A very old stray {The Old Fella Story}

[Dixie_Flyer]

Went camping this weekend at a campground on the lake, had not been there for a few years. Once there I began to walk around looking at the different sites when I noticed a very old dog. He just lay there until I got too close then he got up on three legs and hobbled away. Just judging I would say he is at least 11 years old. Well back to my story. The next afternoon he wanders into camp and just sits there looking. He looked so sad, so the wife got a bowl of our dog's food and put it down for him and he came over and ate. He then walked over to our dog and the two of them sniffed each other over and then they lay down together for the rest of the afternoon. That night he disappeared.
The next morning he was back and was a little more receptive of me. I looked at his injured leg and found that half of his rear foot was gone. It had healed and was not causing any problem except that he was walking on the stub that was left with no foot pad which causes him to limp. His front teeth were gone except for one canine tooth and it looked decayed. His eyes were tired looking and showing his age. He spent the rest of the day just laying around looking for a handout and by afternoon the campground host came around and saw him. I enquired about the dog and was told he had been there for three years and that most of the campers were tolerant of him and gave him food.
So what to do? Do you pick him up and bring him home or do you let nature take it course. He can't harm anyone, he has no teeth and he isn't a nuisance unless you don't like dogs, and no one seems to mind him being there. He is gentle and likes other animals as seen by his interaction with our dog. He still would not let me touch him but he would eat from my hand. Enough said, what would you do???

On June 28th 2008 Old Fella passed away of complications caused by bone cancer. Fella spent almost three years with his new family and became the icon of rescued old stray dogs. He will be greatly missed but his foot prints have been left in our hearts forever.

Now Charlie, the ten year old rescued Golden Lab has come to be a part of the continuing Old Fella story. (*Note, Charlie took his journey to Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly September 30, 2008)Suzie continues to charm her way into our hearts with her antics as she has grown from a puppy into a young lady. Togther they will carry on the Old Fella legacy. Come join us in their daily lives and be a part of the best feel good thread in RV.NET history. The legacy lives on.


HIghways Article Puppy Love

Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue

[Code2High]

I've yet to meet a dog that was described as a "picky eater" that wasn't being fed more than that dog needed. I'm big on feeding quality foods and foods that my dogs will enjoy, but I also know that they don't enjoy anything much if they're getting too much.

My friend and I were always on the phone while she gave her dogs their dinner and begged them to eat it. Took me months to get her to cut back. First she cut out the meal but then found that they were hungry some days. Once we hit on having her cut the amounts in half and replace with veggies for both meals, her issues with them not wanting to eat vanished. They both eat these days as soon as the bowls hit the floor and they clean them out, too. It's a good thing.

A spoon full of canned food... not a lot, just a bit... can coat things and make the green beans more like food she's used to. (meat!) You don't have to cut back to half, I'd start with a %25 percent cut in kibble and see how that goes, personally. At this point in her life, every ounce she drops is going to make getting around a little easier.

Another way to get them to try new foods is to drop them on the floor and then not notice them. Preferably while you're munching on them making lip smacking sounds :B I've found that anything dropped will be eaten first and any questions about taste asked later... dogs are scavengers by nature and they don't like to miss an opportunity.

[Dixie_Flyer]

The fog is so thick this morning I can't see beyond the back yard fence. It is sixty degrees and will be close to seventy today. I have cut mama's intake and I think I will try the beans to see if she will eat them. She is so picky about her food, but she has gotten used to eating the dry mixed with Young at Heart supplement added to it. She is in great health and is very happy. She has been hanging around 94 pounds now for months and doesn't look fat, she looks healthy and when she has had enough of Suzie she can run pretty fast chasing her. It is climbing the steps coming into the house she has to take easy, one step at a time.

I guess we will be walking later on this morning as I am going to wait for the fog to burn off before we go out. Just three days before Christmas, aren't you excited?

[Code2High]

Dixie Flyer wrote:
Looks as if some fur friends are getting a nice meal prepared for them. Reminds me of my younger days when I was told to eat my greens.

The weather here this morning is cold at 28*. What do you know, its the last week before Christmas. We are finished with the parties and now can settle down to a relaxing week at home. The girls are doing well and resting and as usual are waiting on me to get ready so they can walk. I hope all is well in FOOF Land and your Christmas is a blessed one.

LOL... except that no "telling" is needed in this case. They all eat their veggies eagerly. I've got the cats on lock-down right now, they are still adjusting to having Cleo in the mix. So I've taken to adding some green beans to the kibble of the youngest cat, Mike, since he isn't in the kitchen when the dogs get theirs at night. He eats the green beans right along with the kibble that he loves, not preferring one over the other. The others get jealous because his meal lasts longer than theirs, but they aren't interested in veggies. It's pretty funny to watch.

