Lucky #12 Black Labrador Retriever Male 9 Years Old ID # 2280

December 13, 2023

This is the update that I never wanted to write. I have started several times, but had to stop because the tears began flowing again.

Our sweet, lovable, funny, naughty, gentle giant passed away on Sunday morning with his head in my lap. We are heartbroken.

Everyone who knew Lucky loved him. He was the best boy.

When we first met Lucky over 2 years ago, he had trouble getting up and walking. He was weak, his diabetes was uncontrolled, he had advanced cataracts, he had some bare patches on his coat, and he had infections in the webbing of most of his toes. We thought “oh my gosh, where do we start?”  But Lucky was resilient – he had a positive attitude and responded well as he went through several glucose curves to regulate his insulin dosage. He was a favorite at the vet and loved the attention he got when he spent the day for his curves. Once his diabetes was regulated, we took him for Adequan shots a few times a week for his arthritis. Lucky never complained. Then several trips to the dermatologist – he was happy to see them as well. He is the only dog I know who liked to go to the vet. Lucky still gave me a little bit of a hard time when I checked his toes at night, but I always gave him a good belly rub afterwards so I think he was okay with it.

Lucky ended up living much longer than anyone ever anticipated and with a great quality of life up until the end. He went on long walks and an occasional hike. He was a very social guy and acquired quite a following of friends and family over the years. We called him the mayor of the neighborhood. He loved to play fetch with his big red ball in the backyard. The last few months, his eyesight had been getting worse but he would eventually sniff it out and bring it back.

We have so many stories of his funny antics over the two years he was with us – he was constantly making us laugh. But every night he would get cuddly and if we sat on the floor, he would snuggle up to us and put his big head in our lap. He would nuzzle me and he would paw at Scott and the kids if he wanted attention. His personality was as big as he was. And Lucky never missed a party – he liked to nap in our laundry room where he had a nice big mat. It was his quiet place and where I would always find him when I got home. But if we were playing with the other dogs in the living room or the kids were getting loud or there was any activity out of the norm, he would get up and come prancing into the room to join in the fun. No matter how tired he was, he had to be a part of the excitement. Lucky was the original party animal.

He also loved to go in the car. He could usually get in, but sometimes we had to help him. He was happy to go anywhere – the park, the pet store, and Grandma’s house were a few of his favorites. Sometimes I would be walking him in the neighborhood and Scott would pass us as he was coming home from work. He would stop to say hi and ask Lucky if he wanted to go for a ride and Lucky would scramble into the truck. Scott would drive him around the neighborhood for a while and Lucky would be so happy when he got home.

Of course, his favorite car ride was to meet Lorraine and Gary to go to his second home. Whenever we were going out of town, Lorraine and Gary were always willing to host Lucky and take care of his medical needs. We couldn’t have asked for better caretakers. Lorraine and Gary kept Lucky on his strict feeding and medication schedule and treated him to walks in the park to see his many adoring fans. We would meet halfway between our houses and Lucky would hop right out of my car and into their car. He was always excited to visit his vacation home and there were many tales to tell of his adventures and antics when we returned. We cannot thank Lorraine and Gary enough for their loving care and dedication to Lucky.

In the two years that Lucky was with us, he helped many fosters – especially the breeder mommas. He was a calming presence and allowed our new fosters to snuggle right up to him on his mat so they could feel safe in their new surroundings.

Lucky could also be stubborn. If he didn’t want to walk a certain direction or move out of your way, then he didn’t. He was almost 120 pounds, so he usually got his way. He was also naughty at times, stealing socks or slippers or magazines or anything he could grab to get your attention. Usually, he just waited in the middle of the room with the object of his choice hanging out of his mouth until you noticed. Sometimes, he decided to taste it – he was a master at taking socks and chewing a hole in them before you knew they were missing. No one ever got upset with Lucky when he was up to his games. You just couldn’t. He was the most gentle soul and one look at you with those big cloudy eyes and his crooked bottom teeth and you could only laugh at him.

