Hunter #12 Black Labrador Retriever Male12 Years Old ID #3045

March 10, 2023

Hunter is an awesome dog. He is very charismatic and charms all the vet techs. His surgery for mouth cancer has healed well. He has not had a seizure since being on the seizure medicine, but it makes him very lethargic.  He takes 3 walks a day but at a very slow pace and would just prefer to lay in his dog beds. Since he has arthritis everywhere, especially in his self-healed previously injured hind leg, Hunter goes to acupuncture and under water treadmill.  With all this activity and a detailed diet, he is still gaining weight and has initial tests indicating a thyroid problem.  He is approaching his 12th birthday on April 1.

Hunter is getting acupuncture.

August 31, 2022

Hunter is great.  He is playful and easy going.  He has had no problems, not at all.  Koda is getting worse in his back legs.  I do the same exercises I do for Koda with Hunter since his one back leg has an old injury.  We are enjoying morning walks and inside exercise and games.  Hunter is a good ball catcher.”

Hunter enjoys sniffing the breeze in the backyard when it cools down in the evening, and hanging out with his foster brother Koda and “cousin” (Golden in picture).

Hunter is a sweet, easygoing fellow who joined his foster mom for a pool day at her friend’s house. He liked the water and made a new canine pal, too!

June 2, 2022

OH MY GOODNESS – I have some exciting news!!

The super nice Vet said that I am looking great! My infection is gone, and the incision is healed. He also said that the biopsy showed that he was able to remove the tumor and got clear margins. It is highly unlikely that the tumor will return! The Vet said that I was now ready to be listed (again) for adoption!!! He did ask that I come back in a month for a (free) progress exam to be 110% sure all is well, I think he just likes me and wants me to visit.

I have been eating regular dry dog food and chomping away. I am also getting better at keeping the food in my bowl and in my mouth, don’t worry even if I make a mess, I completely clean up any dropped kibble. I am also back to enjoying some carrot and cucumber pieces too as treats.

Other than practicing eating neatly I have been enjoying some time with visitors and friends to my foster home. I don’t think there is a single person I do not enjoy meeting. On my walk today, my foster mom had to hustle me along because I sat down to say hello to someone who had just gotten out of their car in a driveway. Apparently its weird to stop and wait for complete strangers to come and give me head scratches. Who knew? I just think passing strangers and not saying hello is an opportunity missed.

On a somewhat exciting note – I sniffed out a baby bunny in the yard! I thought I might get a snack. My foster mom didn’t seem too happy that I spotted it and she got a little flustered and ran after me. She seemed relieved that she had distracted me enough to buy some time for the little fur ball to make it safely through the fence.

May 22, 2022

Hey Paw People!

This last week started off pretty rough. I did fantastic post-surgery and then my meds ran out and you know what, that hurt. Thankfully my foster mom was able to get a follow-up with the vet. He noticed I had a slight infection and that my incision had opened. I think this was the only time in my life I didn’t want to eat. I got some new meds to help heal the infection and some for the pain. Within 24hrs I was back to my old hungry and snuggly self. I’m still a bit of a messy eater but I make sure to get all the kibble eventually, I just take a bit longer than my resident dog brother.

I go back for my next check-up on June 2nd and paws crossed my incision will be healed by then, the Doc thinks it’s likely! Once I get that okay then I am back on the Available Dog list (third time the charm!).

This weekend my foster mom had a party, and I was the pup of the ball. I nuzzled up on everyone and even convinced one new friend to let me drink water out of their fancy plastic cup even though my water bowl was fully accessible. When I say everyone loved me, I promise I am not exaggerating. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, I even slept in this morning after such a late bedtime.

Well, I’m off to snooze and snore away the afternoon! Bark to you later.

May 12, 2022

Checking in because a lot has happened!

I have had fun these last two weeks. My foster Aunt and Gigi came to visit, and I got lots of extra love. Gigi might have even slipped me a few snacks. It was a great time. I am loving the sun; it feels so good on my fur to lay in the sun and snooze. I got to meet a new Vet about the mass in my mouth and he said that he could help me. All the nurses, doctors, and staff said I was such a sweet boy.

