Blu
Update 6/24/2024
We are excited that Blu has a new foster home! Long time friend and supporter of CGRR, Denise, has opened her home to Blu. Denise has also adopted from us, as well as fostered in the past. It has been a couple of weeks and Blu has settled in nicely. She has a very large play buddy, a Swiss mountain dog named Lumen, and the two have become good friends. Blu Is also working on convincing the cat that she is her friend also! Our sincere thanks to Denise for taking this sweet girl in!
Blu as Superman
Blu wit Otis
Blu Smiling
Muddy Blu
Update 5/5/23
We are in need of a new foster or permanent home for Blu. She has been with Kim and her family for about a year. Kim has taken a job out of state, and unfortunately there are no specialized vets to meet Blu's needs. Please email us at utgoldentails@cs.com if you can foster this girl.
“Blu is a happy dog that loves to snuggle and be at your side. She is almost 2 years old and has a serious congenital heart condition with severe aortic stenosis that will impact her life span (anticipated to live 3-5 yrs), but she is relatively asymptomatic on her twice a day sotalol medication which she takes like a pro. She has lived with our family for the last year and is great with older kids (ages 9-14yrs), other dogs and even cats (as long as they don’t run away—she does like a game of chase if provoked). Her only fault is that she is just so excited to see you when you get home or first wake up in the morning that she likes to jump up and say hi, or gently grab your forearm/wrist with her mouth to bring you closer – we’ve found the trick is to have a box of toys nearby that we give to her first and then she will sit politely, yet excitedly to show off her new toy. She is super smart, treat motivated and picks up new tricks quickly. Since she is still young, she has a hard time resisting jumping through the fresh snow and bringing some inside through our doggie door, and potentially digging in a muddy puddle if available in the backyard (adorable pic attached). She otherwise hasn’t dug in our garden or chewed anything in the house and is fully potty trained; she will find a misplaced sock on occasion and show it off as her new toy. Her favorite thing in the world is to climb in bed and lie down next to you- gently touching you with her snout or paw and taking a nap. She has greatly enjoyed being social with our dogs and kids- so another home with another dog or people around a fair amount would make her very happy. She is crate trained and is quick to finish her food even with a puzzle feeder, but does not resource guard with our dogs (perhaps because she always finishes first) – yet she knows not to approach them until they finish their food.
In regards to her heart condition, she has passed out on a few occasions when she runs too much – so we keep her fenced in the backyard playing with our other dogs off leash, or on a leash for walks. When given the opportunity to run off leash, she can get a little too excited/run too long which is when she will get wobbly from not enough blood flow to her brain and then collapse on her side while she recovers/gets her heart rate slower to stand back up and be ready for more play/a walk on a leash. Sadly, the vet anticipates at some future date she will collapse and her heart will give out, or she will slowly develop heart failure if it struggles from her degree of obstruction. Please don’t be scared of her heart condition—she is not aware and acts like any other pup that just wants to please and have fun. With her medications onboard and a few restrictions from running wild, she will be just like any other family dog that just has a shorter lifespan than average.
Blu has stolen our hearts and we are so sad to move where there is no specialized vet to meet her medical needs.
Update 3/25/22
Blu has been in a foster home and is doing very well on her heart meds. She loves having some doggy playmates and even gets along with the cats. She has been a good girl and is quickly endearing herself to the family…
We have a very sweet 8-month-old golden girl named Blu, who unfortunately has a congenital heart defect called sub aortic stenosis. She was originally purchased to be trained as a therapy dog, but with her diagnosis this was not going to work for the owners. Blu also had a hooded vulva, and has already had a couple of nasty urinary tract infections. As Blu is still just a pup you cannot tell that there is anything wrong with her. She loves everyone, loves playing with other dogs...she is all puppy!
Subaortic stenosis is a narrowing of the muscle just below where the aorta leaves the left ventricle of the heart to send oxygenated blood to the whole body. This narrowing can force the heart to work harder than usual and put additional stress on the heart. Symptoms can include weakness, breathing difficulties, fainting, collapse. Unfortunately, dogs, even with severe stenosis, may look and act perfectly healthy, and we may not realize their hearts are compromised. There is no cure for this condition.
Blu has been diagnosed with moderate to severe subaortic stenosis. She was started on Sotalol, a beta-blocker medication which reduces the heart's work, helping to prevent it from beating too fast and lowering blood pressure. It can control abnormal heart rhythms that may occur. As she was started on the medication at a young age, we are hopeful this medication will prolong a functional, comfortable life. As with all heart issues, limiting activity will be needed. Her life expectancy may be shortened, however with good care and a loving home we are hopeful it will be longer rather than shorter.
We are hoping there is someone out there that can Foster this sweet girl. CGRR will pay for food, meds and any medical. We feel a quiet home would be better, and If in a home with another dog perhaps a mature dog to help teach Blu how to be calm.
Blu just had surgery to repair the hooded vulva and she was spayed at the same time. The cost for her medical expense is around $2500. Because of her condition, we had her surgery done at a specialty clinic, where she was monitored overnight and Blu came through it like a champ! Can you give this girl the home she deserves? If you are interested, please email us at utgoldentails@cs.com