Toby
Toby is a very lucky boy.  Not that his luck has always run on the “good” side. When he was just young guy, way younger than now (although he’s only 7), he had some things go wrong with his health.  His skin broke out, he lost a lot of hair, and he was diagnosed with a thyroid problem.  But he turned out to be lucky because he had a great Dad who doted on him, made sure he got all his pills, regular baths, and all in all life turned out pretty well.  But then another bad thing happened, his Dad – a young guy himself – up and died suddenly and unexpectedly.  That left Toby with a very sad family who weren’t able to give him the love and care that his dad did when he was alive.

So Toby’s family did the only thing they could think of – they turned to Midwest Pug Rescue for help.  He’s now in a loving foster him with two other pugs.  They all get treats, play with a whole bin full of toys, go for long walks, snuggle together in bed with their folks -- all in all life is pretty good for Toby.  Toby is a sweet soul; he gets along well with his siblings, he’s totally housetrained and he sits so patiently for his weekly baths.

Update 6-15-2010 Toby is going to a hospice home in northern Minnesota. We will have updates from this family soon!

update 9-2-2010

Toby now resides at the Pug Ranch Retirement Home. His skin condition is slowly improving. He is off prednisone and his ears are clear except for a little brown wax every now and then. He was getting a medicated bath weekly, which kept him oil and infection free, but also made him dry and itchy. A light application of Grandma Smith's Herbal Salve calmed that down each time, and also cleared out the recurrent skin debris in his nose folds. He had his first home made honey bath 3 days ago, and has not itched once! Toby started walking with a little difficulty, either because arthritis set in, or his joints were worn out by the prednisone. An aspirin twice a day at meals has made a big improvement in his mobility. Because of his allergies, Toby eats a limited ingredient home made diet of turkey, venison, carrots, and potatoes. If he gets into kibble, he starts to scratch his sides. He also does not tolerate eggs, broccoli, soy, rice, grains,and dairy products. When the grass is wet from rain or freshly mown, his feet bother him and get a bit reddened and puffy. A foot bath of warm water and baking soda has helped clear that up each time. Toby sleeps close to his human, or on one of the many padded dog beds scattered about.

Are you able to assist with Toby's care?