This morning my foster mom took me to see him again. I thought something was up when I didn’t get any breakfast this morning, but I climbed up into the back of the car and settled down next to the little human’s car seat for the drive. When we got to the Vets office, I was so excited to see the nurse my tail was whacking the scale. They said I am 102lbs (without breakfast).

The Vet said that my surgery went great and that he was able to remove the mass (plus a bit of my lower jawbone and some bottom teeth. It sounds way scarier than it is (apparently dogs handle jaw surgery really well). He also removed two of my top teeth that were not doing too great. The Vet said that I’ll be a little loopy tonight but should be feeling more like myself in the next 3 days. So, it’s soft food and no chewing on tennis balls for me for the next two weeks until I see the Vet again for my follow-up. My Foster mom says I still look as handsome as ever and that you can’t even tell that I’m a few teeth short of a full mouth. Don’t judge me by the photo attached, I was feeling sleepy from the surgery.

April 18, 2022

Good morning pups and humans!

Here is a long overdue update on my foster life.

A few weeks ago, I went to get my teeth cleaned and a mass removed from my mouth. While I was under the Vet took some pictures of the mass and found that it contained bone. Unfortunately, that meant that the mass couldn’t be removed. Not a big deal because I can still eat all the things and play fetch without being too bothered by it.

There was a bit of an issue with the tissue sample, so I had to go back in to see the Vet and have another one taken. While I was there, they took pictures of my lungs and said those looked good! Hopefully, we will find out more by the end of the week. Paws crossed for good news.

Other than patiently waiting for my results I have been enjoying the sunnier weather. Playing outside with my human little sister and her friends. Lounging in the sun and rolling around in the grass. My foster Mommy planted some things in her garden but she’s not too happy when I stick my nose in it to smell and root around.

There has also been more activity in the kitchen lately and I have given my support by laying right in the middle on a rug to observe all the mixing and baking. Sometimes my Foster parents chase me out because they tell me I’m in the worse spot but otherwise they step over me since I lay so still. The little human tripped and fell on me and my foster parents seemed to freeze. I honestly didn’t notice it had even happened, they seemed so proud of me for doing nothing! The little girl said sorry, and they all told me I was a good boy and then I got a treat. I’m still a little confused because I didn’t even have to do anything to get it!

Well hopefully next week I will have some good news to share. Until then I hope you have all the treats you can find.

March 14, 2022

Well let’s see, what did last week bring?

I helped with some yard work. I was put on stick duty, and I think I did great breaking down a big stick into smaller sticks. My foster dad seemed pretty happy with my work.

I got some good snoozes in while laying in the sunroom and greeted any guests that came to the front door with tail wags and a nuzzle. I also made sure to rotate through each of my favorite three stuffed toys – alligator, hedgehog, and cow. I like to toss them in the air and then pounce on them when they land or attempt to catch them in the air. Sometimes my foster mom will play tug with me and then toss them for me.

I got to try sweet potatoes and let me just say I am a fan.

All in all, it was a good week!

March 8, 2022

Hey pup people! It’s been a quiet week. I’ve gotten to spend a good amount of time lounging in the sun in the yard and on the deck and rolling around on my back in the grass.

I helped supervise while my foster dad did some wood working outside. He made all the right cuts with my quiet oversight.

I have learnt I actually like broccoli stalks and carrots. Who knew healthy treats were actually so yummy?!

We heard back from the Vet. My lab results all looked great so no need for medication for the seizure for now. They said if I have another in the 30-day window then I would need meds. So far, we are almost 10 days since the first one and doing fine!

Who knows what the next week will bring?! Paws crossed for more snacks, belly rubs and grass rolling.

February 28, 2022

Let’s see, since I started my foster journey, I’ve lost 11lbs and am now down to a sleeker 102 and shrinking. I can’t wait to drop my winter coat and show off this beach bod.

