TAM - 14 YEAR OLD FEMALE

FOSTER UPDATE - MAY 15, 2023

Tam is continuing to do well with her mobility and is still getting around quite well. She has however lost the ability to control her bowels. During the day when I am working from home, she stays under my feet and tends to nap away the day. When she does get up there is always a race to get her outside. I do put her in a diaper when needed, but I try to get by with timing her time outside and lots of extra baths. She doesn’t love the baths, but she does love being wrapped up in towels and being given extra cuddles with snacks. She continues to eat well and interact well with her environment in the house. The downside however, is that she doesn’t get to sleep on the big bed with me at night anymore. There were just too many accidents

 

Tam will be coming with me though to the next Pugalug event and I’m sure she is going to love it.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MARCH 15, 2023

Tam is doing much better. I did a few things that got her moving again.

I bought one of those sweatshirts to put a cat in and I used it to carry Tam around. I put her on forced rest for about a week. I started to feed her 4 meals a day versus 2 and increased overall how much food she gets in a day. Lastly I have a small hot tub in my backyard and brought Tam into it to help her exercise her legs.

I’m not sure what worked but something did and she has now regained the ability to walk.

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FOSTER UPDATE, FEB. 13, 2023

There have been some changes in Tam recently. A few weeks ago she started to struggle a bit more than is usual with her walking. It started with a small drag in her back foot that eventually caused a bit of bleeding in her toe. She has gotten progressively weaker in her back end in the last few weeks. She has been using a special harness kit to enable her walking that straps on both the front and the back of her. Yesterday she was unable to support her own weight at all but today she has been a bit better.

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She is however still eating, drinking, engaging in the world and being vocal about what she wants. 

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FOSTER UPDATE, JAN. 10, 2023

Tam continues to just keep trucking. We got her a new orthopaedic dog bed for Christmas that she now uses to sleep in at my desk during my work day. She is slightly less stiff using the bed.

She has a bit of a challenge to get up and walk but once she straightens herself out she continues to follow me around the house at a high rate of speed. She is on some new medication that appears to be giving her a bit of relief and makes her able to go longer periods without needing to go outside.

All in all she is showing her age a bit more than before but continues to make her needs known at all times

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FOSTER UPDATE, NOV. 3, 2022

There isn’t much new to report with Tam. She has become the thing in the house that my cat forcibly cuddles with. She loves to sleep as late as possible in the day and currently only has to get up early the one day of the week I’m In the office. She is very vocal and leaves nothing to the imagination in terms of what her wants are. She sleeps as close as possible to me at night and pushes any other dogs out of the way. She still likes to follow me through the house at high speed (for the few hours in the day that she is awake). She still loves her food and tolerates going outside but the rain we’ve had recently isn’t her favourite.

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FOSTER UPDATE, SEPT. 28, 2022

There isn’t a whole lot new happening with the wee girl. She has managed to put a little bit of weight back on so she is looking healthier. With the weather getting colder she now fully enjoys sleeping until at least noon every day (with the exception of Wednesdays as I am in the office that day).

 

She really enjoys the hustle and bustle of family life and follows me around at high speed during whatever I happen to be doing. She tolerates the other resident dogs and they give her the respect that she has earned.

 

In her previous life, I believe she was fed a pretty steady diet of people food. As a result, it is very difficult to eat a meal in peace at the house. She likes to bark non stop for food while the humans are eating. 

 

All in all she is a happy go lucky girl who also wants what she wants, when she wants it. 

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FOSTER UPDATE, AUGUST 15, 2022

A few weeks ago Tam was feeling a bit poorly. She had an upset stomach that became quite concerning. She went to see the vet and was doing much better within a few days.

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Tam has been enjoying the summer this year and loves to follow me around the house (at high speed). She has also been really helpful in keeping my old girl Kitty company while she struggles with dementia.

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Tam continues to be a feisty girl who always lets her needs be known. She barks loudly when she feels it is dinner time, begs like a champ and cuddles aggressively when she feels she is being ignored (she is never ignored but she is a very jealous girl who keeps tabs on what everyone else receives). she has been a welcome entertaining respite while my own girl Kitty has been struggling. 
 

FOSTER UPDATE:  June 28, 2022

Tam continues to keep right on going. Recently she has been back to the vet due to some issues with her stomach. They have resolved now. In addition, her ongoing issue with her back end has started to get a bit worse so she now takes pain medication to ease any discomfort she may be having. 

 

Tam does continue to have a voracious appetite and really loves to sleep in as long as possible each day and then follow me around the house at top Tam speed. 

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FOSTER UPDATE:  May 13, 2022

Tam has now been to the vet and she is every day of her 14 years. Unlike most dogs her age though, her vision and hearing are still quite good. Tam does have an issue with her back and the way that she walks and this will deteriorate over time. At this point we are just keeping an eye on it and if she is ever in any discomfort, it will be managed with medication

Now that Tam has decided that I am a somewhat decent person, she has now formed a small adoration society with her and I being the only members. She needs to know where I am at all times and follows me everywhere. At night she sleeps on my bed facing me and I often wake up with her staring at me. It’s just a little creepy.

I believe her diet before coming to rescue was about 95% people food. She now eats her kibble and canned food begrudgingly, but always magically appears when a human is eating and barks loudly trying to get whatever we are eating (she never gives up).

She has also found companionship in the house with our 17 year old pug Kitty and they often cuddle on dog beds and human beds together.

All in all, she has adjusted to our home and seems to be a very happy little girl!

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FOSTER UPDATE - April 12, 2022

Tam is a 14 year old fawn pug. When she originally arrived at my home she was very stressed and decided that I must be Satan. She became attached to my teenage daughter pretty much instantly though. She paced my house and refused to eat much of anything for the first few days she was here.
 
Now that she has been with us a few weeks though, she has decided that not only am I not bad, but that she needs to be able to see me at all times. She is very vocal when she can’t find me right away. At the moment, she has someone home with her almost constantly and that seems to be what she prefers.

 

She is a super sleeper and I often let her sleep in until the early afternoon. She likes to sleep on the big bed with me at night and also seems to need to be able to have either her paw or face on me when she is sleeping. When I get up in the morning she is however quite happy to take over my spot in the bed. We have discovered that she really loves fuzzy blankets so we make sure she always has one to sleep on.
 
Some other things to know about Tam:  She now eats well but is also constantly looking for any possible additional food sources. She had a couple of accidents in the house in the first few days but hasn’t had any since. Walking is not her strong suit but she does enjoy getting outside for stroller walks.
 
She had her first vet visit and her blood test results should be available in the next couple of days.

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INTRODUCTION - March 12, 2022

Please welcome Tam, an almost 14 year old female spayed pug who was taken by Animal Welfare Services when her elderly humans were removed from their home by a crisis team and unable to care for her. AWS took her to a vet who determined she has a strong heart with no murmurs. They did a dental and, surprisingly, had to remove only two teeth, although many more were already missing. She appears to have some hind leg weakness which could be neurological.

 

Pugalug took her into foster care two days later where she is gradually becoming less afraid and more comfortable. We are grateful to our supporters and volunteers who allow us to help needy pugs like Tam.

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