# Questions



## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

Not sure if this is right forum for this so feel free to move it to the correct one if it's not. 


There was a post on Craigslist that was brought to my attention. It said:

*I have a registered female Golden Retriever. She was born in November. She is a great dog with the sweetest personality. We do not have the time to spend with her that she deserves. School is about to start and we definitely won't have the time then. I hate to see her go but I have to do what is the best for her and it is only fair that she goes to a loving home where she will get lots of attention. She is great with kids and other dogs. She has not been fixed. $300. You can call Cade at 678-350-8145 *


That last sentence is not something that should be posted on craigslist, as we all know. I decided it would be best for me to get her and either keep her or find a great home for her. I just brought her home and she seems so tiny for an almost eight month old. I'm taking her to the the vet as soon as I can get an appt. I gave her some food and she practically inhaled it. I've never seen a dog do that before. I am wondering if it's normal for her to be this small or if she is underweight. I'm about to post pics and would appreciate your opinions.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

That is a sad situation. Did you get the registration paperwork when you picked her up? Looking forward to the pictures. Thank you for seeing to it that she gets a good home.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

Yes, I got the registration paper (they never sent it in) and the contract from the breeder she got her from. 









































She's barely as tall as the couch cushions. She runs and hides anytime Trooper barks,or any other sudden loud noise (someone coughing)... Poor baby. She just seems sooo small to me compared to what I remember Trooper being that age. He's a male and I know females tend to be smaller but she's tiny. The people said they fed her three cups of food a day. 
Opinions?


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

It's hard to tell from pictures but she looks underweight to me-words I don't think I have ever uttered before! And it looks like something is going on with her coat/skin as well, unless it is just a trick of the light.

Can you see her ribs (underweight) or just feel them, pressing lightly on her sides (good weight)?

Is she itchy?

If she wasn't well cared for, she may well have worms or other parasites, so a vet check and a fecal is definitely in order. She does look to be a cute puppy 

Thank heavens you got the poor little thing before someone else did, who might have had dollar signs in their eyes instead of their heart.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

Omg... she looks very skinny from the top looking down.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

A vet check is definitely in order. Her coat does feel more rough than Troopers. I can see her ribs just a little bit. She hasn't scratched herself yet so doesn't seem itchy.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Mona said:


> A vet check is definitely in order. Her coat does feel more rough than Troopers. I can see her ribs just a little bit. She hasn't scratched herself yet so doesn't seem itchy.


That sounds good-some TLC, a fecal and vet check, and good food should fix the coat and her weight.

Do you know what they were feeding her?


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

They think it's the regular Purina Dog Chow, "it's in a green bag"...:doh:
They said they bathed her but she smells. 
I'm hoping she is too young to have heartworms.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

You are a wonderful person to take this pup in, thank you and please keep us updated on her!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Aw, she is so lucky to have found someone who cares  Hopefully she is heartworm free and is on the road to a whole new her!


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Thanks for taking this beauty in! Imagine where she could have ended up- it gives me chills. 

I hope she gets a clean bill of health from the vet!


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

so glad this sweetie is in secure hands...I'm a sucker for dogs described as "sweet" & 5 months would be a great age!

I got my guy off Craigslist & both of us have wonderful lives because I answered that ad


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## maggiesmommy (Feb 23, 2010)

You are such a kind heart for taking her...please keep us posted on what the vet says.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

I'll be calling our vet first thing in the morning. Hopefully we can get in tomorrow; they are always very busy. If I didn't have her registration papers, I would question if she was a mix.....
I looked up the sire and dam listed on the papers, but didn't find anything.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I agree that she is thin. As Tahnee said, get her in, do a fecal and a heartworm test. And get her onto something other than Dog Chow, it is sorely lacking in nutritional value. ProPlan Original Formula Chicken and Rice (NOT Shredded Blends...) would be my choice.

Thank you for your generous heart to take her in...


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I can't thank you enough for taking this poor little girl in. She looks very skinny to me and I'm sad to read that she is very scared right now but I know that with your love and care she will turn right around. Please keep us updated on her progress.
What does Trooper think of her?