Last February, we thought we were going to lose him, but it turned out to be something he ate and an adverse reaction to some medication. After some anxious moments he recovered in about a week, but during his illness, scans were done and a mass was found on his spleen. We decided that he was not a good candidate for surgery and we had it scanned again 6 months later. Both scans indicated that it was a benign mass, however, we did not confirm through a biopsy because we didn’t want to put Lucky through that when it wouldn’t change our course of action.

This past Sunday, we woke up as usual. Lucky ate breakfast, got his insulin, and took a nice walk. Our college daughter had arrived home on Saturday and we were hanging out in the living room hearing about her semester and playing with the dogs. All of the sudden, Lucky sat down and just stared straight ahead. My daughter and I looked at each other and knew something was wrong. Scott thought maybe his sugar was low and gave him some treats. He took the first two, but then he refused any more and refused some yogurt. He was lying down and letting out a little grunt every so often. His gums looked pale and we were worried about the mass on his spleen. We went to the ER immediately. Lucky was able to walk in, but he laid down once we were inside and had to be taken to the back for triage on a gurney. The vet checked his sugar levels and they were normal. Sadly, they found fluid in his belly. The vet confirmed that even though the mass was most likely benign, it had outgrown its blood source and ruptured. Our choice was surgery or euthanzia. Our gentle, sweet Lucky was clearly uncomfortable and not a good surgical candidate so we made what we knew was the best decision for him. We got to spend a little more time with him alone as things were being prepared. We held him in our laps, patted him, kissed him, and told him that he was a very good boy and that we loved him very much. We also Facetimed Lorraine and Gary so they could say goodbye to him. What a lucky boy he was to have so many people who loved him. He went to sleep peacefully with his head in my lap and Scott right by his side. It was only 2 hours from the time Lucky sat down suddenly in our living room until he was gone. It all happened so quickly and we are still in shock.

Here is one of the last pictures we took of Lucky. He was refusing to move when Scott was trying to rake leaves, so he playfully raked Lucky into the pile. I think Lucky enjoyed being the center of attention that day. Of course, Lucky seemed to enjoy every moment of every day. He was a total optimist and friend to all.

We were blessed to have Lucky as part of our family and thankful for the time we had with him. We will miss him forever. RIP Sweet Boy 💔

October 19, 2023

Lucky is doing well. He is enjoying longer walks and more fetch in the back yard now that the fall weather is here. He is also enjoying the small gourds that I have in my flower pots as decorations. His favorite activity is to steal them and run away  – especially when I am doing yard work and he is not getting my full attention. 😂

Lucky had a little weight gain and a slight bump in his sugar levels during his last blood test so we are in the process of trying to adjust his food/insulin levels. He had a glucose curve last week and will have another next week to make sure his numbers are where they should be.

Lucky loves car rides – here he is begging foster dad for a ride and going for a trip with his doggie friends:

Lucky also loves to snuggle. Here he is with foster mom:

August 3, 2023

We celebrated our 2 year anniversary fostering Lucky on August 1st!

Lucky continues to amaze us! His last update told of his health scare and the mass found on his spleen. Well, he recovered beautifully and seems stronger than ever. Last week, he went to see a radiologist who did a 6 month follow up on the mass on his spleen. It is a tiny bit bigger, however, the radiologist is certain it is benign and is not overly concerned about it. It is not acting like a metastatic tumor as it did not enlarge dramatically and it is not solid (still same consistency as in February). The only way to tell for sure is to sample and we don’t want to put Lucky through that given his age and diabetes. Another option is to image again in 6 months which we may consider depending on how Lucky is doing otherwise. This was mainly for our information and we are very happy with the results. Yay Lucky! 😊

Lucky lives every day to the fullest with total lab enthusiasm. He enjoys visits to the local pet store, “swimming” in the baby pool, playing fetch in the backyard, and walking/socializing with all his fans in the neighborhood. He walks 1-2 miles each day depending on the weather. The heat and humidity really bother him but this nice break in the weather has him acting like a puppy again. We still need to keep food out of his reach and socks put away. He is a master at taking things when he wants attention which is usually right around dinner prep time or when I am on the phone. He is pretty much like a toddler!

