7 June 2016 ~ We are sorry to have to update this page to let you know that little George very sadly passed away yesterday :-(. George is much loved and missed by his amazing forever-foster family, who took such wonderful care of our little boy for us and our thoughts are with them. Sleep tight, little George x
George is a 13 year old Yorkshire Terrier cross who came into Oldies Club care after being found as a stray and handed in at a vets. He was in a sorry state when found. He is now in an Oldies Club foster home and due to some health problems and other concerns, he has become a sponsor dog – please scroll to the bottom of this post to find out how to sponsor George or one of our other lovely oldies 
George was looking rather forlorn upon arrival to his foster home, but once he had recovered from the journey, he settled within 20 minutes!
A rather forlorn looking George when he first came into the Oldies Club
George is excellent with other dogs – very friendly and easy going. He shares his foster home with another Oldies Club sponsor dog, the lovely little Maisie. He does have a tendency to guard his favourite squeaky toys though!
George and Maisie snuggling in extremely cute fashion!
George likes human company and will bark if he knows his foster family are about but not in view. He barks when they go out, but is quiet and happy as they return. He has been left for short periods of time with canine company. We’re not sure how George is with cats, but he does like to patrol his garden and chase the pigeons.
George adventuring with his magic paws!
George is happy around sensible children and has met children from age 3 upwards, though he does like his peace and quiet.
George has cataracts in both eyes, very little hearing and appears to have suffered numerous untreated ear infections in the past. His foster Mum has had to do much ear-cleaning since his arrival and he now loves to have his ears massaged. George was very thin on arrival and his weight does fluctuate. His ideal weight is just over 4kg but he seems to lose weight quickly for no reason – he eats well, has been wormed and nothing was found in a blood test.
Little George is deaf so his recall, unless facing you, is non-existent. He hasn’t been exercised off lead for this reason. In the garden he will trot back to his foster carer when she waves and he reacts to a shrill whistle. Since having his ears cleaned regularly he does seem to have regained some hearing – in his right ear particularly. On lead walks, George is wonderful – he trots at quite a smart pace, just stopping occasionally to pick up and leave messages. George enjoys a brisk half hour walk in the morning and the same or slightly less in the afternoon. He’s a lovely dog to walk. If the weather’s foul he prefers to play indoors with toys, dogs and his fosterers.
Poor George is very, very travel sick after even very short distances. He is very patient and doesn’t complain but he has the worst sickness his foster carer has known. On the vet’s recommendation he has tried skullcap, Adaptil and sitting in a motionless car with engine on/off, which he loves, he happily hops into the car. He has been tried on a number of prescription drugs too, but the vet recommended that George wasn’t moved from his comfort zone.
George required a dental and his bloods pre-anaesthetic showed slightly abnormal liver function, but were fine for his age. George had an intense reaction to the pre-med and needed much greater care from his fosterer than usual when recovering from the general anesthetic once home. We hope he won’t need further pre-meds or GAs now. Thankfully there has since been some good news about George’s health too – his liver function has improved greatly, with only one bit a little above normal.
In addition to this, George has suffered from some funny turns and hotspots. Due to his health issues and the fact he is so travel sick, George has been moved into our sponsor dog scheme, which means he remains in the foster home he has come to know and love well.
George’s favourite pastimes include walking, playing, eating, sleeping, barking for fun, exploring, being nosy, delighting his humans, zooming through small gaps! George loves everyone and everything (except pigeons)!
Can you handle the cuteness?
George’s likes to explore and sees small gaps as an exciting challenge to squeeze through, so good fencing is a must for him. He enjoy s a decent sized garden as he does have a typical deaf (ie loud, off key) bark that he likes to show off.
George, helping with the gardening in his own special way.
George has a very stiff gait, which the vet thinks is due to poor care throughout puppyhood and until recently. He is not in any pain at present but he may need arthritis medication later as he has stiff joints and an arthritic spine. On the vet’s advice he has half a Yumove tablet each day, which seems to be working a treat.
George is housetrained but he usually needs to go to the toilet during the night. He isn’t incontinent and is quite happy to use a puppy pad indoors if needed.
George’s foster Mum says: “Gorgeous, Curious, Marvellous, Perfect! George has progressed into a happy, mischievous, active little chap. If he weren’t so active, no one else would get a look in as he seems to us to be as near perfect a companion as you can get.”
