MAGSR.ORG

Zeus has been living with one of our experienced foster families over the last few months. During this time he has had the opportunity to decompress, learn the rules and expectations of the household, and address some of his medical needs. A goofball at heart, Zeus is always trying something new - moving couches to get balls he has lost behind them, shopping on every shelf and in every cabinet for the perfect toy, and finding a way to get his large frame on top of desks just to make sure he can see his foster dad come home. His foster family has greatly enjoyed Zeus' continuous antics and has been working hard to set clear rules and boundaries. They have quickly learned that it's never a dull day when Zeus is in your life. Zeus gets daily opportunities to enjoy the outdoors but when the weather is warm, he prefers short breaks outside and a cool floor to lounge around on inside. All that fur really does keep him warm. He is patiently waiting for winter. 

Daily playtime is a must for Zeus. He has specific toys that bring unending entertainment, such as balls and squeaky fish. He also has toys that are soothing and will often be found sleeping with them right under his chin. Zeus is slowly integrating into his pack, but clear rules and boundaries are best. He would prefer to be in charge and likes things a certain way. In his world, his toys are his and sharing isn't really on the table. Really, don't we all have certain things that we would prefer to keep to ourselves? He also prefers an orderly pack - too much rough housing just isn't his style. He enjoys pack walks and hang time with his foster family both human and furry but prefers to play with his human family only. 

Medically, Zeus has made so much progress since arriving. He now has soft, clean fur covering the entirety of his body. He has well manicured nails and is the perfect weight. The itchy, skinny dog with the open sores now looks and feels much better. Unfortunately, as we began addressing his medical needs, a concern with Zeus' mobility came to the surface. Recognizing that something was off with Zeus' backend, one of our incredible vetting partners began working with Zeus to figure out what was going on. After lab work, tests, and x-rays were run, it was discovered that Zeus has severe spondylosis at the top and the bottom of his spine. Spondylosis is a degenerative joint disease in dogs that causes bony spurs to form along the spine. His condition is so advanced that it is causing vertebral fusion. Although this condition can be very painful, in Zeus' case, pain has not been noted. The lack of pain, weakness in his hind limbs, and overall presentation has resulted in a second diagnosis of early stages of degenerative myopathy (DM). This is an inherited neurological disease that will, overtime, result in an inability to walk. Although the secondary diagnosis was exceptionally difficult to digest, Zeus‘ foster family is providing him with every opportunity to enjoy his world on the daily basis. Please consider donating to Zeus‘s care. Your donation will not only help Zeus continue to get the excellent supportive care needed to remain comfortable but it will also help other medical dogs in need.