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

We were able to get in today with a different vet. I'll let everyone know what he says. 

Her first night didn't go to well. She doesn't like being in the crate and would scratch at the pan or bite on the crate. She finally settled down around 2am. I took her out to use the bathroom around 1am and when we she started biting on the crate again at 6am, she had already peed in the crate. She's not potty-trained (at almost 8 months) so we have a little bit of work to do. 


Trooper is just great all around, that once-in-a-lifetime dog (my heart dog). 
He's tried to play with her, but she cowers down and hides her face when he comes near her. He watches her and observes where she goes, but doesn't pay her any mind really. She's picked up a toy of his (the one and only time she's shown signs of wanting to play) and he went up to her to play with her but she ran away. He was ok with her eating from his bowl too, so once she gets over her fears (and gains some weight) I think they'll be the best of friends.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Mona*

Mona

So glad you got her into the vet.
*Make sure they do all the things people suggested above and HW test. If she did have HW, it would be caught early.
Did they give you her vet records?
Also, take a stool sample in so they can see if she has worms or parasites.
She is a doll!!*I think you said she doesn't no how to play-it is quite possible she was never socialized around pets or people, but with your love you can fix that.
She looks skinny, but I don't think she looks that small, but then I'm not an expert.


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## animallover (Jul 18, 2010)

Blessings to you!! So glad you found her and saved her. She'll do great with your love and Troopers,too.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

Karen519 said:


> Mona
> 
> So glad you got her into the vet.
> *Make sure they do all the things people suggested above and HW test. If she did have HW, it would be caught early.
> ...



She's never been to the vet so no vet records. Hopefully she'll use the bathroom before we go so I can get a sample. I'm really interested to hear what the vet says!


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## Dancer (Apr 5, 2010)

Have you been in contact with her breeder? Just curious to hear what her breeder thinks about the situation the poor thing landed in. I wonder why they didn't contact her breeder to place her? Her breeder may be able to give you some more info about her also. Worth a try.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

Dancer said:


> Have you been in contact with her breeder? Just curious to hear what her breeder thinks about the situation the poor thing landed in. I wonder why they didn't contact her breeder to place her? Her breeder may be able to give you some more info about her also. Worth a try.


No, I haven't been in contact with the breeder. I did a search for the breeder but couldn't find anything on her either. Considering the contract and everything else I've found, I'm sure this is not a reputable/responsible breeder (though I could be wrong).


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Poor little thing. If she's never seen a vet, it's a good bet she has worms, which could cause her growth to be stunted. She'll come out of her shell eventually. Such a horrible start she had. Thank you for caring for her and not allowing her to become a moneymaker for some BYB! I look forward to an update after her vet visit.


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

Just got back from the Vet. She is terrified of so many things, I had to carry her everywhere. She kept trying to hide behind my legs. The vet was trying to be as gentle with her as he could. She was shaking through the whole exam. She's better now that we are back home. 

He said she is not a mix, but is very tiny and definitely underweight. She weighs 39 pounds. He gave her the one year rabies shot and the DCP booster. He said it is unlikely that she has heartworms, but if she did it would be at the very early stages, so he gave her the Ivermectin Injection. He said that would kill anything she has, if she had it. We go back in a month to get another DCP booster and start her on heartworm preventative. 

He didn't want to attempt a fecal sample so gave me some meds to give to her instead. Also gave her some ear drops since they aren't clean. He suggested ways to fatten her up some and then sent us on our way.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

That's a good update. Thank you for taking such care of her. What are you calling her?


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## Mona (Jan 18, 2009)

The previous owners called her Layla. She doesn't know that name. One son likes Isabella (Bella for short, he's a Twilight fan) and the other son likes Bailey. 

I had to explain to them that I am not sure if I'm going to keep her yet. A few friends have expressed interest in her and so has my mom (we live in the same house, separate floors). She's growing on me, of course, so I'm pretty sure she'll end up downstairs with mom.


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

So glad you helped this little lady out. She is in such good hands with you. Again, thank you.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

You are an angel. Thank you.


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