Portia

Updated 10/5/11

We haven’t posted an update on Portia in ages—but no news on the website doesn’t mean no news, period! Portia has been keeping busy hosting foster Goldens, going for her allergy shots (which are working great), and playing with her neighborhood human & dog friends. Unfortunately, there was a slight hiccup in her routine a few weeks back. Mom & Dad suddenly noticed she was limping—first a little, then a lot. A trip to the vet confirmed that Portia had torn her ACL. As many a person knows, ripping up your knee is all too easy to do… twist the joint the wrong way, catch your foot and fall over, and that’s that. Weekend sports fanatics are frequent victims—but Portia swears she hasn’t been playing tennis or pro football lately. It well might be that she “cut” just exactly the wrong way when pursuing a pesky squirrel. Anyway—bummer!

Luckily, Portia’s vet called her an ideal candidate for ACL surgery. Healthy, good body condition, nice relaxed temperament to put up with the exercise restriction. So, it was off to the hospital on September 27, and everything went very well. The next day Portia was back home again, ready to start her two months of quiet time while her knee heals. Mom & Dad installed her in the “Golden Room” – so called because “everything in there is Golden-themed,” explains her foster mom. “Also, the windows  are low so she can look out onto front yard, comings and goings, bird feeder, squirrels, etc. She’s eating and drinking fine. So far, so good.”

Updated 5/17/2011

We already know that Portia’s foster family loves her! She’s been living with them for months now. Recently they headed out of town for a bit, so Portia is taking a vacation of her own with another GRR family… and they love her, too. She settled right in without a blip:

Portia has been staying with us for four days now.  She’s a social girl who gets along well with other dogs, and within just 24 hours she was in full play with our rowdy pack of four.  Same applies to cats.  She showed initial interest in our cats (five of them), but once she determined they weren't aggressive toward her and wouldn’t run from her, she quickly lost interest.  As you can see from the photo, she’s completely blasé sleeping right next to a cat.

We know that Portia has allergy issues, but her medication and restricted diet seem to be controlling the problem. As far as we can tell, she doesn’t scratch any more than any other dog and is not in any discomfort.  She does have one “bad” ear that needs daily cleaning; If it isn't cleaned, she’ll shake her head  and scratch at it.  The good news is Portia is very comfortable having her ears cleaned and even lies down very patiently during the process. Wow! That sure makes things easier. Her weight is about right & she enjoys her daily walks—and would doubtless enjoy more and longer strolls if the weather were still cool.

This girl is very food motivated—we’ve had one “breach” where she  broke through a baby gate to get to the cat food… we found the gate open and the cat bowls polished to a mirror-like gleam, as clean as if they’d just come from the dishwasher. I'm certain cat food is not on her restricted menu!  However, she's not a counter surfer.

Updated 11/3/10

Portia decided to celebrate Howl-O-We’en as Portia the Super Golden!

She can:

*  Leap over a tall chihuahua in a single bound

*  Squeak a toy with ease

*  Down a treat with a single gulp

While living in San Antonio (with the Smiths) as a mild-mannered foster Golden, she shares love, sugar, and affection with all who cross her path as she promotes Gold Ribbon Rescue and the American Way!

Updated 5/14/10

Good news for Portia! Her ears are so much better—one is completely clear of infection, and the other (the really bad one) is 90% better. Her skin irritation is much improved, too. We have put her on some special rabbit & potato food to help figure out the allergies—and her treats are now limited to carrots, potatoes, and green beans. She is even on a special additive-free heartworm pill.

Portia is getting more and more curious on our walks.  She is very friendly with anyone who visits the home. At a recent dinner party, she socialized graciously, as a good hostess should—and while it was clear that she was tempted by the appetizers, she obediently left them alone!  All in all, everything is great—we just need to see how we do on the allergies. She’ll make a return trip to the dermatologist next month and we’ll have another update then.

Updated 4/26/10

Dainty, pretty, cuddly Portia comes to GRR from the Austin area by way of a Kentucky rescue, where her family adopted her around 5 years ago. They soon learned that their new girl had allergy issues, and they tackled them with dedication: a look at the vet records and a visit to the home made it clear that Portia is a well-loved Golden whose family has always given her the best of care. But the past few years have brought busier schedules and two tiny children, and staying on top of the allergy issues became a lot more difficult. “We want to do what is best for Portia and the whole family, and we think that means finding her a new home.”

Arriving in foster care just as the latest allergy season is getting into full swing, Portia headed to the doggie dermatologist pronto. Dermatitis on her tummy and legs, itchy paws, infected ears (which her surrendering family was already treating)—“let’s get the ears cleared up,” said the vet, “and then re-evaluate the allergies.” Portia started on a couple of antibiotics, ear meds, and steroids for itching about 10 days ago, and “her ears definitely look better,” says her foster mom. “Also, I haven’t noticed her scratching too much any more. She takes her meds readily, and what is most unusual, she doesn’t even seem to mind getting that wash put into her ears. Other dogs have resisted, but she just cooperates.”

And in general:

“Portia is doing great! Even our cat seems to be be quite content with having her around; Portia is interested in the kitty, but doesn’t chase. She stayed with our daughter and grandchildren for a few days while we were out of town, and did great there, too. She was right at home with both the other Goldens and the kids.

We leave her uncrated – she has free reign of the house. We haven’t had a thunder storm yet, but her first family commented that she didn’t care about thunder. She likes her walks, does not chase the deer, and is friendly & sweet. Every day, there is some little thing that endears her more and more to us. For example, this morning, she was out in the backyard and she barked to come back in. Then, with just a slight delay, our front doorbell rang. Obviously, she knew there was a stranger out front and wanted to be with us. I am coming to think it is more to protect US than because she is timid herself! She is really a special gal.”

Portia will need a family who can stay on top of her allergy issues; we’ll get a handle on them in foster care, but they’ll need lifelong maintenance—something that many of us allergic Austin humans already understand very well! Watch this space for updates on sweet Portia.

Adoption Procedures