He has also visited his vacation home with another Brookline volunteer a few times over the past couple months while we were away. He is king of the castle there and maybe just a little spoiled. 😉 He transitions to and from our home to their home with no issues. He is one laid back pup and a calming presence for foster dogs in our home.

He will be going in for his 6 month bloodwork this month. We see no outward signs of a problem, but the bloodwork will tell the true story. We will update again when we have the results. For now, Lucky continues to live his best life and we love him dearly. ❤️

February 28, 2023

Lucky’s glucose curve at the end of January was great. His eye droop from his Horner’s Syndrome is still there – some days it look better than others. As noted in the last update, his vision is definitely impaired but it has not slowed him down.

Lucky was proud to show his support for the Eagles although he was a little disappointed in the outcome of the Super Bowl. (Lucky and foster dog Carmie pictured)

Everything was going really well for Lucky until Valentine’s Day when he started vomiting in the late afternoon and couldn’t keep anything down. He continued vomiting bile throughout the evening and into the next morning. We took him to the vet worried that he had some sort of blockage. The vet did an x-ray which showed no blockage and his bloodwork was normal. Sadly, the x-ray also showed a mass on his spleen, which was not what was causing his symptoms, but potentially very serious. The vet determined that Lucky probably had an eating indiscretion (not surprising) and was given a shot of Cerenia for nausea and sent home on a bland diet with more Cerenia. An ultrasound was not available at the time of Lucky’s visit, so the vet recommended that he have one as soon as he is feeling better to follow up on the mass.

For the next day or two, Lucky was not himself at all. He was very tired, lethargic and weak. He was refusing his bland diet of chicken and rice which greatly limited the amount of insulin he could receive. We grew very concerned as he continued to drink more and more and urinate accordingly, indicating his sugar levels were increasing. We tried a number of different foods and he tasted a few new things, but at minimal quantity and usually because I was sitting and hand feeding him.

When there was no improvement on day 3, our vet was concerned that maybe the mass had ruptured and he was bleeding internally so she sent us to the ER. Lucky’s bloodwork was normal and the ultrasound showed no bleeding. The ER vet agreed that he had probably eaten something he shouldn’t have and wanted to hospitalize him. We didn’t think hospitalization was the right thing for Lucky, so the vet sent him home with an appetite stimulant. She was also able to get a better look at the mass on his spleen, which I will address later in this update.

Shaved belly from ultrasound

Even with the appetite stimulant, Lucky’s eating was still hit or miss all weekend. We couldn’t find anything he would eat consistently and, since he was eating so much less than he normally eats, his insulin dosage had to be significantly lower than normal. He had lost about 8 pounds at this point. It was a rollercoaster, not just with his eating, but with his general well-being. He was just so sluggish and weak. Then he would wake up and play or walk a little, then he was lethargic and not steady on his feet again. All this time not getting the correct insulin dosage and drinking a large amount of water. We were very concerned.

Carmie keeping Lucky company while he was not feeling well.

We feared the worst – since his diabetes was clearly uncontrolled at his point, and he has been diabetic for so long, we wondered what was going on inside his body since he had not eaten or gotten the proper insulin dosage. After 5 days of not eating or getting enough insulin, we decided to stop his medicines as both were a struggle to get him to take and both had possible side effects similar to what we were observing. Also, they did not seem to be helping.  Within 24 hours after stopping his meds, Lucky was eating a mix of his own dry food and some RX dry food for sensitive stomachs. Within 48 hours he was back on his food and insulin schedule, but still drinking and urinating a lot. He is currently back on schedule, eating and drinking normally, taking his full insulin dosage, going on his walks, stealing things that don’t belong to him, and craving our attention.

Back to the mass:  It is not a cyst. We don’t know if it is benign or malignant. It is very difficult (sometimes not possible) to biopsy the spleen. Lucky is not a good candidate for surgery due to his age and diabetes.  Since we would not opt for surgery as an option for Lucky, we will not put him through a biopsy. The vet suggested that a repeat ultrasound in 3-6 months might give us an idea if it was benign (stayed same size) or malignant (grew much larger). That would just be for our information. It would not be 100 percent conclusive and it wouldn’t change our treatment plan.

