Tiberius

Tiberius (otherwise known as Tye) was surrendered to a local shelter after his family got a new puppy. It was very clear that Tiberius had not received vet care for quite a while and his health condition was very concerning. He was very underweight (skin and bones) and had a severe head tilt. The shelter staff contacted Old Dog Haven to find him a permanent foster home and finally receive the medical care he urgently needed. Lucky for Tiberius, we found a very experienced family that would give him a safe and loving place to recover. His foster mom tells us how he is adjusting to his new life.

“When he was surrendered to the shelter, he weighed 46lbs. He should be at least a 60lb dog, maybe more. When he arrived in our home, he had gained 6lbs with his shelter foster, and since he’s been with me, he’s gained another 3lbs, now at 55lbs! Our goal is to see what his body condition is like at 60 lbs and then decide if he still should gain a bit more. Thankfully, it was discovered that the head tilt was from a really deep and angry ear infection, and that has been healing quite nicely. No more head tilt! He does still have a persistent and lingering ear infection, so treatment for that is ongoing – but it’s getting better every time he’s rechecked. Our plan for his next ear recheck is to do a GI panel on him to make sure that he doesn’t have any underlying health issues or lingering deficiencies from his time spent drastically underweight. He’s got a couple of skin tags that we’re not worried about, and one lump on his rear leg that has been determined to be a fatty tumor.

“He was very sweet and friendly, but anxious when he got here. Initially, he would get very upset when anyone left the house – pacing, panting, looking out the front windows. He would jump up and follow anyone who got up to do anything. Now that he’s been here a couple of weeks, he’s MUCH more relaxed. He really likes to go for rides in the car, and LOVES to go on walks. He’s an active guy during the day, but after dinner in the evening, he is READY FOR BED – I have to wake him up to go out and potty one last time. Just in the last few days, we’ve discovered a deep love for all of the tiny toys in the house. He piles them up on/next to his bed and takes turns between them, making them squeak. He loves to get all worked up and “wrestle” with a toy – he uses his front legs like a boxer and will swat at you when you’re playing tug-o-war with him. He gets the zoomies every morning and gets sooooooo excited at mealtimes. But he’s very careful not to crash into or step on any of the other dogs. He’s not particularly interested in the other dogs but hangs out companionably with them. We’ve discovered, so far, that he knows how to sit, speak, down, and shake. I’m currently teaching him to “spin.” He’s got wonderful manners – waits for permission to go in/outdoors and waits politely (even though he’s vibrating with excitement) for me to set his food bowl down before he eats.  We all love him already.”

We are so grateful to our foster homes that provide senior dogs like Tiberius the chance to live happy and full lives in loving families. Tiberius is finally home!

Update:  We were only able to give sweet Tiberius a few months in his loving Final Refuge home, but those months were filled with love and the very best care.  And he left surrounded by love.  The very best ‘last chapter’.