I got to spend a few nights at another Brookline family while my foster family took a short trip. I loved making friends with the couple, smelling all the smells in their yard and napping on all their rugs. I got accustomed to stretching out across my own bed and their guest dog bed. My new friends even sent me home with a few new toys that I have happily shared with the resident dog back in my foster home.

I had a minor seizure a few days ago, my first one we think in years. My foster mom took me to the vet and we’ll get lab results back in a few days.  Overall, I feel fine but we’ll let the vet do her thing. On the plus side I got a whiff of a crazy amount of smells at the vet, few extra head scratches and treats along the way.

I’ve earned the trust of my foster parents to forgo being put in my kennel at night or when they have to leave during the day so now, I can roam from rug to rug with the resident dog and really stretch out for good snoring … I mean snoozing.  It’s great to greet my foster family at the door when they return with tail wagging. I’ve also gotten used to car rides, after being on a few and now settle in quickly and enjoy the adventure.

January 20, 2022

I think I am finally learning how to be a kept dog. I have really leaned into the snooze life during the day while my Human works from home. At first, I didn’t know why she was ignoring me and not giving me belly rubs every hour, but I watched my doggy roommate and figured out it was just because she was tapping away on her computer not because she didn’t like me. Eventually I know I’ll get to go on a walk with the other dog so I’m happy. I got to meet more neighbors and got some great head scratches from them. I freaking love all the people everywhere.

My humans have started tucking me in at night under a blanket on my dog bed. I think it’s pretty cozy, maybe unnecessary but I’m not going to tell them to stop.

They have tried giving me some more weird snacks. A few winners – avocado, raspberries, and blackberries. The little human seems to drop things and then I get to try them. A few losers – green beans and kale stems. The resident dog seems to love it all, but you can’t fool me.

We shall see what types of naps and snacks next week brings.

January 13, 2022

Just a quick pupdate check-in:

OMG! I met a cat and a baby!! My foster mom didn’t let me off my leash to properly say hello but I sniffed all the smells and my tail couldn’t stop wagging. I didn’t get the feeling the cat liked me much, it made a slight hissing noise. I sat patiently while we visited with the cat humans and then licked the baby human goodbye when we left.

I’m really loving indoor living. I like to rotate to each of the rugs and carpets for my naps throughout the day.

My foster family gets a good laugh out of my morning routine to roll on my back, belly up on the frosty snow in the morning.

I think I also have the human’s nighttime routine down. When the little human goes to bed, that’s my signal I need to go potty one more time. So, when they get up to put her to bed, I get up from whatever rug or spot I’m curled up on and go to the back door to go out. After that, I head straight to my own bed.

A leisurely walk on a leash is becoming one of my favorite things to do.  I’ve successfully met some of the neighbors and their dogs, it’s been great meeting new 2 and 4 legged friends.

My humans are impressed with the awesome thumping of my tail against everything when it gets wagging.

My foster family celebrated New Years with another family, but I prioritized my sleep, I opened my kennel door with my nose (I’m getting really good at that) and tucked myself in after dinner and the snacks were put away. I think farm life prepared me for lots of noise, I wasn’t much bothered by the fireworks (I can’t say the same for the resident dog…)

Can’t wait to nap on all the rugs in my future forever home!

December 28, 2021

I watched the humans open boxes covered in paper one morning, it was a lot of excitement. I found a good spot on the rug near the tree to stretch out and take it all in.

We’ve been playing this game called fetch lately, the humans throw a tennis ball across their yard and I get to chase it down and bring it back.  I’m partial to the way the dad throws vs the mom but don’t tell her that…

I also enjoy my short strolls around the neighborhood, they tell me I’m doing great on a leash whatever that means.

I’ve also figured out if I follow the humans around the house, there’s no shortage of head pats and belly rubs.

I got to try some weird treats this week. The humans gave me this small bright orange thing (carrot), my doggie roommate happily crunched his, I sniffed it but gave it a hard pass. The humans said I wasn’t a very good farm dog if I don’t like my veggies, but I’d rather have bacon (the humans don’t seem to want to share that though).

