I have found myself several times now tryng to find the words to write one of the most difficult things we ever do have to write on our blogs. Today, we lost BHRR’s Jaxson and I just want to scream in anger, frustration and sheer agony over the unfairness of why I could not save him NOR save all the dogs out in the world like Jaxson. Mostly, I am just sitting here in stunned silence with tears running down my face and sobs wracking my body from deep within over my ‘piece of heaven’ now being in heaven himself. I was not there at the time when Jaxson began to not act normal and Sean came to get me(I had been trying to have a bit of a rest as I have been working 24/7 between Rescue, Hospital and Soul plus Potter etc. for some time now) and in seeing Jaxson, there were no wounds, he had not bloated or appeared to have stroked and there was no ‘outside’ cause seen as to why he was being that way and and just over a hour later(around 12:30 PM today); BHRR’s Jaxson was crossed over. He weighed almost 40 KGs(88 pounds). BHRR’s Jaxson has touched lives from all over the world and he brought together complete strangers and took all of us along his incredible ‘Jaxson’s Journey’ and completely ‘stole us all to heaven’ as he went along and brought us so much laughter, smiles, inspiration, motivation, determination and joy. From the morning after he had his amputation surgery, Jaxson never looked back and he taught so many people so many valuable ‘life’ lessons including how to live life to its fullest, that glass is never half empty, and never let hurts in the past take away from having happiness in your present. Jaxson taught me that no matter how old you are; it is not only good yet ‘ok’ to sometimes giggle like a child carefree of worries and to run and be silly and to play like you might never have the opportunity to play that way again. BHRR’s Jaxson was so very special and his loss just catches me in a way that I feel like I just have been kicked so hard and cannot breathe and I am so frustrated that he is no longer here for me to give him more loving and wonderful experiences such as our GD Walk/Hike last Sunday(we were 16 people and a dozen+ dogs in attendance) where he proved himself to be as awesome as ever and I can no longer smooch those jowls or play tug-o-war or race around my hutch or have him kick my tush in hill work or walking or shaking my finger at him as he mischievously gnaws my seat-belt or crushes me with his exuberant jumping on to the bed to cuddle so happily with me that his whole body shook in contentment or his grabbing of his leash as he wants to play or the grabbing of other dogs leashes as he wants them also to be loose and playing or how fast that cute butt of his would hit the ground for a treat or when you called him and he then turned that cute butt of his to you and would look over his shoulder at you or that nonstop sheer blast of living tail wagging…or….or…or. I just miss him so much already and no words will ever be able to explain how much he meant to not just me but Sean and so many others. I know that I cannot speak for Sean’s feelings or others yet I think I can say for sure that on behalf of all of us that have met and touched and played and knew him that this world has lost something very incredibly precious. In time, we will re-open Jaxson’s Journey as an on going fundraiser that for any funds that come in; they shall be saved and used for other dogs that require leg amputations due to abuse, disease or injury. For now, I just want to ask everyone that tonight to please light a candle in honour of his bright flame of personality and if you are having a drink at a Holiday celebration, to toast in your heart the memory of a true one-of-kind boy.

I have added Slides #14-27 and below I am adding two pictures of BHRR’s Jaxson from our GD Hike/Walk that K. Watts has been so kind to allow us to post. I had also contacted Sue Bird, who was the photographer for the 2010 Calendar Contest hosted by Global Pet Foods – Kanata to request(she has been planning on sending me a digital disc of all photos) if at all possible to receive sooner the ‘classic’ pose candid shot of Jaxson looking over his shoulder at us. Thank you from our hearts again Sue for that is the photo that we would like for his memorial page. AND for those that are buying these fundraising Calendars in support of BHRR; know that your monies will go towards allowing BHRR to help the next ‘Jaxson’ in need of an amputation etc.

BHRR’s Jaxson – December 18th, 2008(approx.) – December 12th, 2009 – Photos coutesty of K. Watts 

BHRR’s Jaxson – November 14th, 2009 – Photo courtesy of Sue Bird

BHRR’s Jaxson – November 14th, 2009 – Photo courtesy of Sue Bird
RIP the most precious of angels, now in heaven… 😥

