Medical condition: Neurological problem that causes weakness in rear
Other:Great with kids, cats and other dogs
Special needs: Prednisone for her back, mostly deaf, partially blind (one e
Description: Many of you have wondered where Petunia went - she is here and doing fine, but was moved to our Forever Foster page. Since many people don't even know that exists, we are temporarily moving Petunia back to the Available page in the hope that we can let more people know about our Forever Fosters and where they are. Check out the link that says "Sponsoring" under "How you can Help" to learn about our Forever Fosters and how you can help them. Petunia is not currently available for adoption, she is just on this page "visiting" so that all her friends will know she is doing well.
Petunia is one of our "Strollin' Seniors!" Petunia is estimated to be between 8 and 10 years of age, but as she was picked up wandering on her own in LA, we're not really sure. She is in good health, kind of, but does have some special needs. Petunia has a neurological problem in her back that causes her hind legs to be wobbly, but this does not cause her any pain, and the condition will likely not worsen. She does fall down a lot, as she really doesn't support much weight with her back legs, so she is off balance and has had to compensate by using her front end more. Petunia cannot manage stairs on her own, so will need a home without stairs or someone willing to carry her up and down them. She would do best in a home with carpet as it is easier for her to move around on.Petunia's back problem also means that she doesn't wag her tail, except on very rare occasions of extreme excitement, so it's hard to tell sometimes when she is happy. Petunia wouldn't be a great walking companion because of her back, but she does love to go for rides in her pink stroller! Petunia also is partially deaf, and only hears louder sounds. She also has a very narrow trachea, which causes some breathing difficulty. Petunia hacks and coughs, snores and makes all manner of loud, old lady noises, but she is fine. Her trachea is so narrow that she often stops breathing, especially when she is sleeping. You'll hear her stop, wait a few seconds, then she'll gasp and start again. Her foster home has learned to just watch her, as she usually starts herself up again on her own. There is not much to be done about this, although the prednisone that she is on does help some. Petunia gets along great with other dogs, cats, and kids. She is also super skilled at making sure your doggie beds stay in place, and she is a great napper! Petunia loves to cuddle, and will sit on your lap for hours, and she doesn't have many of the problems that plague pups of the younger generation. She doesn't dig, won't chew things up, only barks every now and again to remind you that she's around, and she won't jump on the furniture! Of course, she does love to sit on your lap on the couch, but she'll need a helping hand to get up there. We thought Petunia had found a forever home, but her care requirements were simply too much and she is back with her foster family. She is available for adoption, but only to a very committed family that is willing to really baby and spoil her and love her as much as her foster family loves her. She needs someone who is home much of the day, as she requires frequent trips outside to go potty. Petunia is a darling dog, who likes to lean on people she cares about, will follow you around the house, and do her happy Petunia dance when you come home. She likely has some years left to share, but as with any dog who has as many little issues as she does, you never know. Either way, whether she gets adopted or stays in her foster home, Petunia will be loved and well cared for till the end of her days. If you are interested in adopting her, contact us and you can meet her. Or, you can look for her at Pug events in her pink stroller! She's usually there with her foster family. Please consider donating to Pug Rescue in Petunia's name so that we can continue to care for this darling old lady and other senior Pugs like her. Update - 4/24/10 Petunia is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow morning to have her eye removed. It has ulcerated and is very painful and will not be able to heal. This, unfortunately, happens to many pugs, and we are very sad that Petunia has to go through this. We have been treating her eye for several days, but it is simply not going to heal. The only choice is to remove it. With this new development, adding partial blindness to Petunia's laundry list of medical issues, we have decided that she will become a Forever Foster. Petunia will remain a ward of Pug Rescue, and will stay in her foster home where things are familiar, and she feels comfortable and safe. She knows she is loved, and her foster family is happy to care for her. Please consider donating, even just a little bit, to help defray the cost of Petunia's eye surgery. All monies will go directly to helping her or some of our other Forever Fosters. Petunia, and all our senior dogs, thank you. Update 5/5/10 Our wonderful vets were able to save Petunia's eye, they performed surgery to scrape the cornea and then sewed her eye shut for a week so it could heal. She now has her sutures out, but continues to wear a cone to protect it and gets eye drops three times a day. We are hopeful that it will heal and she will regain some vision. She is doing well, and we are grateful for everyone's support.
New Beginning:Petunia crossed the rainbow bridge on July 8th, 2010. A mass was discovered in her mouth that had already grown into her sinus cavity, pushing out her eye and making breathing difficult. We knew that the mass would only get bigger and more painful, and that operating was not an option for a dog of Petunia's age and health. We made the decision to let her go, and rest pain free.
Petunia died in my arms, surrounded by her family, getting hugs and kisses and being told how very much we love her. She went easily and it was very peaceful. We miss her very much and are grateful that Pug Rescue saved her and took such excellent care of her for the last year of her life. We are honored to have been her Forever Foster family, she certainly brought a lot of love and joy to our home.
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