My name is Rudy!

SPECIAL NOTE —-

Rudy had a consultation with the neurologist on Monday, August 31st. The neurologist stated that he definitely does suffer from a neurological condition that is causing him to have strength, balance, and walking issues.

The two conditions he mentioned were
1) Wobblers
2) an Arachnoid Cyst.

What does this mean…Rudy’s potential adopters have several choices about how to proceed with his treatment/diagnosis including:

1. To proceed by simply medicating him with steroids to determine if they make a difference. Both Wobblers and Arachnoid Cysts are treated with steroids. However, Wobblers only requires a low dose while the cyst requires much higher doses in order to shrink it.

2. Have an MRI done in order to definitively diagnose Rudy. On average MRIs are about $1500 to $2500. An MRI will not only give you a diagnosis but it will also identify which vertebrae, nerves, ligaments are affected and help the neurologist understand if his Wobblers might continue to progress (giving some short of prognosis), if he is a candidate for surgery, or if he can live a long, happy life just the way he is.

3. Let Rudy live out his life just the way he is and manage his pain accordingly.

Because we don’t have a definitive diagnosis, Rudy’s foster family has chosen not to start him on steroids just for the sake of being on medication. He is; however, taking supplements to help with any inflammation, pain, etc. He grows stronger everyday building muscle playing and taking short walks. While Rudy does have walking issues and falls occasionally, he is definitely not suffering and doesn’t know that he is different!

NOTE: See Rudy in action at this link:
http://youtu.be/e503FlBtbXA

My name is Rudy and I am a 2-3 year old mastiff (Bull or English or maybe a mix of both)! My foster mommy says that my heart is bigger than my head because I love her and life SO much!

I came from a neglect situation where I was not fed the proper nutrition and exercised enough…so I have lots of issues with my legs and hips that can never be fixed. My foster family is trying to make me walk more and do the stairs to help me slowly add muscle to my back legs…and after only a week of carrying me up and down the stairs I have finally mastered them! I would still prefer them to carry me though! You can see in my videos that I walk funny…and it hurts. But my foster family has been giving me some medicine and that helps me feel better enough to play with my foster siblings!

Besides my foster mommy…I love FOOD! I can see it, sniff it, hear it, etc. from any room! My foster mommy and daddy give me food every day now and two times a day! They are trying to help me gain some weight because they don’t like to see my ribs and hip bones sticking out. But…because of my hip and leg issues, the vet says that I can’t gain too much weight…that I always need to stay on the skinny side so that I don’t have more pain.

I am having fun playing with my foster siblings. Some of them are bigger than me and some of them are much smaller…but I like them all equally the same. I don’t really understand how big I am and sometimes that is a problem when I try to walk under them or sit on them. They don’t like that as much as I do! I try to run with them and play but I can’t always keep up and I get tired/sore really easily…so my foster mommy and daddy make me come back inside and lay with them.

I don’t have much in the way of etiquette…I love to drool, slobber, drool…and slobber! I make a lot of noises kind of like a pig…I grunt and I snort and it makes my foster mommy laugh. I know how to sit for treats but sometimes I get so excited and take them a little too rough. I have been working hard at being better about that…but I also forget how big I am and most of the time my foster mommy and daddy’s whole hand ends up in my mouth! I don’t hurt them…I just really, really, really want the treat!

I won’t be available for adoption until I feel better. They say that I need to gain weight, be vaccinated, and get neutered still. So I plan to live with my foster mommy and daddy for another two months probably.

Well that is it! Since I will be with them for a while, I will be sure to update you with more information as I get to know my foster mommy and daddy more!

If you are interested in Rudy, please apply for adoption at this link:
http://foreverfriendsgdri.com/apply-to-adopt/


PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING
Forever Friends Great Dane Rescue adopts to qualified homes in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and parts of Wisconsin.

ADOPTION PROCESS: If you are interested in adopting, please go to and review the Adoption Process
http://foreverfriendsgdri.com/apply-to-adopt/
information carefully. If our terms and adoption fees are acceptable, please complete the Adoption Application.

Adoption Fees are:
* $500.00 for purebred Great Danes 6 months to 1 year old
* $400.00 for purebred Great Dane 1 year old to 6 years old * $400.00 for mixed Great Dane 1 year old to 6 years old
* $300.00 for purebred Great Dane 7 years old to 9 years old * $150.00 for purebred Great Dane 10 years old and above

NOTE: We cannot give any additional information about dogs until your application has been approved. A dog will be listed on Adopt-a-Pet.com until it is no longer available for adoption.