It was such an emotional week. We thought we might lose him more than once. For right now, our goofy guy is back and happy as ever. He is such a gentle giant and a love. He entertains us with his naughty antics. He still enjoys walks, rides in the car, meeting new people, and playing ball in the backyard (it just takes him a little longer to find it sometimes). We are so thankful we can keep loving on him. Here he is hanging out with his besties (Carmie the foster and Tucker the resident pup).

January 13, 2023

Lucky is long overdue for an update, so here are some of the highlights from his adventures in the fall and over the holidays. 😊

In September, we celebrated Lucky’s 9th Birthday! Since he can’t partake in the usual frosty paws due to his diabetes, we took him to the local pet store to pick out his own gift. Here he is proudly carrying his new toy to the checkout counter. He really enjoys visiting the pet store where he can greet everyone and soak in lots of attention. He also got a splash mat from Foster Grandma and Grandpa which he absolutely loves (as you can see by the pictures!)

In October, Lucky spent time at his vacation home enjoying the company of his second family and trying to see what he could get away with (stealing socks and sticky notes are two of his favorite activities when visiting.) He also enjoyed watching the Phillies, running errands, and going for walks at the park while he was there.

In November, we started fostering former breeder momma, Carmie. Lucky has been the perfect host (as usual.) Thanksgiving Day he and Carmie dressed up – Lucky is our favorite turkey!

December brought lots of excitement as the kids came home from college which means extra love for Lucky! We hosted Christmas and had many guests in and out of the house. Lucky’s favorite gift was his big purple ball (and, of course, all the extra attention!)

For the most part, Lucky’s health has been good. He had his 6-month bloodwork this fall; numbers were up just a little and we needed a slight adjustment in insulin. Lucky’s paws have been pretty good since he switched to a special compound which we put on the webbing of his toes each night as needed. This problem is more manageable than it once was, but still an ongoing issue that we do our best to control. He takes his insulin shot better than he gets the cream between his toes, but we manage!

All was well until about a week or two ago when Lucky started drinking and urinating a lot, so we took him to the vet and she ran urine and bloodwork. His numbers were elevated so we increased insulin by two units. This happened around the same time as a sudden, major drooping of his left eye which was diagnosed as Horner’s Syndrome. The two conditions are not related, but we were very worried about him for a few days until we sorted both issues out. I am happy to report that as of today, he appears to be back to his normal, mischievous self – walking, eating, drinking and stealing slippers as usual. His eye still remains droopy and partially covered. His vision is definitely impacted by his condition, but it doesn’t slow him down. He is not in any pain and there is no cure for Horner’s Syndrome. His eye is likely to return to normal but not guaranteed. He will have a glucose curve next week to determine if his insulin dosage is now correct, but he has stopped drinking so much and has perked up so we are hopeful.

We feel blessed that we are able to give Lucky the care he needs and that he continues to have a good quality of life. He is such a sweet guy and we love him so much! 😊

August 28, 2022

The highlight of the last month for Lucky was a visit to his favorite foster dog sitters while we were on vacation. He is always excited to see them and happily climbs in their car (with assistance of course.) We always appreciate the way they care for him so we can get away 😊

His health has been stable – we are battling some flare up of his paw sores which we are trying to control with his topical ointments. The resident dog is also having problems with itching and licking paws so suspecting allergies and making notes for his return to the allergist in the fall (unless we need to go sooner.)

We did learn that Lucky can swim and he loves to swim! We were visiting a new park and he went right down to the pond, walked into the water, and started swimming. He was so happy and excited! He couldn’t see sticks well enough to fetch, but enjoyed swimming around for just a little. He was on a long lead, so he couldn’t go very far, but he didn’t seem to mind. He fell asleep as soon as we got in the car to go home.

Here he is hanging out with his buddy Tucker and trying to keep cool. Most days are spent napping in the air-conditioned house.

