Advice about client's dog please....opinions needed... bear with me
I've posted about this little dog before months ago.
He lives with one of my clients who has various health problems, mostly because she is very obese. She doesn't go out at all unless to the doctors once a week and spends most of her day in bed. She doesn't dress unless going out to the doctors.
She got the dog when he was less than a year old from the local paper. At the time she knew we would not 'approve' of her getting such a young pup so lied and said the Blue Cross gave him to her.... which we figured wouldn't happen.
We did wonder at the time how she was going to cope with a teenage dog who was very playful..... and basically she hasn't.
She said her daughter was going to walk him everyday, but has never done it. He has sometimes gone out on the lead with her two grandchildren aged about 12, but only when they are off school for holidays. They also bring a bag of choc drops everyday for him when they come.
He can go out in their tiny garden, but started to bark when they tried to get him in so now goes out on a flexi. I did tell her he is misbehaving as he needs exercise and stimulation and when he is out he is getting that s no wonder he doesn't want to come in.
Whenever I go he is behind a gate in the lounge, today with the door shut too, all on his own.
Her hubby always sits on his own in the kitchen and she is in bed.
When we opened the door to the lounge today he just looked so forlorn all alone in the dark as the curtains were still pulled. She said she only puts him in there 10minutes before we get there, which is strange as she was asleep when I got there at 10.40am and told me she'd fallen asleep at 7am and been asleep since?
The vet says he should be 8kg but is well over 12kg and although she says she has reduced his food I am a bit worried about his portion control as she can't manage that for herself, plus he has treats, which she denies, but I see the packets. Last week when she asked me how to get weight off I said he needs to go for walks and she said 'Well I can't expect my grandchildren to do it in this weather he will have to wait until spring.' So no walkies until then.
He went to the vets last week and he has said he need to lose weight and wants to see him again in a fortnight. My client also said he has to have eardrops and that he snapped at her so she 'slapped him across his face and he looked at me as if to say what did you do that for?'.
She has said her daughter is going to start to take him out, but I don't think that will happen. Apparently she was asked to leave the room at the vets when he had his jabs last week as was in tears because she thought he was being hurt!
I sat with him on the floor today and he let me check his ears, his eyes, teeth etc, he is a poppett, beautiful little dog just enormous! Very friendly once he realises you are a doggy person.
He is regularly sent to the grooming parlour, has tonnes of teddies etc so is loved but this love will also kill him as he is obviously eating the same way as she does. It sounds awful but the dog is going the same way as her through no fault of his own. I have said to her that she will hurt him if he continues to gain weight as his heart and legs will not be able to take it. She knows I love him and that may seem harsh to say but she knows it is the truth.
She has asked me if I would have him if anything happened to her. She said her daughter will have him but she would be happier if she had someone else who might have him too. I said I would love him though my dogs may have an issue with that.
One of the other carers told me she said that I would have him and in the carers words 'I think she would like you to have him now as she obviously can't cope'.
I don't think she would give him up unless she had to.... though who knows? If anything happens to her husband I can't see her being able to stay in her bungalow, she would have to go somewhere more sheltered and the dog would not be able to go as she can't excercise it. People do have dogs in sheltered but they are the active ones who can cope with them.
I have said I'd love to take him for a walk with Tonto (Tont's is fine with other dogs, loves them, esp nervous dogs). I could let Tonto off as doesn't ever leave me and keep this one on his flexi. I couldn't take Inca as well if my attentions are on him. But.....
1. Would this be helpful or just covering up the fact she can't cope with this dog?
2. She is not within walking distance so I wouldn't be able to do it everyday as I start work at 7am and so just wouldn't have the time to go and collect him etc as well as take mine for their regular walkies.
3. Would this cause issues with mine if Inca is being left out? I have taken Tonto on walks on his own before and it hasn't but if it became a regular thing?
Any other suggestions greatly appreciated before I bundle him out of there under my arm.... if I could carry him!