Our Corgi Just Died

[scott422]

Sorry man, had to put my black lab Gunner down yesterday, one of the crappiest days of my life. Good luck with Skittles

 

[homebeerbrewer]

We're still very much grieving, but I've been occupying my spare time filling out corgi rescue applications so I can be notified about available rescued/rehomed corgis in TX. I see a huge hole in our life, so I'm doing my best to "fill" it.

This evening, we were put in contact with a couple in Dallas that are looking to rehome their 3yr old corgi - Skittles. If things go well, I plan to take a day trip to Dallas and meet them in person soon...

Here is a picture of Skittles:

I just looked up the petfinder link you posted, and it said that he doesn't get along with the other dog. When you go to meet Skittles, bring Porter along and try to meet someplace neutral, like a dog park. If they get along there, they should be ok at your house. Good luck.

BTW, he is smiling for the camera.

 

[lamarguy]

Sorry man, had to put my black lab Gunner down yesterday, one of the crappiest days of my life. Good luck with Skittles

Sorry to hear that. How old was Gunner?

 

[lamarguy]

I just looked up the petfinder link you posted, and it said that he doesn't get along with the other dog. When you go to meet Skittles, bring Porter along and try to meet someplace neutral, like a dog park. If they get along there, they should be ok at your house. Good luck.

BTW, he is smiling for the camera.

Ha, ya, that's what I love about corgis...They like to "smile" when they're happy.

Thanks for the meeting advice. The lady that runs the North Texas Corgi Rescue program in Dallas picked up Skittles for me yesterday. She has several corgis herself and offered to evaluate his health and disposition for me. She's taking him on a two mile walk today with her other dogs to see how he "hangs". The original owner described him as a "couch potato" which doesn't sound like a corgi at all.

 

[lamarguy]

Well, after much searching, we've decided to adopt a 1yr old female corgi from a corgi rescue organization in Oklahoma. Here are some pictures of our little girl:

She comes with a catch - a grade 4 heart murmur....Which means she was born with a congenital heart defect. My girlfriend and I discussed it and decided we'd like to give her a chance at good home despite the likelihood her life will be shorter than most.

We plan to have her heart murmur diagnosed in depth. That includes an ultrasound, EKG, and possible echocardiogram to determine the exact cause of the murmur. Surgery may be an option, but not without assistance since it will likely cost $2K - $3K. We're looking into charitable programs right now for possible assistance.

We're picking her up in Dallas this weekend....Can't wait to meet our little girl!

 

[Yooper]

Oh, that's awesome news! She's beautiful. And kudos to you for giving a rescue dog a loving home. We'll all be crossing our fingers that this heart murmur doesn't cause any big financial burdens for you.

 

[user 22118]

Fantastic! My girlfriend and I have two Jack Russels and we got the second one together. We always talk about what would happen to one if the other was gone and it just makes us cringe. I commend you for having the disposition to adopt rather quickly as it is the best way to remember your prior dog and keep the family life stable for everyone (puppy included).

 

[lamarguy]

Oh, that's awesome news! She's beautiful. And kudos to you for giving a rescue dog a loving home. We'll all be crossing our fingers that this heart murmur doesn't cause any big financial burdens for you.

Ha...Thanks, ya, she's a cutie. Especially with the slightly-longer-than-average corgi tail.

As of now, she's asymptomatic - runs with the best of them. But, that could could change very quickly which is why we're planning to have the murmur diagnosed so at least we'll know what we're dealing with. A low sodium diet and blood pressure medication may be sufficient...Or, it may not be.

 

[lamarguy]

I commend you for having the disposition to adopt rather quickly as it is the best way to remember your prior dog and keep the family life stable for everyone (puppy included).

I absolutely agree. Initially, my girlfriend thought it was too soon. But, after we discussed it and I think she saw the "hole" in our family, she accepted the idea. Besides, I told her she's responsible for the naming the new dog.

Right now, I'm hoping we name her after a Braveheart character...Perhaps, Princess Isabelle. Too cheesy?

About Rogue, we're putting together a photo scrap book of our favorite times (with commentary) as a way to remember her. We're going to attach her collar to the front cover. By far, her most impressive characteristic was her tenacity - she always gave it 120% (e.g., playing ball, herding deer, etc.). She will be missed...

 

[user 22118]

Tartan, as in the colors of each clan

 

[flyangler18]

Murron, the Scottish lass Wallace weds. :rockin:

 

[user 22118]

Well since it is a Welsh dog, why not a welsh name. I don't have any, but that could work well. Or I just said Jura as a girls name after the scotch whiskey

 

[flyangler18]

Well since it is a Welsh dog, why not a welsh name. I don't have any, but that could work well. Or I just said Jura as a girls name after the scotch whiskey

Bronwyn or Brynn.

 

[user 22118]

Slightly awkward dog name. Sounds like a witch

 

[malkore]

that's sad. we have two male tri-color corgi's

we shall all say a goodbye toast tonight for Rogue.

 

[lamarguy]

Thanks for the name suggestions. We ended up naming her Spark. I wanted to name her AllSpark, for all of the geeks out there.

We had her heart murmur diagnosed last weekend via echocardiogram (ultrasound) - Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). It's a serious condition (60% die within one year of being diagnosed), easily treatable via surgery (prognosis is 95%), and expensive as hell to fix. $3K for non-invasive (catherization) or invasive (open heart surgery) to close off the ductus arteriosus and restore normal heart function.

She won't live long without the surgery, so I've been busy contacting the canine rescue organizations to see if financial aid is available to help cover the surgical costs. So far, I've contacted Corgi Aid and Small Paws Rescue. I've filled out applications and I'm waiting to hear back.

Is anyone familiar with other aid organizations for rescued dogs?

 

[lamarguy]

Well, this story has a happy ending...

The generous folks at the Oklahoma State University Teaching Hospital offered to perform the PDA surgery for a reduced rate and Spark's congenital heart defect was successfully corrected last Friday. The DVMs, interns, students, and technicians who handled her case were the most caring group of veterinary professionals I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Spark is at home on pain medication, recovering in her crate most of the time. She's scheduled to have the staples in her side removed in 1.5 weeks. She should be able to start walking and playing after that. We're very excited and can't wait to begin taking her to the local dog parks!

Spark at OSU with her IV in place.

Saying goodbye, before they took her to surgery on Friday.

At home, recovering.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Glad to see your pup is OK! Thats pretty cool everything worked out for you!

 

[Shooter]

We don't have a dog right now, no room, maybe someday soon. I just randomly clicked on this thread for some reason. My grandparents were huge into rescuing dogs and cats and I did computer work at a veterinary teaching college when I was in school, good people there. Glad to hear things are going well with the new pup!