July 28, 2022

Just a quick update on Lucky. It has been a month since his blood work indicated that his numbers were up and he needed his insulin adjusted slightly. He just had his recheck and the results showed that he is back where he needs to be. Good job, Lucky! We will test again in 6 months to confirm levels are still good.

Over the past month, we have been walking early and trying to stay in the air conditioning as much as possible. The heat and humidity really seem to bother Lucky so we go slower and shorter when needed. Here he is trying to keep cool in our neighbor’s pool. He might be a little big!

He was also fortunate enough to get an orthopedic bed that was donated to Brookline. He seems to really like it and he doesn’t mind sharing with his friends!

Lucky is the world’s best (and biggest) snuggler – 115 pounds of pure love! Here he is cuddled up with foster Dad.

June 28, 2022

Lucky’s health and quality of life have been holding steady since he became our permanent foster in January. He is able to walk about a mile each day and even play a little. He loves to ride in the car and is able to get himself in without help (which is something he couldn’t do when he first came into care). He also enjoys a good game of tug and will chase a ball a few times in the backyard. His favorite activities are sleeping and snuggling. He loves attention and isn’t afraid to let you know it by nudging you with his nose or pawing at your leg. He also has a naughty streak. He takes socks, magazines, mail – whatever he can find. He never gets into anything when we aren’t home, only when he needs our attention. For all of his health problems, he is quite a character!

Lucky does sleep a lot of the day and loves to sun himself on the back deck. His active times are his morning walk and, in the evening, when foster dad and foster brother get home from work. He is also a calming presence for the other fosters who come through our home. You can see him sharing his mat with several different fosters in the pictures below.

Lucky’s diabetes is much better controlled than when he came into care which has contributed to much of his increased quality of life. He gets insulin shots two times each day, 12 hours apart, and is on a very strict diet. He just had blood work last week and his numbers were up slightly so we adjusted his insulin (for the first time in 6 months!). We will retest his blood in a month. We have not noticed any physical changes at home so hoping this little adjustment is all he needs.

His sight is not significantly worse, but he knows his way around our house, so he has that advantage. Every so often he will have an awkward moment on a walk or at my mom’s house, but that is rare. He also seems to struggle with depth perception. None of this slows him down and we continue to be amazed at his resilience.

The cysts/sores in the webbing of his feet are the most frustrating issue that we continue to address. Our regular vet tried antibiotics and a topical. Things cleared up for about 2 weeks and then came back. She decided to send him to a dermatologist. The dermatologist did a culture and put him on a longer course of antibiotics but his paws still flared up again a few weeks later. We tried an ointment that worked somewhat, but his one paw in particular continues to looks very sore. We are now trying a mousse suggested by the dermatologist. If that doesn’t work, we will go back and see her again for further testing. Even though his paw looks painful, he is still a happy, loving guy.

Lucky modeling booties we tried over the winter to keep his paws dry and sores away.

Lucky is very lucky to have his very own vacation home. His foster dog sitters are always very accommodating with our schedule and take wonderful care of Lucky when we go out of town. He adjusts easily and is comfortable (and spoiled) in their home. When he visits, he gets to walk at the park every day, watch the Phillies, go for car rides, and sometimes visit his friends Rubble and Floyd. Like I said, he is a very lucky dog! And we are very thankful for the loving care he gets while he is with them.

We will do a better job of keeping everyone up to date on Lucky’s progress. We really don’t know how long his diabetes was uncontrolled before he came into Brookline’s care, so it is hard to say how long he will stay stable and active. For right now, he is living his best life! He is part of our family and we love him very much.

January 3, 2022

Lucky had a great holiday! First, the college kids came home to see him and shower him with attention. He is happiest snuggling with one of them.

Then, we welcomed Sharpie, another foster dog, into our home. She was a breeder momma on an Amish farm and she was a little unsure of us at first, but Lucky really made her feel at ease and is helping her adjust to life in retirement.

On Christmas, his favorite gift from us was this big red Jolly ball (he also got gifts from family and friends – he has quite a fan club!) He loves to play fetch outside (and inside 😂) and the size of this ball helps him to see it better with his poor eyesight. He “runs” – more like a fast trot – after the ball and brings it right back, however, he doesn’t always want to let it go… Sometimes the resident dog plays too and then it turns into a game of chase.

