The St. Louis Senior Dog Project is a not-for-profit dog rescue organization specializing in older dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of all ages and even a few cats. See our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.
Ellen's Notes:
Buddy's foster mom describes him as "the sweetest dog I've ever known." Since Buddy's also spent some time at my place, I can second that.
He's a sweet guy, a beautiful Shetland Sheepdog. But he has a few problems. And he has a mysterious but probably unhappy past.
The good samaritan who first took Buddy in found him wandering in the middle of a busy street. He was flea and tick infested, matted, and dotted with bald spots. She cleaned him up and treated him for fleas and ticks. Buddy received vet care and even had his teeth cleaned.
But his problems continued. Buddy couldn't stop scratching, and his bald spots stayed bald. He also had bad hips. Before long he was taking three different medications, eating a special (and rather expensive) diet, and receiving frequent medicated baths. And his problems continued.
Finally, the young samaritan couldn't afford Buddy's expenses. She asked us to take over.
We did. Buddy was slowly recovering from flea dermatitis and a fungal infection. But he still had bald spots and itchy skin. He still took three different pills.
Today Buddy went to see an animal skin specialist. We found out his infections were gone, so we're probably dealing with allergies now. He'll be eating a special venison and potato dog food -- something the specialist thinks he's most likely to tolerate. He'll finish out the current course of medication, but then he'll switch to some new antihistamines. He'll try one for a week, then the second, finally a third. We'll see which one keeps him from itching the most.
And in another month or two, maybe we'll know exactly what will keep Buddy healthy and comfortable.
We don't take our dogs to specialists too often. We can't afford it. But if one of our dogs needs special help, we take it where it can get that help.
Buddy will never be low maintenance. He'll always be more expensive to own that the average dog.
But he'll also always be the sweetest dog some of us have ever known.
Ellen Ellick
President/Founder
St. Louis Senior Dog Project