GRR number: 15-161
Type of Surrender: Palm Valley Animal Center
Status: Available
Age: 2-3 years
Weight: 47 lbs (needs to gain a few)
#15-161 CASTLE
Why Castle is an EGF recipient:
Treatment for kennel cough, tick disease, mouth abscess; repeated diagnostics (multiple blood panels, X-rays, cardiac and abdominal ultrasounds); kidney diet food and medications
It’s been a long, long road for 3-year-old Castle—to figure out what was wrong, to come up with a treatment plan, to fine-tune it over time. But one thing has been constant from the start: the True Love his family feels for him. “Castle—or Casey, as we call him—arrived on December 19, 2015, a wonderful gift to us during the holiday season. We fell in love the second we saw him in the GRR transport vehicle. With tears in her eyes, our 19-year-old daughter proclaimed, ‘He’s perfect!’”
… and in personality and attitude, he’s just that. But his health is another story.
Casey was one of the many Goldens who come to GRR each year through partnership with a great shelter just north of the Mexico border. Palm Valley Goldens tend to have a lot in common, and Casey was no exception. Handsome? Check! Lovely personality? Check! Intact? Check! Respiratory infection, heartworm positive, tick disease positive, underweight?? Check check check check! But while most of these dogs soon start gaining weight & pep and then sail through neuter and heartworm treatment, Casey didn’t follow the pattern. He ate well, but could not make it past a super-skinny 44 pounds; “and while we could tell he had a good spirit, he was lethargic, with only occasional bursts of energy. For six months, we were constantly at the vet, usually at least once a week.” He got through the typical ailments—kennel cough, tick disease, whipworms—and he also required treatment for a few more unusual troubles, such as low platelets (possibly due to the tick disease) and a mouth abscess.
But why the lack of zip and the difficulty putting on pounds? As we learned in March, that’s due to two serious congenital problems. Casey was born with a heart defect, sub-aortic stenosis (SAS), and has a heart murmur as a result. He also has congenital renal dysplasia; that is, he has deformed kidneys that simply do not work as they ought to. The renal failure is a critical issue that will shorten his life, but “since he started to see Dr. Sharon Theisen at Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital, his day-to-day condition has dramatically improved.” He eats a special low-protein food and takes medications that help keep waste products from building up in his blood. Still, it’s expected that he won’t live past age 5 or 6, but as far as he is concerned: prognosis, shmognosis! He’s the personification of joie de vivre and living in the moment, every moment.
“He is incredibly happy and full of life, and he has gained over 10 pounds. He is adorable, sweet, funny, goofy, & often a bit mischievous. He makes everyone laugh all the time. He LOVES people and other dogs. He makes himself comfortable and sleeps anywhere and everywhere in the house and doesn’t seem to be afraid of much at all (except the hair dryer!). Anyone on Facebook saw our video of him trying to drag his bed through the dog door (and finally succeeding!)—and now that he’s feeling so much better, squeezing that bed through the hatch is an effortless task. In fact, he likes ALL of his toys outside. He loves having his belly rubbed, being brushed, hunting bugs, stripping tennis balls of their fuzz, de-stuffing stuffies, going on walks and car rides, and greeting his family with jumps, hops, and hugs. Casey also has the nickname ‘Handsome,’ because, well, he just is. We also call him our ‘adorable mess.’ We love this goofball so much!”
Personality: Castle is your classic “happy-go-lucky” type of Golden Retriever! He’s very handsome, and his upbeat personality makes him the complete package. Upon meeting Castle for the first time, GRR volunteers exclaimed “What a happy boy he is! He just knows he has begun the good life and is headed to his forever home.” Castle rides in the car like a dream, although he’d jump in the front seat to ride next to you if he could!
Ideal home: Castle is a newcomer to GRR, so we are still learning about his personality. So far, Castle seems like an easy going fella that can’t wait to be part of someone’s family!
“To learn about the adoption process and complete an application, click here. We do not guarantee the availability of the dog that you have expressed interest in as it may be matched to another waiting family. However, there are always new dogs available as rescue is dynamic. We appreciate your interest in adopting a rescued golden.”