MAX

March 27, 2010...  Max did indeed have a wonderful Christmas! He got a pretty sweater, a new chew toy, and a dog snuggie which is a match to his little fur brother's. He loves his snuggie too, he knows it's time to go play in the snow when it comes out. He loves the snow! Romps and jumps and just plain rolls in it! Goofball!

Now that spring has sprung here Max doesn't get to see the snuggie anymore, but he does still get to wear his sweater when we go out at night. He is so frisky! He has been doing great, and has gained some weight due to always being hungry. He is a huge fan of green beans. Lucky too since that is all he can have for a treatie.

Well, here is the big news, our family has decided that we aren't going to let Max go. He has become an integral part of our family and it just wouldn't do for him not to stay. We would miss him and worry about him too much. So, Max has found his fur-ever home.

December 16, 2009...  Max is all better now after that horrible scare. We brought him home Thanksgiving weekend and he has finished his medication and is doing great! He has to eat Science Diet w/d food and that is all he gets. no treats, no chewies, nothing but his food and water. But a lot of it. We use his kibble as a treat after going outside to 'do his business' or any other time he is an extra good boy.

He is back to being playful and rambunctious, till it's naptime of course. :) We are trying to put some weight on him but I think he is destined to be a skinny dog. He eats 5 cups of food a day but is still just so thin.

Max is looking forward to Christmas...an elf told me that he will be getting a nice new sweater to help keep him warm.

November 25, 2009....  Max has taken a turn for the worse. He has had to be hospitalized due to dehydration from severe vomiting and diarrhea over that past 24 hours. After almost 3 weeks of seeming progress, he started to get sick again. We weren't too worried the first day, but then he went quickly downhill. Our vet, who is a wonderful vet by the way, has assured me we can get Max back healthy again and even better than ever. But we have to treat his digestive tract issues ASAP. To do that he will be hospitalized for at least 2 days in hopes of re-hydration, nutrition and medication.

We hope to bring him home the day after Thanksgiving. We have been warned that we will have to be very strict and nothing but his special food and his meds can go into that mouth. Nothing! No matter how sad those eyes are. Not even any treats for 2-3 months. 

We (his foster family, both skin and fur) are very worried and miss Max already. Please join me in praying this wonderful sweet thing gets better soon.

November 22, 2009...  Max is all better! We finally figured out what was wrong with him and he is back to 100%! I can't tell you how happy I am to see this boy healthy. Now we are just working on putting weight on him. I can't imagine that will take too long with his appetite!

We have been to the off leash park here in Wake Forest a couple of times, and I have never seen a happier dog! He loves to run and play! He still hasn't met a dog or person he doesn't like or that doesn't like him. Big, small, male or female, Max has no issues with any of them. He just wants to love and be loved.

October 23, 2009...  Max is a good boy! He has really taken to his crate. He will just go in and lay down when he feels like it. Although he seems to know when we are leaving so he isn't quite as willing to go in then. :) But he does just fine in there with a blanket and a kong.

He is great on a leash, and he will sit on command. He doesn't beg when we are eating, he just goes and lays down on his bed or in his crate (depending on which room we eat in). We are working on Stay, Come, and Laydown....Stay is coming along the fastest, but the other 2 still just get blank stares. He is a very smart dog, so he will learn in no time I am sure.

Although you wouldn't know he was feeling bad to look at him or spend any time with him, he is still having some issues with his tummy. We thought it was a food allergy, but we have seen no improvement by easing him into a new food. We are heading to the vet this weekend to see if they have any other ideas.

Max just loves his foster fur brother and skin sisters. He is a mama's boy though and wants nothing more than to be where ever I am. He loves hugs and kisses...and yes he will give hugs. As soon as I come home, he kidney beans all over the place waiting for me to tell him its ok to hug me, and then he will jump up and put his paws on either side of my waist and rest his head on my belly. It is an awesome feeling to be loved that much!

Max loves his pigears, and his PorkChomp bones. He gets into the zone when chewing on one of these. He willingly shares both of these with his little foster furbrother. Something I have never seen before in any dog.

Max still needs to be neutered and treated for Heartworms, but once that is done, Max will make a wonderful addition to any family. With or without kids, with or without other pets...Max is the ultimate addition, and we will miss him terribly when he finds his furever home.

October 12, 2009...  We have finished the first round of antibiotics and Max is feeling fine! He has shaken his cold but his tummy still seems to be bothering him a little. Doesn't slow down his eating any though, so the vet is confident that he will be right as rain after the 2nd round of antibiotics.

Max continues to be a wonderful member of our family. The girls, Sarah and Katie, just love to lay on his bed with him and pet him. He wants nothing more that a good scratch behind his ears.

He has met several new dogs at the dog park and hasn't met one he doesn't like yet. He loves to run and play. Not much of a 'fetcher', more of a 'chaser'. He likes it best when we play frisbee. He will run back and forth chasing it. 

After a good day of playing, Max likes to chew on a pig ear and lay on his bed in the living room with the family.

October 9, 2009...  Max has been in rescue for 10 days... here's the first report from Max and his foster mom:

Max: My first day out of the shelter was a long one. One nice lady got me out of there and we went for a car ride to meet another nice lady. And then another car ride to go to my foster mom Libbi. And one final car ride to get to my new foster home. It is nice. I have my own soft bed to lay on. My foster mom put my bed in the sun so I could stay warm. She says I don't have enough meat on my bones to stay warm by myself so I need a little help.

I have my own toys to play with, but I don't much feel like it. I did check them all out though. They are in my crate, which is also just for me. I can't remember the last time I had my very own stuff. I think I am going to like it here.

I also have a foster furbrother, Dexter. He is a little guy. He told me he was saved too. When he got here he was just as skinny as me, but he was very scared. He said his Mom was very patient and loving, and he told me she would be with me too. He said I am safe and loved here.

Well, I guess that is all for now. Mom said she wants to tell you all something, and besides, I have a sunny spot waiting for me. Bye!

Libbi (foster mom): There is so much to tell! Max chose his name on the car ride home. I said several different names and he responded regularly to that name so it must be close to whatever he used to be called. Max is a gentle soul. He hasn't given up on the goodness of people and he is very loving. You can see how bad he feels, but he still wags his tail at the slightest bit of attention. He has a bad cold and he is very underweight, but he has a good appetite, so he should fill out in no time!  He has shown no aggression whatsoever. In fact quite the opposite, he wants everyone to love him. Even his little foster furbrother. They get along great, although it is funny to see the size difference. (Dexter is a Chihuahua)

We had a rough night our second night. He fell over and wet himself 3 times in the middle of the night so his foster dad and I took him to the ER. They kept him for observation and checked his heart. He is HW positive, but it seems to be in the early stages and he will start treatment as soon as his cold is gone. The vet is optimistic that it won't effect his quality of life at all once he is through with treatment.

Our third day and night were much better. He is on antibiotics for his cold, and his tummy, and I see an improvement already. The nights are long and laborious due to his trouble breathing (the cold) but he is getting some rest.

Day four dawns and he is darn near frisky! Yep, those meds are doing him good. We went for a nice walk today and as of right now, he is snoring in his sunny spot.

SPONSOR ME!

Max would like to thank his sponsor(s):

Troy & Marchelle in loving memory of Cassius - "I was truly touched by Max's story. His personality is similar to our Cassius's aka "mama's boy".  I could think of no better way to honor his memory.  Get well soon Max!"