STELLE
DOB: May 2012

FOSTER UPDATE - FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Miss Stelle is doing well but worried us a little bit a few weeks ago when she decided to stop eating. Turns out she was on strike, demanding a change of food. So we obliged and she’s back on track. The strike didn’t hurt her too much as she needed to lose a little weight so between that and cutting back on treats, she is closer to a healthier size. Better weather will allow for more walkies to improve things even further. Typical senior pug, Stelle has dry eye and was put on a special lube to help. It seems to be working and there is only a little redness in one eye now. She is also prone to ear infections. She had been taking Mometamax which didn’t seem to make much of a difference. Today the vet removed some waxy debris that contained some hair. No doubt this will help clear up the problem as will, hopefully, one treatment of Claro. She goes back in a couple of weeks for another checkup. Stelle’s foster mom had a lovely surprise when her foster auntie (the lady who looked after Stelle for a few weeks last fall) sent her a drawing she had done of Stelle. Isn’t it fabulous?

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FOSTER UPDATE - DECEMBER 4, 2024

A quick WOOF from Stelle to tell you I am not fussy about this cold, snowy weather. The big people make me go outside, which is an outrageous ask of a dignified old lady. But I just do my thing and then run back inside where it’s warm. What I do like is when they take me occasionally to Timmy’s where they give me a treat. In fact, I’ve trained the old lady to give me a treat at home every morning because I know where she stashes them. Other than that, I’m doing well. Just went to the vet for my regular anal gland expression (how undignified is that!!) and a pedicure. Snow, snow, go away...

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FOSTER UPDATE - AUGUST 23, 2024

What a vacation Stelle had - almost three months of pampering at a home away from home. At first she was upset about being left for any length of time, but soon settled down to a new normal. While away, she saw a new dogtor who helped clear up an ear infection and trimmed her nails. We decided to try a new food to see if her allergy symptoms would decrease and it worked, fingers and paws crossed. She hasn’t needed Apoquel medication for weeks.

 

We’re all very grateful to Stelle’s “foster auntie” for stepping up and looking after her so well for her time away. A month ago Stelle returned to her permanent foster home where there was much rejoicing. Stelle, of course, took everything in stride, resuming her rounds of the neighborhood in her pug buggy, accepting the attention from her adoring fans. One small fly in the ointment - in the last few days, the poor girl has had runny stools with a little blood so was off to her regular dogtor today to check things out. Stay tuned.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MAY 17, 2024

Stelle has been on vacation here for 2 weeks. She has found her voice. She loves to bark and try to crawl all over me when I eat. We will be working on her manners. 

 

She is sweet and sassy and loves to sleep in the big bed. 

 

Stelle went to the vet last week for a very thorough appointment with her new doctor. Her right ear was cleaned out and she has been given drops to make it all better. Other than that the doctor didn't have any concerns.

 

She is eating well, as pugs often do. No issues with her new food. We got a trough bowl today to try out for dinner tonight. We are trying to slow down how fast she eats.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MAY 11, 2024

Stelle celebrated her first week of her staycation today. She is doing well and seems to be more familiar with her surroundings. She had two short walks today. She loves to go! Thursday night I discovered her playful side. She loves to chase me around and play tug. I am very gentle with her because I read she had trouble with her neck once.

She does not like being left alone, but I suspected that would be the case. I started at the beginning with 5 minutes and each day increased the time. Thursday I had an appointment which necessitated being gone for 2 hours. When I got out of my car, I could hear her howling from inside the house. I feel bad for her, but I can't always be at home. She may do better with some situational anxiety medication.

She seems to be doing well on her new food. At this time I don't see the need to try anything else.

The nail trim was a no go. I got one nail done. She is strong and fought me and it exasperated her breathing which worries me. The vet will have to do it. She fights me on eye drops and face cleaning, but I do it anyway. After she huffs off and steers clear of me like she is mad, but that only lasts about 10 minutes and she is back on the couch with me lol. She has a strong personality but is such a sweet girl.

Stelle will be going to see the vet in a few days as we want to make sure she can have medications refilled, her nails trimmed, her anal glands expressed and her chronically infected ear looked at.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MAY 4, 2024

Sassy Stelle has just arrived for her staycation with her foster aunt while her foster mom recovers in hospital from a fall. Always busy, Stelle has already checked out her new digs and is preparing to have a relaxing weekend. We’ll be evaluating whether she could be on a different food for her allergies and iffy tummy. Timing of her holiday is not yet known.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MARCH 15, 2024

Silly, sassy and spoiled Stelle continues to win hearts as she trundles along in her stroller. She struggles with a persistent ear infection and needs Apoquel for her itchies. This week foster mom noticed a swelling in Stelle’s cheek near her right eye which the vet identified as a gingival abscess. She’s on a round of antibiotics to reduce the infection but will most likely need a dental in the near future. At that same appointment, the vet took an ear swab and sent it off for culturing; the cytology results will be back in a few days. Stelle's annual blood results came back very good overall. Her albumin is a little low, probably because of the inflammation in the abscess, but nothing that will prevent surgery.  She’s taking all these challenges in stride, knowing that she is well loved and cared for.

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FOSTER UPDATE - JANUARY 9, 2024

Stelle is doing really well. She's not too fussy about this weather but she has the privilege of the PUGGY BUGGY and me pushing her. I drape a plastic cover over her for dryness and she sleeps so comfy in it. She tells me when she needs out and when she wants back in. Stelle just LOVES it and is snoring away in it now. People actually ask for a photo of her in it with or without their kids and I LOVE that and showing her off. It's so neat to see people happy and smile when they see her. Makes me feel good knowing that Stelle probably brightened someone's day, brought a smile to their face. Stella is doing really well - full of LOVE. Someone told me that she's noticed a difference in me since Stelle came to me as I sound so much happier. I LOVE her so much! Take care and woof, woof to you.   