But also a great way to make slimming down a dog a lot less painful. If Mama needs to drop some pounds to get around better, it's really worth trying.

[SGTJOE]

Hope it turns out to be a Great Christmas for River. Good job Gary.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Dashonthedash wrote:
River is on a 3-day pre-adoption visit with a family down in Colorado Springs. It looks like love at first sight. I miss him already.

Great news Gary!:B

[Dashonthedash]

River is on a 3-day pre-adoption visit with a family down in Colorado Springs. It looks like love at first sight. I miss him already.

[vickiebec]

Have a good trip, Sacramento Airport is having heavy fog issues.

[Dandy_Dan]

Gary,
Have a safe trip to Penna to be with the family and Have a Great Merry Christmas..........

Can't believe it got up to 56 here today. Is 50 right now and gloomy. Earlier we had a fairly good rain then blazing sunshine. I don't think Mr. Weather can make up its mind. Yesterday was our baby girls 33 birthday. Boy how time flies. The weather was in the high 50's to lower 60's when we brought her home from the hospital on Dec. 23 1978.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Have a safe trip and enjoy your family. Maybe the snow won't be too bad.

[Dashonthedash]

I'm getting ready to leave tomorrow morning for a one-week visit with family in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there is a snowstorm coming in later today that's supposed to last through tomorrow. Delays at the airport are expected, and cancellations may happen as well. The dogs are scheduled to be dropped off at the boarding kennel in the morning, and River is being dropped off with a sub-foster today. He is scheduled to meet with a prospective adopter after I drop him off. It's going to be a difficult trip, but I hope it's not as bad as '06, when the airport was closed and my whole trip was cancelled.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Good morning everyone. It is still raining here today, cool but not cold. Just a few more days until Christmas, I guess I need to clean the fireplace so Santa won't track sut all over the floor. I am on my second cup of coffee and a piece of rasin toast, taste good. Old Fella is till struggling in the Pepsi sweepstakes stuck at #56, can't seem to get past that point.

Allison is on her way over for a morning visit, maybe she will bring some donuts? We went for a short walk this morning between showers. The girls still make fun out of a short time outside. They are staisfied right now and are resting waiting for something else to come along.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Looks as if some fur friends are getting a nice meal prepared for them. Reminds me of my younger days when I was told to eat my greens.

The weather here this morning is cold at 28*. What do you know, its the last week before Christmas. We are finished with the parties and now can settle down to a relaxing week at home. The girls are doing well and resting and as usual are waiting on me to get ready so they can walk. I hope all is well in FOOF Land and your Christmas is a blessed one.

[Code2High]

With the frozen ones, either seems to work. I leave Tink's breakfast portion to thaw along with the meat overnight, but I usually nuke the evening portion.

If they were fresh you'd want to cook them at least somewhat, I think, to mix in with food.

Some people actually use canned/no salt ones, but those are more expensive I think and there's also the BPA issue.

[SGTJOE]

Cooked or raw??

[Code2High]

Green beans will bulk things up slightly (proportional to the amount you give) but nothing runny should result.

I give Tinker half green beans and half canned dog food (EVO 95% meat) with her morning meal, and in the evening just some green beans when the puppy gets her dinner. Hally gets the evening green beans, but not the morning. Puppy gets more food proportionally, so she doesn't get the green beans. I didn't put Tink on them to get weight off, rather to keep her trim without her being so miserable. She's got the luxating patella issue, so no extra weight can be allowed on her tiny frame. And she may look like a chi, but her stomach is clearly lab. She'd eat twice her weight every day if she could. She is MUCH more satisfied since she's getting the veggies. I so do not miss the days of her constantly haunting the kitchen, eating bits of whatever (often not food) in corners around the house, always hungry.

They'll eat most anything but spinach, (plain at least, I'm sure they'd eat that mixed with food) but green beans are the most common since brussels sprouts (everyone's favorite including mine) are expensive and sometimes not available frozen. I can't keep up with fresh stuff, I've got that to deal with for the bunnies. I get a five pound bag of frozen green beans and that lasts a week or two for the lot of them. Including the youngest cat, who gets in on the evening snack.

Other people have cut out 25 to 50% of the dog's food and replaced it with green beans for weight loss. The french cut are a good place to start as they are finer and mix in better until your dog gets to liking them.

Friend of mine has two older dogs that had gotten to be picky eaters and fat, and boy it was NOT doing them any favors. You get those old stiff joints and add a few pounds and it ain't pretty. She cut their kibble in half and replaced it with veggies (green beans or brussels sprouts) mixed with a little canned food, and the next thing she knew they were eating better, melting like butter, and looking and feeling much better. To see her oldest one romping and playing again at age thirteen has been wonderful for her. It's really worth a try.