I took BHRR’s Jaxson in with me tonight and his weight was just over a ‘wiggly’ 86 pounds! WTG Jaxson! I brought him in with me for last night while cuddling with Sean; Sean noticed that he still had a staple in his scapulae area. With the washings that this boy has had and the cuddles and snuggles; how we missed this; is beyond us but as the Vet did say; it is not uncommon for people to find staples quite a bit later after the dog has healed. Now, taking it out was a different matter. Jaxson did not want Sean to hold or restrain him and wanted to play mouth him etc. and I said, fine. I am not able to restrain plus remove the staple at the same time so I took him into work with me and it was funny. Jaxson knew I meant business and he layed down on his amputated side with this ‘look’ of sheer innocence but when I asked him to move and lay down the other way; he fully co-operated and we had that staple out in 2 seconds and he was as good as gold and what a lamb! Such a monkey! But, he had an enjoyable night meeting people and being loved on and he did great in his run. He was a little reluctant at first and this is perfectly understandable based upon being in a shelter but I went back their several times, took him out to pee a few times and to visit and he settled down beautifully. He is so much FUN! He really ‘inspired’ many tonight and impressed many as well with his manners and obedience and then there are the giggles he elicited with his grabbing of the leash and wanting to play tug of war or walk himself! Jaxson brings me such joy. On the way home, he rode with his head on the console snuggled up against my arm and everytime I looked down at him, he was looking at me with those huge brown trusting eyes and he just melts me. I bought him a new ball toy today FOR he loves his toys and loves being chased when he has a rope or a toy and he knows the words ‘bring me your ball’ or ‘bring me your toy’ and he truly brings out the kid in me. He is going to be another one of those heartbreakers when he is adopted. For now, I am just enjoying every experience and Jaxson is now walking up to 7 KMs(3.5 KMs BID) and we are doing over a hour of hill work(half an hour BID). OK, rather he is doing the hill work and I make it up and down the hill once or twice and then just watch him! 😉 Jaxson also has this desire to eat things like shoelaces and pull the edging off blankets etc…sigh…we are working on that. 🙄

We have had a lot of emails and phone calls wishing BHRR’s Jaxson all the best as he is now available for adoption. THANK you everyone! As BHRR’s Jaxson still has outstanding bills, we continue to hope that his adoring public will consider supporting him as he continues on his ‘healing’ Journey. I have added a new slide #12 from October 19th and am going to add it below as well. Jaxson’s face is priceless!!! This photo is taken just three weeks after his amputation! He is doing fantastic and Sean plus myself wil be tackling those nails soon. He had his first manicure/pedicure while he was under for surgery. We shall see how it goes! I have to say that Jaxson brings out the ‘kid’ in me! OMG! He loves the balls, rope toys and Kong toys. He and I could spend hours racing around our kitchen island or the house as we play ‘catch me if you can’. GOD! If I begin to slow down, Jaxson will come over and try to entice me to play again and he loves to play tug! His tail wags a mile a minute and gosh, he is just SOOOOOOO much fun! As my Bluez Boyz were away showing in N.S., he had taken to wanting to excite mouth and grab at our Cherokee’s long fur and I guess he did not find that all that appealing with hair in his mouth and I know that Cherokee did not either! She was most disgusted to find herself slimed (Guinness our EM used to put her whole head in his mouth when they were puppies and she was most inimpressed with that too). It is not the act of having her head in Guinness’s mouth that bothered here for she likes to ‘clean teeth’ and is often seen with her face in some dogs mouth; it is being goobed on! LOL Jaxson has his own ‘flavour’ of drool that he has been sharing with Cherokee. It has been very interesting since the Bluez Boyz returned home(Congrats again to TAIN on his CFC CH. title!). Jaxson has been really good around Bronson, only trying for his ears here and there but it is Tain that Jaxson has gone from indifference to excitment mouthing/grabbing and playing rough/having a great time together to honestly, not liking the ‘mushmouse’. These are two boyz close in age(14 months and 10 months), Jaxson is now neutered, Tain is not and Jaxson has no issues with ANY other dog here. He just does not like the mushmouse who is very confused and his feelings are actually ‘hurt’ by it all. I have no issues with a dog not liking another dog as not all humans like all other humans yet the dynamics of the change in this relationship is very interesting to observe. This is the first dog that Jaxson has not liked in the time that we have had him and he used to really love Tain. At this time, things are very closely supervised for Jaxson will be completley fine and then, what I am thinking jealousy kicks in(Jaxson lost his twinkles when he was under for his amputation) and then he heads purposely for Tain and body bumps him and attempts to nip at him. We will not allow this to escalate and we intercede(yes, we do not believe that all dogs should be working things out amongst themselves and we do not wish to see an escalation situation and we like body parts as they are on our dogs AND I do not want any of the dogs to have bad experiences from other dogs). In monitoring the pattern, it seems to be when Jaxson is overstimulated and/or quite tired. We either just give Jaxson some time out in his crate, so that he can snore for about 15-20 minutes or Tain goes to the masterbedroom as he is wants to get away from Jaxson’s pushy behavour. Tain’s reaction back to Jaxson really only ‘encourages’ the bully inside of Jaxson and I could swear that he is grinning from ear to ear as he sees how Tain reacts. Tain is very sensitive and very submissive and Jaxson likes to take advantage of that. I think he honestly does not respect such a personality/behavour trait as that. Bronson is a bit stronger constitution that Tain and Jaxson just seems to like his ears..a lot yet has no issues with him being intact etc. Bronson is also quite a bit older(almost 2.5 years now). I am going to really focus on this in the coming weeks etc. to attempt to understand better and learn more about this. Jaxson’s best of buds is BHRR’s Dana hands down. They share a lot of the ‘mischief’ and ‘bully’ type behavours yet Jaxson is not as ‘hardcore’ as Alvin/Dana is! BUT he is stubborn and if he is focused on something, he does not ‘hear’ his name either…sigh…LOL. Some days, I think those two should be adopted together, they are so close and then ‘reality’ kicks in and neither one of them is for the faint of heart! IT would take a very experienced, structured and obedience, NILIF oriented home to make it work successfully. Otherwise, as I am want of saying; they will be sleeping in the bed and the owner(s) on the floor! We believe in full disclosure at BHRR and all of this is very important information to know before a person should submit an application to adopt BHRR’s Jaxson OR BHRR’s Dana for that matter. They are both amazing, incredible dogs yet they are not perfect, no dog is and they will continue to need ‘work’ after they leave our home. We adore them no less and in fact truly do appreciate them for the dogs they are as they are so ‘honest’ about their feelings! BHRR’s Jaxson also sometimes does not wish to relinquish a stick or toy that he has gotten a hold off, yet it is more often that pencil he took from the kids school bags that he does not wish to surrender and he will hold it hard and fast in his mouth. AND boy does he love his sticks and branches and logs when we go walk about! I cannot believe he can stay balanced at times!

