Hermey

MARANDA FUND RECIPIENT

 

Hermey is a wonderful, FUN old dog. He found himself “stray” in spite of being almost completely blind – we often wonder how do all these old blind dogs end up “lost”?

Every Old Dog Haven dog receives an intake appointment with a vet. This is a full exam where a vet listens to heart and lungs, blood tests, urinalysis are taken and often xrays are performed if necessary. So often things not checked or seen while an old dog waits at the shelter is found. For Hermey, his intake appointment told us he had inoperable tumors on his bladder and prostate. Hermey’s fosters were very sad with this news, thinking it meant he’d be a short timer. Well, Hermey proved everyone wrong!

During his almost 5 year stay in his Final Refuge home, Hermey had a long list of medical issues that presented themselves. Through them all, he remained a happy boy who until his last months, would roll onto his back waving all four legs in unison to start the day. When he was upright, he would sit up on his hind end and bring his front paws together and wave (or perhaps, beg?). Hermey loved life, loved his people and the other senior dog companions in his home.

Eventually Hermey’s eyes became a real problem. He had chronic dry eye, receiving 4 different kids of drops and ointments 8 times a day. In spite of this he developed glaucoma in one of his eyes. This meant 2 more eye medications added into his daily eye drop routine. When it became evident the glaucoma wasn’t going to get any better, a choice had to be made about what to do next as glaucoma is a very painful condition. Thanks to the Maranda Fund, a procedure called Intraocular injection was preformed. For Hermey, this procedure was succesful and the painful pressure in his eye from the glaucoma was gone.

Hermey lived a bit longer in comfort until as a very old dog, his Final Refuge family knew it was time to say goodbye. Hermey was such a lucky boy to have had all the great care he had as an Old Dog Haven dog. His foster family thinks they are even luckier to have known, loved and shared their lives with sweet, funny Hermey.