And they continue to be baffled by my self-directed early bedtime of 7pm (but if your bed and kennel was as comfortable as mine you’d understand too!)

December 21, 2021

Update from Hunter:

Oh boy, what a week! I can’t believe I’ve only been in my foster family’s house less than two weeks. It was maybe a little weird at first but I’ve really taken a liking to my comfy bed and kennel. At night after a quick loop around the yard, I like to come in and just tuck myself in. Sometimes the big humans try and make me get up to potty again, but they are catching on that once I tuck in, I am good till morning.

My humans had some friends come and stay with them. I loved it. I got so many more scratches with all the additional hands and there was another small human who gave the best belly rubs. I promptly thanked him with some doggie smooches.

One of my favorite things to do with the humans is playing fetch in their yard. Sometimes they throw my favorite purple stuffed toy or a ball and I love chasing it and bringing it back to them. My doggie roommate even joined in!  We ran around fetching different balls and were having so much fun we nearly collided.

A human who lives in the neighborhood came over, he was pointing a big square thing at me and telling me to sit and stay. He gave me treats so I happily obliged until he started getting too far away. My humans said he wanted to take pictures of me to help me find a forever home. They all said I looked really handsome.

Update from Foster Mom:

We have absolutely adored having Hunter. He is such a gentle giant of a dog. He can be a little stubborn when it comes to getting up in the mornings or going out one more time before bed, but he doesn’t wake us up during the night to go out, so we don’t push him. Watching him get so excited to go for a walk, play fetch or get a snack melts our heart. Everyone who has met him, adult or child has fallen in love with him. He seems to love everyone, and no one seems able to resist his charm and promptly provides him with head scratches and belly rubs. He would make a great addition to any household.

December 13, 2021

My old man body needed some extra rest and stretches after a whirlwind weekend. I got some good afternoon snoozing in and felt better. I just don’t think I’m a morning dog or a night owl type of doggie.

We played a little fetch with my favorite purple squirrel toy. I liked fetch much better outside on the grass than on their slippery living room.

The grass felt so good to roll around in too! I think my favorite place to lay down is my new bed and the rugs and carpet in the house.

The humans were making a whole lot of noise cutting some wood I made sure to watch what they were doing in case they needed any help or wanted to stop for head scratches.

My furry roommate let me know how to tell the humans I need to go out to pee. It’s been easy to communicate and they’ve been so proud of me. I’m not the biggest fan of stairs but I’m way more skeptical of the weird doggy ramp they tried to have me use.

December 11, 2021

After so much excitement yesterday I slept like a log without a peep, so content all night in my kennel. Before I knew it, it was morning. After my yummy breakfast and a stroll around the backyard to potty I got some great head scratches.

Me and my doggie roommate got to go on a walk. My humans were pointing out squirrels and other dogs but I barely noticed. They said I walked really good. It was such a fun time smelling all kinds of new smells. The little girl came along on her scooter, I tried to keep up with her but she was going too fast for me. I wasn’t even scared when she would ride past me.

Later the humans went to the store and I hung out in my kennel. I don’t think they were gone long and I got to take a good power nap.

A big box full of doggie goodies came and the humans started giving me all kinds of squeaky fun toys and a new bed. I can’t wait to snooze on it later!

December 10, 2021

Oh, wow what a day! It’s been quiet the adventure. I got picked up from the farm and went to go see the Vet. They had almost all great things to say except I need to lay off the Christmas cookies for a bit. I told her I just had a lot of love to give. Hunter is 113 lbs neutered male.

After the vet I got a good scrub down and went on my next adventure to New Jersey! I got to meet my new roommates. A new bestie that looks a bit like me, a little girl and two tall humans.  I’m entranced by this tree in their house with lights on it.

I think I’m going to like it here. I was so excited to nuzzle into my foster Dad to get head scratches. I like the little girl too; she gave me a small treat when I happily went in my kennel!

I can’t wait to find out what tomorrow’s adventures will be!