Clayton

Clayton, an adorable Bichon Frise, was brought into a big shelter by his lifetime owner because “he was no longer housebroken”. Only 8 years old, he was adopted, then given away, and then brought back to the same shelter because of the problem. The shelter vet noted that he most likely had bladder stones and staff contacted ODH. We picked him up the next day and immediately sent him to surgery to remove the stones – this poor little dog had been in great pain for at least 8 months. (Dogs with bladder stones typically try to urinate very frequently and almost anywhere: often owners presume it is bad behavior and don’t look for the physical cause.) He will need a special diet and regular veterinary monitoring lifetime to avoid more surgery (Bichons are very prone to oxalate stone formation) but otherwise is a healthy sweetheart who loves to snuggle. Since we’re his fourth home plus two shelter stays in less than a year, he is welcome to stay with us permanently.

Update:  Clayton hid a very large tumor in his stomach wall for a long time, until the pain became obvious.   He had spent just under 5 years with his ODH family, eyes constantly on his mom’s face and on her lap anytime she sat down.   Completely devoted, this little guy left a large hole in her heart.