Hi! I'm Dragon

• Dragon
• Mixed breed
• 9 years
• Male

Weight (approx): 108 lbs

Energy: Medium - Low

Children: Unknown

Dogs: With proper introductions

Cats: No

About Me: Helllllooooo Everyone!

Health Notes: Dragon requires a home dedicated to maintaining his health. Routine is key and his adopter will have to make his daily care a priority. This big boy is sensitive to change so a quiet home would be best for him. Dragon has age related issues as well as food and environmental allergies. 

You may not believe it but this big boy is a senior and his age is catching up to him. Shortly after he came into care Dragon required TPLO surgery. He had a few bumps along the road but he has recovered from surgery and is fully using his leg again. Dragon has Arthritis and is currently on Cartrophen to help. Since starting the injections his mobility has greatly improved but he still encounters stiffness at times. Dragon still thinks he is a youthful boy and needs a home that will monitor his activity levels and prevent him from over exerting himself. Some days his age shows more than others and he requires a bit of a helping hand when he is trying to get up. This will likely occur more often as he gets older. Dragon is usually given Metacam after a longer walk to help him bounce back.

Dragon has pretty severe allergies and sensitivities. Experience and knowledge with allergies in dogs would be very beneficial. Dragon has reacted to all types of food or treats given to him except the kibble he is on. If he has anything other than his kibble he will have very bad gas and diarrhea. The protein in his kibble is Kangaroo which is a low fat protein. This means in order to maintain a healthy weight he is fed 6 cups a day and goes through a bag in just under a month. Even on such a strict diet Dragon still occasionally gets soft stool. He is currently on Fortiflora which is a probiotic. We have found it necessary to maintain healthy digestion. 

Dragon also suffers from environmental allergies. He is at stable place after many months of dedicated medical care. Dragon has been seeing a Dermatologist Specialist and it would be highly recommended that he continue seeing her. He requires a pretty complex routine to maintain the comfort level he is at. Dragon tried various treatments and we found that Cytopoint injections work best for him. He also requires weekly baths with a medicated shampoo. Dragon's feet, ears, and eyes are the first to show signs of itchiness. To prevent infections and reduce discomfort his feet are cleaned / wiped with special wipes every couple days. His ears are treated with a cortisone spray 2 consecutive days a week. Dragon has responded well to daily eye drops of saline solution. He still has flare-ups where he requires medicated eye drops.
Dragon is currently working with his Vet to get started on his allergy serum. This is administered daily under his tongue. With time he should hopefully build up a bit of an immunity to the allergens and as a result we are hoping we can cut back on the frequency of his other medications. 

Dragon should not experience long lengths of time in the sun. He has had multiple tumours removed that are caused by sun exposure. 

Dragon came into care missing some teeth as well as a broken tooth. He required some dental work as his teeth are not in the best shape. Games such as tug or toys that are hard should be avoided as they could cause further damage. 

Other things that should be considered for his care are using a hypoallergenic laundry detergent, washing his bedding frequently, and NO feather duvets or pillows as feathers were one of the highest allergens on his test results. 

All this being said, Dragon's current medical care costs approximately $600 a month. He us up to date with DACPP, Bordatella, Rabies, and is neutered and microchipped.

Behavior Notes:  Dragon is a low energy senior, who has spurts of energy where he'll run around the yard, but settles quickly. He is a senior who is not a fan of cats, and can live with a dog who is calm, low energy and old like him. He has no patience for a dog who wants to play all the time, and gets in his face. No small breed dogs, as he does have prey drive. Medium - large dogs. He needs slow, proper introductions to ensure that they can get along, as he can be picky with his doggy friends. Dragon is a very big boy, and very strong, and is a puller on leash, he comes with a head halti, as he walks very well with the head halti, better than on a harness. He is muzzle trained, as when he first came to us he was quite reactive to other dogs. He comes with a muzzle, as it was custom fit for him due to his face shape and size. We highly recommend that the muzzle training is kept up as a safety measure. We do not recommend small children with with Dragon, for the simple fact, he is huge, and he doesn't know his size, he will easily knock a small child down. Also because Dragon loves people so much, his tail is always moving, and it hurts a lot when it hits someone. Can easily bruise a child. We recommend older kids who are dog savvy, and can respect Dragon when he needs space. He does get sore after over exerting himself, so he needs a calm home who isn't very active, but can still take him on a walk or two a day. He is crate trained. He has been working with a trainer, and is extremely smart. He is very food motivated, which helps with all of his training, on top of just wanting to please his people.