Meet Pops! This guy is SO fun – he’s goofy, endearing, and has the perfect amount of energy for his age. He is completely unphased when he meets new dogs, and sometimes will even play with them if he really likes them! He doesn’t seem to care about small dogs at all either. Unfortunately, he does see cats as prey, so a home with no kitties would be best for him.

Pops ended up on the kill list at the county shelter for medical reasons – he was found as a stray and no one came looking for him. He had a gash under his chin, a weird haircut (a strip shaved down his back and other areas attempted to be shaved!), tons of matted tufts of fur coming out, extreme obesity, very bad smelly teeth, some itching issues, and one bulging eye.

Since he got out of the shelter, he’s had a full medical work-up, and a dental cleaning! Pops teeth look great now, he got a bath and his fur has been growing back in nicely, and he has started to lose some weight. He was a whopping 110lbs originally, and was down to 85lbs at his last check-in. He will need someone who can continue to diligently monitor his weight and get him back down to a healthy range. His thyroid values came back within normal limits – the only thing off on his bloodwork were his liver values, which may have been a result of the start of a dental infection. He got started on a denamarin liver supplement that he is currently taking daily to get these back in line – they were just barely off, so we don’t expect any longterm complications, and once these resolve he likely won’t need the denamarin any longer.

Overall, he’s really not in as bad shape as it initially appeared. He has a TON of energy and is still very strong and can really pull on a leash if he gets motivated. He’s not a constant continual puller or constant jumper, but he absolutely still gets excited and needs longterm consistent training.

He is such a friendly, happy boy, it’s been so great to see him heading in the right direction for healing. We can’t wait to see how good he looks in some more time with the right care!

Pops does have glaucoma in one of his eyes, which will require longterm drops and care. He can still see out of both eyes and with continued maintenance and regular check-ups, he will not suffer and the progression of the disease can be stalled.

We did a cytopoint allergy shot for his itching issues and they were resolved instantly – these shots need to be repeated every 4-6 weeks. The are unfortunately a bit costly, though the cost has been going down as he has lost weight and will continue to do so! Apoquel is an alternative, but he really scratches himself excessively without them, so some sort of allergy treatment will be needed in the long term.

Pops loves to snuggle with his foster in bed (it’s not for everyone of course, but Pops is a huge fan!), loves everyone he meets, does well in crowded, public settings, is completely un-reactive to new dogs, and really just has such a vibrant, endearing personality. Let us know if you want to meet this sweet, gentle giant!