| Hi everyone! My name is Rocco and I came to Boston Buddies last September when my family realized after several months of trying everything they and my general vet could think of that they could not provide me with the specialized vet care that I needed to help me with my skin issues. You see, I have a condition called pemphigus foliaceus which is an autoimmune skin disorder that left untreated by the right medicine caused my skin to break out in lesions and ulcers and leave behind crusty scabs. I’ll be honest with you, I was in pretty bad shape when I got to Boston Buddies – not because my family did not love me, but because they did not live near a veterinary dermatologist who could help me manage my condition. Even though it broke their hearts they knew that my only chance at living was to go to Boston Buddies who had dealt with this condition before. Boston Buddies took me to see some of the best veterinary dermatologists around. With the help of the awesome doctors at Animal Dermatology Clinic and the best foster mom in the world my condition is now under control. You might have seen my story on the Special Needs Buddies page of the Boston Buddies website – if not, you can take a look at my story here - www.bostonbuddies.org/SpecialNeedsBuddies (just scroll down the page past my foster brother Gatsby’s story to see me!). Now that my pemphigus is under control it is time to find my new forever home. So let me tell you a little bit about myself - I am almost 8 years old (my birthday is July 11, 2001 in case you want to help me celebrate!) and I weigh about 24 lbs (depending on how many cookies I’ve been able to talk my fabulous foster mom out of!). I am housebroken and know how to use a doggie door. I get along great with other dogs, although I am not big on playing doggie games. I would rather hang with my humans or take a sun bath and chill out. I am okay with cats too. When I first walk into a room I love to say hi to everyone in my squeaky voice and will wiggle my little behind. I will stop, drop and roll over for a belly rub at the drop of a hat (well, who wouldn’t want a belly rub?!) – I am sort of famous for doing that in the waiting room at the dermatologist – I always manage to make people smile and laugh when I do that. I love to go in the car for rides, especially to the dog park. When my foster mom first started taking me to the dog park near her house I had the nickname “Mr. Bumpy” because of my bumpy skin – that’s not my nickname anymore though! I think “handsome dude” fits me better, don’t you? I have the best time at the dog park saying hi to all the humans. At night, I will snuggle under the covers with you no problem! I had the honor of representing Boston Buddies at the 2009 Doo Dah Parade in Pasadena – I felt like a celebrity marching down Colorado Blvd. being cheered on by the spectators, a guy could get used to that! I am neutered and am good to go on vaccinations and I also have been micro chipped. I take two different kinds of pills and I will still need to see the dermatologist for follow ups and blood work, but for the most part it is just a few small pills a day and the dermatologists hope to eventually cut that down too! I have worked really hard to get better and I will need my new owners to be able to take me to see a veterinary dermatologist a couple times a year just to make sure I am doing fine – if you live near an Animal Dermatology Clinic that would be great – they have several offices in Southern California and are the best and they know my whole story too. They have really helped me to get back to being the adorable friendly boy I am! So anyway, you can let Boston Buddies know if you would like me to come be a part of your family. You can download an Application at www.bostonbuddies.org. Adoption Donation: $250 If you want to see my really cool photo montage (with music and everything!) just copy and paste this link into your browser - http://www.motionbox.com/videos/3098dfb21710e2c7be?type=sd And don’t forget to read my story on the Special Needs Buddies page of the website – I think there are some really cute photos of me in there! |
