Bear (Lab Mix)

When he was 11+ years old, Bear’s life-long owner died. He was then cared for by family members. They kept him in a travel trailer parked on their front lawn, with a tie-out to go outside/hide under the trailer.

One of the family’s dogs would attack him when he ventured outside, so Bear became very frightened. He was left alone in his trailer from August to January and was very sad. Bear’s luck changed when an ODH Volunteer Transporter drove 4 hours to fetch and deliver him to his Old Dog Haven Final Refuge Home. Loading and unloading was tricky – at 97lbs Bear is a big dog with rear-end weakness from osteoarthritis, making it difficult for him to get up and down.

When he arrived, he was very stressed and anxious with lots of hyperactive nervous behavior. For the first 24 hours he paced, panted, and cried.  Bear went round and round inside the house, and in and out to the yard in constant motion.  Then without warning, he would start barking in a very loud high pitched nervous voice.  Now all this behavior has improved considerably, and he remains calm.  Bear was discovered to have several open puncture wounds (presumably from the other family dog) and a wound with considerable swelling on one elbow. These were cleaned and treated on day one.  On day two he had a bath and now he has a nice shiny coat with all his massive fur clots and mats combed out. He was SO itchy and miserable with all that dead hair, and just LOVED being showered in hot water. Once clean, he actually has more white on him – and a white tip to his tail!!!

Bear had a recent intake exam, and things look good for him to have his neuter surgery.  He has to wear a male wrap (diaper) in the house because even though he is housebroken, his prostate gland is huge – as expected since he is not neutered – and he walks around dripping.  Fortunately, his enlarged prostate is not yet constricting his colon, and he is still able to poop safely.

We go for walks twice a day: 30+ minutes in the morning and 20+ minutes in the late afternoon.  He is on a comprehensive pain management plan as he has difficulty laying down (he goes down slowly,) and then he struggles to get his rear end up again.  As Bear builds up his endurance and can do more, we will adjust his pain medication accordingly.  His walks will remain of the same duration, but with improvement in his mobility, he will cover more distance with more speed.

Bear is a happy-go-lucky Lab/Shepherd mix.  He is a quick study, he gets along well with his housemates, and he likes to watch TV!!! Thanks to all the generous Old Dog Haven donors and sponsors, Bear’s lonely travel trailer days are over, and he is now a forever loved member of his Final Refuge pack.

Bear (Lab Mix) is sponsored by: