Riley
#12-155 Riley, update 12/30
AVAILABLE SOON
Riley continues to be a most amazing boy!
He is learning “stay” (already had "sit" mastered) and is trying very
hard to walk nicely on a leash. He
hasn't made the transition from the Gentle Leader collar yet but he loves to go
for walks and car rides. Actually,
he loves most everything! He really loves to play; he will fetch a ball and
tease the other dogs with his toys. He sleeps with the other dogs in the laundry
room without complaints.
He was seizure-free for 5 weeks, but has had one last night (December 29) and
one this afternoon. He recovers
quickly and, interestingly, counter-surfs for food just afterwards.
At mealtimes, he likes to be under the table but doesn't beg for food.
He waits patiently for his own meals. All in all, he is just a real
pleasure and we'll continue to monitor the seizure frequency.
Riley, age 2
Helping out a friend of
a friend of a friend at their church, the family adopted handsome redhead Riley
this past June. Friendly, smart, loving, good with kids, good with other dogs,
great with cats – it was all true! Unfortunately, the owner who was giving Riley
up neglected to mention just one important detail: Riley has seizures. Less than
a month after welcoming Riley into their home, the new family witnessed their
Golden’s first seizure. Understandably alarmed, they decided to wait & see if
this was a one-time event, but in the next three months, Riley had about five
more episodes: “He falls down & flails all four limbs like he is running in
place, and sometimes he loses bladder control. The seizures last on the order of
seconds, say 15 seconds. Afterwards he is disoriented and barks at the family.
Not in a mean way but just barks. You can calm him down by calling his name and
telling him it’s OK. The disorientation lasts for maybe 10 or 15 minutes and
then he is usually fine. He might take a nap afterward.”
Finally, the busy
family decided to look for a new home for Riley. It was a tough decision,
because, as our intake evaluator comented, “This is a fabulous dog!
Riley was so well-behaved and calm with me.
I saw him playing softly with the two cats.
Great dog. Hope he is
readily treatable as he is SO nice.”
For now, we’re
just watching and waiting and keeping track of Riley’s seizures. Since he became
a GRR dog on November 7, he’s had just one: “resolved quickly and no
incontinence,” says his foster mom. Once we’ve had a chance to observe him for
longer, the vets will decide whether or not to start him on meds.
Meanwhile, he is
living up to all his glowing reports! He’s a perfect gentleman with other dogs
and even with caged birds (and we know from his former home that he likes
kitties). He loves car rides, so much so that he wants to help drive—“we’re
teaching him to stay in the back seat.” He walks nicely on his Gentle Leader.
All in all, “Riley is the sweetest thing.
Just wants to be loved.
Average energy for a 2-year-old and so smart! Brings a smile when he sits up and
places a paw on your knee for attention. He likes water and gets into the
fishpond, even though he seems to know he isn't supposed to be there (we’re
keeping him out of pools and ponds because of the seizures). Great dog! Very
friendly to all people and all other dogs.”