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FOSTER UPDATE - OCTOBER 11, 2023

Stella is doing really well and takes her meds with a bit of a fuss but they get done! She TELLS me when she wants in the stroller by jumping up on it or my legs. She has a 'dog cave' she crawls into at the back of it so she's so comfy! Stella still gets lots of attention and is so much loved by many! She's doing great! So just to let you know Stella la la LOVE is just terrific! She passes on her woofs! 

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FOSTER UPDATE - JULY 31, 2023

Spoiled Sassy Stelle continues to thrive. She’s not keen on the hot weather so when it’s too hot for walking, she travels in the Puggy Buggy where she can climb to the back of her “limo” under shade and have access to fresh water with an ice cube in it.  She loves being brushed and absolutely laps up all the attention she gets, especially when the kind man at PetValu gives her treats. It’s funny to watch her follow him around like a little black shadow. Back at home, she’s happy to sleep on foster mom’s pillow. Healthwise she’s doing great and recently tolerated having those pesky anal glands expressed. Eeeeewww.

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FOSTER UPDATE - JULY 4, 2023

Stelle is doing very well and, as you can see from the portrait photo, is being treated like the queen she is. Foster mom reports she is “spoiled, sassy and sweet”.

 

FOSTER UPDATE - MAY 18, 2023

Stelle is doing well. Foster mom reports that she is charming everyone who meets her on her walks around the neighbourhood. With her big personality, she wears the pants in the family and gets lots of hugs and kisses. Lately she has had a flareup of her ear infection; a swab cytology revealed yeast and bacteria so she’s on a round of Aurizon to clear it up.  She also had a Schirmer tear test and is continuing with her Tacrolimus to increase tear production.

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FOSTER UPDATE - APRIL 4, 2023

Since moving to her new home, Stella is doing well. She’s getting lots of attention and love. She goes everywhere with foster mom and sleeps in Big Bed with her. She enjoys her walkies and lets her mom know when she’s had a enough strolling and wants to be put in the Puggy Buggy to get the royal push around the rest of the way. She has been checked by the local vet and had her eye drops refilled. Foster mom calls her “the little miracle!"

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FOSTER UPDATE - MARCH 26, 2023

Stelle’s visit to the regular vet went very well. Her fecal, urine and blood test results were all excellent. She will need to stay on Tacrolimus drops for the rest of her life to increase her tear production and is currently on Baytril to clear an ear infection. Unfortunately, Stelle’s unprovoked aggression towards the resident dogs became more frequent and she needed to be moved. Since her aggression, age and medical issues (eyes, ears and vomiting) severely limit her adoptability, we made the decision that she will remain as a Forever Foster in a no-pet home with an extremely caring individual. Pugalug will monitor her medical issues going forward and ensure that she is treated like a queen. A huge thank you to Pugalug donors for providing the means for Stelle to continue to have a good life.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MARCH 9, 2023

Miss Stelle walked into our house and took over as if it were her ancestral home. The Grande Dame, who has been an only dog for most of her life, was a little puzzled by the resident chihuahua’s attempt to play with her and annoyed by the nearly blind resident pug’s habit of inadvertently bumping into her; she let them know she was not amused. Now that she realizes that they know their place, she has settled in and tolerates them. With us humans, she can be very loving or demanding as she deems fit. She’s not a fan of wildlife and gives the crows and squirrels a piece of her mind when she hears or sees them (turn up the volume for the video attached).

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Stelle learned our routine very quickly and manages the doggy steps to Big Bed like a pro now. In fact, last night she put herself to bed. She’s an excellent, if noisy, sleeper day and night. When I say “time to go outside”, she’s the first down the stairs and out the door, and does her business efficiently. With the snow so high, her back legs end up much higher than her head. At least this keeps her girlie bits off the ground and free from infection, which is important because she has had a problem with urinary tract infections/struvite crystals in the past. She stays outside as long as the boys so she can overmark and thatch the grass/mud vigorously afterwards. We’re both getting used to wiping off muddy paws when she comes in.

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Stelle’s “clean in the house” other than having a major problem with vomiting (or acute regurgitation). Every time she drinks, up comes the water, food, bile … whatever, often multiple times. We have to be careful where we walk in case of puddles she missed cleaning up. Her medical records mention this behaviour repeatedly over many years so we are not overly concerned. We are, however, happy to have a steam cleaner! Our dogs drink out of a water fountain and we have raised it so Stelle doesn’t have to bend her head to drink. We hope this helps the water reach her stomach and not stay in her esophagus in case this is aggravating the regurgitation. It also means she can’t drink out of the far side of the fountain and get water all down her chest (and the floor).

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You’ll notice from the pictures of her face that Stelle has a growth on her right inner third eyelid which was first diagnosed in 2019. It seems to bother me more than it does her. She also, like so many pugs, has pigmentary keratitis and insufficient tear production (keratoconjunctivitis sicca aka “dry eye”) in both eyes and requires twice daily drops to flush her eyes of the resulting goop. She’s pretty good at taking eye drops and excellent at having her chronically dirty/yeasty ears cleaned. Moreover, she was fine having her toenails dremelled and, after the initial shock, having her anal glands expressed.

Next week Stelle is booked to visit the local vet for a check-up, blood work, a fecal test and urinalysis and we will provide an update once we get the results.

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PRE-INTRO: FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Meet lovely Stelle who came back into foster care today after five years with her loving adoptive family who are sadly unable to continue to look after her. Stelle will be eleven years old in May. The foster family looks forward to getting to know her better and will provide a longer introduction then. In the meantime, here are a few photos of the sweet and sassy gal.