We hosted Christmas dinner and Lucky was in heaven. The more people in the house the better as far as he is concerned. He opened more gifts, played some games with us, and got a whole lot of love.

Here is his Christmas photo with his best buddies.

December 11, 2021

Lucky continues to do well in our home. His health issues are stable and he is in a good routine.

He has been busy over the past few weeks with the kids home from college for Thanksgiving break. The house is always more exciting when they are here and Lucky loves the extra attention. He has traveled several times to take our daughter back and forth to school. He is such a good car rider. Last time we took her back, we walked around campus and met some of her friends. As you can see from the picture, he loves college life!

After the kids got back to school, Lucky helped me decorate for Christmas. Isn’t he the cutest Santa?

He was very interested in the decorations and especially the tree. We decided not to put ornaments on the bottom 1/3 of the tree so Lucky wouldn’t be tempted to taste them. He has a habit of picking things up that aren’t his! So far, he has been very good about leaving the tree and decorations alone – his only weakness is the pine cones in the potpourri!

November 16, 2021

Lucky spent a few days at his favorite dog sitters house this past weekend while we were out of town. He is so easy-going and makes the transition to their home easily. He is great in the car and always happy to see them. He gets to go for walks with them at a park near their house where he meets new people and sniffs new scents. He enjoyed his time with them and was reported to be a very good visitor!

He had his final glucose curve last week. The vet was pleased with his numbers so his insulin dosage will remain the same. He will just need a simple blood test in one month to finalize everything. Great job Lucky!

Lucky has come so far since we got him over the summer. He is really showing his personality and has much more energy. He loves to go for his morning walk – he can go 1-2 miles now (when we first got him, he could only make it a block.) He also enjoys relaxing on the porch in the sun, as you can see by the pictures. He is such a happy guy!

Since Lucky is doing so well medically and his diabetes is now under control, we are going to be making him available for adoption in the next few days. If you are looking for a gentle giant to keep you company and show you lots of love, this is the guy for you!

October 31, 2021

Hi everyone – It’s Lucky here! I’ve had a busy few weeks and I wanted to tell you all about it. FM said she had so many pictures to share that she was having a hard time narrowing it down to just a few. She says I am very photogenic!

Well, the two kids that live here went to something called college a few weeks ago and I really miss them. I loved to snuggle with them and follow them around. They always gave me hugs and told me what a good boy I was so it was sad to see them go. But guess what? They came home to celebrate FM’s birthday this weekend! Wow, was I ever excited to see them – and they were excited to see me too! Here I am with one of the college students, we had a lot to catch up on 🙂

Next, FM decided that I needed a bigger mat that was made with special padding for a guy my size. Well, turns out FM should have measured the spot she wanted it for because it was gigantic! Anyhow, I love my new mat and think it is perfect. I even share it with RD Tucker sometimes.

My friend Hunter was living with us for about a month. He was a foster dog like me! Anyhow, one day he said goodbye and went to live with his furever family. FM was a little sad (and so were Tucker and I), but FM said that he got a really great home with some nice people who will love him and take good care of him, so that made her happy. And it makes me happy for Hunter too, but I still miss him sometimes. Here we are taking a nap together:

Today we had to take one of the college students back to campus, so Tucker and I hopped in the truck and went along. It was a long ride and Tucker was jumping all over the truck. FM said I was a much better car rider. I just like to sit and look out the window but every so often I nudge FM’s arm so she remembers to pet me 🙂

After we dropped off the college student, FM and FD had a surprise for us … we stopped on the way home to go for a hike! I didn’t know what a hike was and FM/FD weren’t sure how I would do, but I really surprised them! I trotted right along behind FD. It was even a little rocky, but I didn’t care. I love this hiking thing! I hope they take me again. Tucker seemed to like it too, but I think he wanted to hike a lot longer than I did.

The last think I need to tell you about is Halloween. FM said I could wear one of the costumes she has if I wanted to. Since I like to eat, I picked the hot dog costume. What do you think?

