Poppa Bear - Hospice Foster
	Gender: Male Age: 14 Years Height: Weight: 37 lbs House-trained: Fenced yard required: Location: Foster Home: Peggy	Crate-trained: Treat-motivated: Toy-motivated: BC Experience Required: Good with dogs: Good with cats: Good with kids: Commands:

Sadly, not all of our tales are happy ones. In addition to having a mouth full of rotten teeth, at Bear's first vet visit we also learned that he had stage four kidney disease.

Bear stopped eating last weekend, and while he hadn’t completely checked out, he did seem to be fading right before my eyes. He turned his nose up at regular and k/d kibble, regular and k/d canned, cheese, and mashed hard-boiled egg. I spooned a tiny bit of beef baby food into his mouth, and he spit it out like I was trying to poison him. He weighed only 33 pounds (down from 37, which was already way too low). My vet said that he could give Bear anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea injections, but it was only delaying the inevitable for a short time. I realized that I’d be keeping him around for me, not for him.

With the support of the GLBCR Board, I made the sad decision the let Bear cross The Rainbow Bridge.

I know this was coming. I just didn't expect to lose him so soon. Run free, Sugar Bear.

GLBCR’s three newest foster dogs are seniors who came to us when their owner passed away after a long illness. Bear (14), Katy (12), and Crystal (12) were kept kenneled in outside runs and required extensive vetting, some of which is still ongoing. Fortunately, they all have excellent temperaments and are soaking up the attention that comes with being part of the GLBCR family.

Blue-eyed Bear may be 14 years old, but he's still quite spry. He has not yet been neutered, because the vet prioritized dealing with his mouth full of rotten teeth. Fortunately, he only had to have nine teeth removed (we were warned he could lose them all).

This is Bear at his initial vet visit, where his good nature and go-with-the-flow temperament was evident. The volunteer who took him to the vet described him as "pure sugar."

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