. We are trying to confirm that diagnosis, but she is 95% sure.
DM dogs require a lot of TLC to extend their days (you can read about DM & the care required here: http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/DM_Web/DMofGS.htm ).
Since the care level is high and this is a big boy, we will not be putting him up for adoption to the general public.

All adoptions/rescues MUST go thru either myself or the Shelter Vet. Please do not call the shelter as the staff will not be aware of or able to assist you with this dog !
Also, please read the sections of the website above regarding the feeding, exercise and medication restrictions. The Vet will not release this guy unless she is certain
you will care for him properly !

At this stage, Diesel has little control of his RR leg and is a bit wobbly on the rear in general. He "tripods" when on cement & seems to do a lot better in the grass.
When off leash on grass, he can move at his own pace & builds up a rhythm and can move along quite briskly. I think he would benefit greatly from 3 or 4 short off leash
exercise sessions daily. When out in the yard with me this proud boy still tries to play ! He also paces the fence line by the parking lot, whimpering for his former owners who
abandoned him, it just makes me want to cry.

Other than the DM, he is in good condition. His coat is a bit dull, but I'm pretty sure he was not getting quality food. I was able to track down his Vet and he had a full exam and
blood work on 2/27/09. At that time they did not find anything wrong with him, so the DM has started in the last 18 months. He was HW & fecal neg at this visit and received all
his vaccinations.

Please email me ([email protected]) or PM with any questions,
Mike

 

[DukeJazz]

I will commit to $$$'s to help this beautiful boy. Will donate to vet, shelter fees or reputable rescue.....please PM me!!

Thank you so much CampPappy, I will PM you if someone steps forward and saves this beautiful boy !

Mike

 

[DukeJazz]

UPDATE !!

Marjorie Zimmerman, founder of the DM SUPPORT GROUP has secured a lifetime supply of DM meds from Westlab Pharmacy in Gainesville & can likely help provide a used cart when/if the time comes !!

I'm hoping this news will be enough to buy 3 or 4 more days for this poor boy and help in securing a permanent home for him.

 

[DukeJazz]

No takers yet, here is the latest & greatest on my boy ............

1st, I did get some good vid clips this afternoon so everyone can get a better idea of his current state & mobility.
This link will take you to all 7 clips + a bunch of stills I took trying to give everyone a better idea of his markings/coloring.
Obviously, the white dog at the end is a different project I'm working on (Shar Pei / Husky mix believe it or not!).

http://s825.photobucket.com/albums/zz179/dukejazz/Shelter%20Dogs/Diesel%20and%20Lucky/?start=0


Temp testing results:

I had Diesel nose-to-nose with 3 other, unneutered male dogs this afternoon. A Beagle puppy (8 mnths) & 2 young adult Pit mixes.
He showed no aggression or growling at all and was completely uninterested in the pup (sniffed & walked away).

He didn't pay much attention to the cats in the cat room, but I attribute that mostly to his dislike for being on the cement, he just wanted out
of the room & into the yard. He did actually give chase when one of our loose "barn cats" ran by the fence, I doubt he would have caught the cat
with his wobbly back legs (and kitty was on the other side of the fence), but I'd be willing to bet he will pursue anything that runs.

He is a leaner & loves to rub on you like a cat. He also knows how to open the U latch on a standard chain link fence gate with his nose.
I've poked, prodded, pulled on his ears etc. and not provoked a growl, tho he will move away if annoyed too much.

DM Testing:
It appears we have 2 possible venues to get him tested for DM (the U of M & U of F). I will be pursing that with the Vet tomorrow.
Doubt the results will be back before he needs to be out of the shelter, but I will see that the adopter/rescue/foster that takes him gets the results.

Time on the clock:
The generous offer of a free lifetime supply of DM meds Marjorie scored for this boy has extended his time until Saturday, but due to the unusually high
intake numbers over the weekend & today, he now no longer has a whole kennel to himself :-( Not perfect for a big boy like him, but beats the alternative.

Let me know if I can provide any additional info !

 

[DukeJazz]

No takers as of this am. :help: :help: :help:

 

[DukeJazz]

I have 3 email leads I'm trying to validate, hoping to beg off on more time to check them out !

On a dark note, Diesel refused food both yesterday & today. They were closed for V-Day yesterday, so I was not able to spend time with him

I did get to spend 45 min. in the yard with him today & he did eat if I held his bowl. :gsdbeggin:
I put raised dishes in his kennel before leaving with more food, hoping he was perhaps just having a hard time eating from a bowl on the floor.

Staff has reported he is not eating - another obstacle to getting more time ...........

 

[DukeJazz]

Oh, I really wish we could take him, poor boy.

He likes girls

Lifetime supply of DM Meds + the never ending gratitude of so many GSD lovers who are trying to save him !!

You should see him in person :wub: you won't leave without him !!

 

[DukeJazz]

Wow, sounds like you have plenty to deal with already - can't picture how a gimpy 115 lb dog would be of assistance (but if I think of something I'll let you know - LOL).

 

[DukeJazz]

Sorry I have not updated here in a few days, been wicked busy ..........

Unfortunately, there is no good news to report. There have been a lot of inquiries about Diesel, but as soon as I send them an application I never hear back :-(

I had 3 or 4 potential candidates that are all members of a group, but they are sitting on their hands because 1 member is insisting she get the dog. IMO, she is a borderline hoarder and I have stated I will not let her take Diesel.

I did get to come in over the weekemd & spend time with him and he is eating once again. Yeasterday, he seemed to be having a bit more trouble walking than the past few days. Going in to see him now, hopefully it was a fluke.

Kennel is filling up (as we always do over the holidays) fast, I doubt I will be able to get another extension if I have nothing substantive to show by Friday nite.

 

[DukeJazz]

Still no angel for Diesel and the cement kennel continues to take it's toll.

He rubbed a nail raw this afternoon & it took a hour to stop the bleeding - the staff Vet is gone for 5 days, so we did the best we could for him.

 

[DukeJazz]

My donation offer still stands....

I will PM you if someone steps up for this guy !

As for the shelter, it's not a matter of $$ as it is available space.
Plus, he is not doing well mentally being caged & the cement is taking it's toll on his feet.
Even if they said I could keep him indefinately, the other factors are reaching critical mass.

At some point, it's just not "right" for the dog to keep them like this

 

[DukeJazz]

Thought I had someone willing to take him tomorrow, but it's beginning to unravel - trying to pull the deal out of the fire ...........

 

[DukeJazz]

Deal is back on for this afternoon - keep fingers & paws crossed for my brave boy - this is likely his last chance to get out.

 

[DukeJazz]

Good news everyone !!!

Thanks to the diligent efforts of Lenore at Heidi's Legasy Rescue in Lithia Fl, my brave boy made it to a wonderful home today !!

She will be taking him to a Vet tomorrow for some blood work & they will be ordering the DM meds and getting treatment started !!

Thanks to everyone here for the support all these weeks and the diligent cross posting !

 

[DukeJazz]

A picture I got this AM of Diesel in his new home, lounging on the patio !!

 

[DukeJazz]

:teary: I'm sad to report that we had to let Diesel go to the bridge :teary:

His foster Heidi has taken wonderful care of him these last 7 months, even diapering him for the last 2 months after he lost control of his bladder !!

The really sad part is the Vets at UF Gainesville had selected him to participate in the clinical trials of a new treatment for DM. Unfortunately, it was literally just a week too late for my big brave boy and he came down with a massive bladder infection just 2 days before the treatment was to start.

This time, he was unresponsive to treatment and clearly in pain by the end of the week and we knew it was time to let him go ............

:rip: big boy - we all miss you !!