October 5, 2021

Lucky had an exciting weekend! He visited another volunteers B&B while we were away. They took great care of him and he was reported to be a very good boy! One of the highlights of his weekend was a visit to Camp McGee where he made several new friends 😊

Lucky continues to do well health-wise. He is finishing his Adequan shots this week. We really believe they are making a difference for him. He is walking (almost trotting) at some points during our walk – well, until he finds something to stop and sniff!  We have slightly increased the distance we are walking him and he seems to be doing well with that.

We changed the brand of insulin that Lucky is taking recently due to the tremendous reduction in cost of the new brand. Once we finalize his dosage, he will be ready to look for his forever home.

We call him Mr. Handsome – one look at his picture and you can see why!

September 15, 2021

Lucky continues to do well in our home. He has settled into a daily routine which involves 2 meals, 2 walks and a long nap in the middle of the day. 😊 He does enjoy playtime when my husband gets home from work and can get quite wound up! His two favorite activities are playing tug (with dogs or people) and belly rubs. He gets super excited to go in the car and for his walks. He is just happy to be where you are. I can’t say enough about his sweet personality which is showing more all the time. He is a big guy but gentle and so loving.

He has been doing very well at the same insulin level for 2 weeks now and will have a checkup at the end of the month. The cysts between his toes flared up again, so he is back on antibiotics and they are looking better.

Yesterday, Lucky started his Adequan injections. Hopefully this will help with his arthritis. He gets the shots twice a week for the first 4 weeks and then once a month after that for maintenance.

Look at this handsome fellow doing a photo shoot in his Penn State Football scarf 😉

September 1, 2021

Lucky had another glucose curve on Monday. The vet was very pleased with his numbers. She adjusted his insulin dosage by only one unit and said he does not need to come back for another curve! She would like him back for one final check in a month, but just a quick blood draw not a full curve. Hooray for Lucky!!

Lucky also had several issues that needed follow up on and I am happy to report, that he is headed in the right direction with everything. 😊 His month-long double ear infection is cleared up, his skin and interdigit cysts looks great, and he lost 2 more pounds (vet would like him down another 10 lbs.). Like I said, the vet is very pleased with his progress. He is also a favorite at the office where he gets lots of attention and is always happy to see everyone!

We are so excited about his progress at home, as well. Lucky is now taking two short walks a day. He loves his walks and gets super excited as soon as I get the leash out. He walks pretty well on the leash and we go at a leisurely pace. He has made friends (human and canine) in the neighborhood and he is always happy to see them.

Even though his strength is improving, we still see signs of arthritis when he walks or gets up from lying down. This is what we will try to address next.

Last week we welcomed a second foster dog, 4-year-old Hunter, into our house (and the resident dog is 1 1/2-year-old) so these two youngsters are very active. Lucky tries to get right in there and play with them. He usually convinces one of them to stop running around and play tug with him. He has been good with them and it has been good for his activity level. Sometimes he thinks he is a young pup again, but then I will find him snoring in the laundry room (his cave) where he likes to nap.

Lucky’s favorite activity is still snuggling with his people and getting belly rubs. This gentle giant is super friendly and has lots of love to give. He will have some added expenses with the insulin and will need to be kept on a strict schedule because of his diabetes, but he is worth it!

After his follow up in one month, we will determine if Lucky is ready for adoption. Please consider making this special guy part of your family.

August 21, 2021

Lucky continues to make progress! He had another glucose curve last week and insulin was adjusted again. We can already tell that this dosage is better as he is drinking much less water already. He will go back for another curve in 10 days. Hopefully, his last! Lucky’s interdigit cysts flared up so we have him on antibiotics again. He is also still battling an ear infection so ear drops were changed. Once we get the diabetes under control, we are hopeful that some of these other issues will go away as well. The vet reports that he is always a good patient and the staff love him. 😊

Lucky’s favorite time of the day is his morning walk. He loves to get the leash on and go for a short stroll and sniff around the block. It isn’t a fast (or long) walk, but he seems to enjoy the smells and the neighbors we meet. He can’t seem to get enough attention! He is always nuzzling us, nudging our hand for a pat, or rolling over for a belly rub. He is easy going and gentle. We did learn that he likes to fetch – he can’t really follow a tennis ball, but we got a much larger ball that he retrieves enthusiastically.

