Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue
It's time to find a great home for Oskar, one of our special needs dogs. He's looking for an adopter with a big heart. The adopter who takes a chance on him will be rewarded with a gem of a dog!
Oskar is one of those rare dogs with a golden temperament -- he gets along with everybody. He loves other dogs. He adores cats. He's never met a stranger, and he loves and trusts humans. He's the perfect dog in a hundred different ways. He's also young -- perhaps 11-12 months old. He's unusually calm and easy-going for this age--a rare, wonderful thing in an adolescent GSD. He's tested negative for heartworms. He also happens to be GORGEOUS.
He's the total package, with the adoptability "trifecta": great temperament, heartworm negative, and young. He's the PERFECT dog....and yet he's still looking for a great home.
The reason Oskar has been overlooked is that he has a condition called mega-esophagus, which is not uncommon in this breed. It appears to be congenital, as extensive testing has not revealed any underlying other condition. In mega-E dogs, food can pool in the esophagus, never reaching the stomach. They regurgitate undigested food, if they aren't fed the right way. These dogs often need to eat vertically, so that gravity will pull the food into their stomach.
Oskar's mega-E is now well controlled--he hardly ever regurgitates any more. Our vet figured out how to treat it and help him thrive. He's healthy, happy, and loving life. He eats in his special Bailey Chair, donated by Bailey Chairs 4 Dogs. He's also benefited from a new treatment protocol, developed by our rescue's vet, and this medicine has had a fantastic effect. We hope to find him an adopter within driving distance of Cypress Lake Animal Hospital in Prairieville, LA, so that he can stay on this new treatment -- it's working great, and it's very reasonable in cost (the medicine costs about $100 every 6 weeks).
Caring for Oskar isn't difficult. His foster family is mixing up his kibble with a little water in a blender, so that it's nice and soft. This process that takes an extra 5-10 minutes at feeding time-- not a big deal at all! He's already trained to eat in his Bailey Chair, which will follow him to his adoption home. If the adopter sticks with our vet, there's no new testing or work-up to pay for -- we've already done it all. Just refill his maintenance meds every six weeks, and he's good to go!
Oskar's not suffering one bit -- this dog loves life! He plays with other dogs, romps, and does everything a normal dog his age would do. A mega-E dog placed in the agility nationals a few years ago, so we know with good care, they can lead very good lives. As long as his condition is manageable, and he's happy, we think he deserves a shot at the best life he can have.