Current Rescues - 6/10/2017 -
Hi I'm Divo!
Watch the above video so you can see just how well D gets around on three legs! He is amazing!
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HANDSOME BLUE BRINDLE STAR SEEKS FOREVER HOME!
Divo came to NCWFA Whippet rescue from the Sacramento Shelter on February 7 and is currently in a foster home with three other Whippets. He is a 9 year old blue-brindle, and although fairly skinny (even for a whippet!), he’s a good eater and especially enjoys beef liver treats and bully sticks. Divo loves sunbathing in the yard and amuses himself or plays with the 3 active canine brothers he lives with. He is an expert fly catcher and squirrel spotter! Divo is exceptionally friendly with dogs of different sizes and breeds, and is gentle and tolerant with cats. Divo has not met a human he doesn’t like – kids and adults alike become his new best friends after he meets them. He loves short neighborhood walks and is great riding in a car for longer trips. Divo is calm, happy, and well-mannered in everyday situations – dining at dog friendly restaurants, going to work with his foster mom, making vet office visits, hanging out at parks, checking out hiking trails, attending house parties, walking in busy neighborhood streets, and more. Divo is loving and wants attention and makes an amazing couch potato and loyal companion.
Divo’s amazing temperament and lovely disposition more than make up for his physical limitations. Divo has had chronic arthritis in multiple joints for most of his life; his left rear knee has fused and he walks on 3 legs. Due to his leg issues, Divo cannot go up or down more than a few stairs.
The great news is that Divo does not seem to be in pain, and chiropractic and acupuncture sessions have been able to help him stay supple and retain more flexibility in his joints. Divo also has a heart murmur and has been diagnosed by a cardiologist with mild to moderate mitral valve disease; he is not on heart medication currently. Any steroids he might be prescribed in the future should carefully be considered to not put additional strain on his heart. Divo will need periodic monitoring on his heart to detect changes, if any, with his heart function. This guy has a few cosmetically unsightly lipomas (fatty tumors), that are benign, so we have decided not to remove them. If he was under anesthesia for something else, they could certainly be removed. Divo has beautiful, clean teeth, so there is no dental in his immediate future. D has been to see a lot of vets since we have had him in foster care, and his general health, other than the arthritis, is quite good for his age. Every vet who has treated him has remarked on what an incredibly nice dog this is!
Divo does not let anything stop him from having fun; he is always the first one to get ready for a walk, plays with toys (actually he de-stuffs them), and rearranges plants / digs in the yard faster than the able-bodied Whippets in his household!
Divo’s dream family lives in a one-story house with a flat entry to the home and flat exit to a well fenced yard. Divo would do great as the only dog in the family, but certainly enjoys the company of canine buddies similar to his level of activity and endurance level. Divo loves to spend time with his humans and would like someone either home a fair amount of time, or a full-time working family with a flexible / rotating work schedule where he’s not alone more than 6 hours a day. Divo is a special needs dog and requires a family that is understanding of his physical limitations and is willing provide him a comfortable, pain-free life.
Do you have room in your life for a low-key, loving, and devoted Whippet companion? If so, Divo is waiting to meet YOU! Divo is currently in foster care in the Bay Area. If you would like to learn more about this gem of a whippet, contact the NCWFA Rescue Team.
