04/21/14: Jake had one of his kidneys removed a couple of months ago in the middle of some of the worst snow storms! His kidney was causing him discomfort and turned out to be just a fluid filled sac, completely non-functional. It was so big that it filled his abdomen, moving his other internal organs out of place. The incision to remove it was quite long, with staples to close it, he stayed an extra two days in the hospital.

The difference is amazing! I actually think he must have started the issue with the kidney not long after he arrived with me and it just continued to grow. He is so slim now, and I don’t think I ever knew him quite this way. He is gorgeous and I feel so much better for him, given the change in how he looks and feels.

01/16/14:  Jake has lost a good bit of hearing. He can hear, and does pop up at vibrations (like the front door when I come in), but his hearing has decreased a decent bit. He still has the soft disc issues, seems both back and neck, but his medication has helped a good bit. He sometimes yelps in his sleep when rolling over.  The vets don’t want him to do any stairs, going up or down, and so we carry him.  He doesn’t seem to enjoy leaving home, and so he stays home now, and is happy here. He spends time in my son’s bed, when my son is home.

 

Update 05/14/13: Jake is such a good little man! He is a quiet older gentleman looking for a place to retire after his life as a service dog for a deaf woman…he found himself in a shelter after going blind, and is now in need of someone to help him with a quiet place to retire. Jake is low energy and likes his little bed a good bit. He will happily sit on your lap for a few minutes and get some head and back rubs…he likes to play by opening his mouth wide and trying to find your fingers. After a few minutes of that, he sneezes and wants to settle down beside you to rest, or in his own bed on the floor. He does not go for walks, but is very good a mapping a house and finds his way back to the door when in the yard all by himself…and until he comes back to the door, he is not ready to come in! Even though he is originally from the south, and can shake a bit when outside on a cold night…he does not seem to mind the cooler weather in the north east. He is easy to pick up and take wherever you need him to go, he only weighs 8 pounds. He likes smaller dogs best, and does not want to share his bed with any bigger doggie friends. He would be perfect for an older person or couple that just wants a little companion.

12/09/12: Jake is an adorable boy! He was once a certified service dog for a deaf woman, and now that she is elderly, he needed to be re-homed. As one of the wonderful dogs that gave so much in service, his BDRA foster mom could not see him stay in the shelter when his family had no other choice.

At only eleven years old, Jake has a few great years ahead of him still. He is housebroken (though needs to go out early in the morning), and is a quiet little house guy!