Even when he loses sight of it, he can always seem to find it by smell. He is not letting his eyesight keep him from a good game of fetch!  He is so happy when retrieving.

August 6, 2021

Lucky moved to his new foster home on Sunday. This was a planned move as we were on vacation when Lucky came into care at BLLR. He was a good traveler on the two-hour ride to our home and has been a wonderful house guest so far.

Lucky is truly a gentle giant. He is very curious about his surroundings and interested in everything we are doing. He follows us around unless we go to the second floor. He tried the steps his first day and it took him quite a long time to get up the nerve to come down. While his hind legs are a little shaky, we think it was mostly his poor vision that was making it difficult for him to attempt the flight down.

On Wednesday, Lucky had a very thorough follow up with our vet. His paws seem to be healed, but he still has an ear infection so we switched medicines. He had a problem with one of his nails so they bandaged it up – he has been such a good boy leaving the dressing alone!  His sight is poor due to cataracts from his diabetes and his hind legs are weak so he misjudges doorways sometimes and is very slow with steps and new places. The biggest concern is his diabetes. He was at the vet all day today for a glucose curve to compare with the curve done 2 weeks ago and further adjust his insulin level. The vet determined he needed a bump in his dosage and another glucose curve in two more weeks.

For all his medical needs, he is an amazingly happy, loving boy. He likes attention from us and will make his needs known. He also loves to play tug with us or the resident dog. Lucky weighs 117 pounds and the resident dog is 60 pounds so Lucky usually wins. 😉

Lucky gets insulin injections twice each day and is a good patient. He is better for the shots than the ear meds. 😂 He has been the perfect gentleman with all of our family and friends and seems to enjoy meeting new people. He has been good with our young pup and seems to want to play more than tug, but our pup moves fast and Lucky can’t seem to follow him due to his eyesight.

When Lucky got home from the vet today, his welcome box from Brookline was waiting for him. You can see him modeling his new scarf while playing with his new toy in one of the pictures. He was very excited to open his gifts!

July 28, 2021

What a difference a couple of days makes.  Lucky is obviously feeling a lot better and can now do the stairs down to our pool slowly but with no problems.  We were only walking around the house and up the driveway as he didn’t seem to have had any exercise in a long time, but Tuesday and today we walked down to the creek and back with a couple of stops.  Sunday morning, we took Lucky and Coco (our dog) to the farmer’s market and Lucky was a big hit, getting lots of pets and compliments from vendors and patrons.  He was very calm and friendly, while Coco was her rowdy self.  His personality is starting to come out; he likes to be close to you, and he has a nose nudge of your arm that can launch a coffee cup several feet if you aren’t paying attention.

We had to adjust Lucky’s insulin levels Monday based on some symptoms we observed.  The good news is that his insulin requirement will likely be less than we were told by the previous owner.  He will get a follow up check next week.  More good news, the sores on his paws are almost completely healed and the medication for his arthritis seems to be working.

July 25, 2021

Lucky is 123 pounds.

Lucky spent the day at the vet today.  He hasn’t had any vet visits for many years. and as a result, his diabetes levels had not been checked for some time.  That’s what we are doing today to get appropriate dosing levels, which turned out to be a couple of units more than he has been getting.  He needs to be checked again in 2 weeks.  He has cataracts likely caused by the diabetes which aren’t awful but his distance and low light vision seems poor.  The vet said he would be a good candidate for cataract surgery but that would be down the road.  He got his vaccinations and heartworm test (negative, yea!) up to date yesterday, and I will give Interceptor and Nexgard today.  He has minor ear infections which we are treating.  He has sores on his paws either infection or allergies which we are also treating.  This is probably related to his last problem which is difficulty with stairs and stiffness walking. The vet determined that he has arthritis and started him on Carprofen.  Happily, most of these things can be addressed with medical treatment and TLC, and he is worth it.