BHRR’s Jaxson – October 19th, 2009 – 3 weeks after amputation and LOVING the sand!

BHRR’s Jaxson is now AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION! By the time any application process had been completed, he will be more than ready for his own forever loving home! He shall only go to a home experienced with Large and/or Giant Breed Canines and one that will continue to work on his ‘excitement’ grab tendencies. As per our adoption contract, continued obedience is a requirement. WE are going to sorely miss this sweetheart! He is so much all wrapped up in one precious package! 🙂

I have been meaning to type for awhile now that Jaxson is fully housebroken(maybe I already did?) and that I have been working on the pancreatitis that we were told he had. I am very proud to say that Jaxson has been eating strictly home cooking for some time without any issues and he has been having a wide variety of treats too. I think a lot of what Jaxson has been going through before coming to BHRR was very much stress related and he has been doing great! I am going to transition him on to a kibble source soon(he came to us on Gastro) and see how that goes. As the bluez boyz have been gone to Windsor, N.S to show; I have been allowing Jaxson to sleep with me in the kingsize bed(he is earning his rewards beautifully) and he is one smart cookie! Stay on Sean’s side of the bed and you can stay on all night! 😛 He is so smart and we continue to work on his ‘excitement’ wanna grab at the other dogs moments and it is going to be a true test when the bluez boyz come home(I had hoped tonight….) to see how he is with the hormones(as it has been almost a month since he was neutered now) around the show boyz as he likes to try to push and boss them around AND they let him! He seems to really like their cropped ears too and wants to pull on them…sigh! YET, he does not even try to do that with Mazda as she just gives him a ‘look’ and that stops him in his tracks. I have to say that he is exceptionally gentle with the ‘Wee Bear Cub’ and now the ‘Lil Pillow’ that recently came into our home. Additionally, I managed to connect with Buddy’s owner Bonnie in CT, USA today and we talked for over 50 minutes! Buddy is a 10 year old ABD who was diagnosed with Osteosarc in his right front leg at the end of September and is currently scheduled for an amputation tomorrow. I shared KB/JB’s battle with Osteo and talked about Jaxson(and gave Jaxson a huge hug from Bonnie to him) and had the pleasure of hearing Buddy ‘sing’ in the background. They are in a most unenviable position and I could only discuss what my professional/personal views were and my past experiences with amputations and/or dealing with Osteosarc plus offer up my support with whatever decision they make, be it to go ahead with the amputation or not. I am sending all of them my strength plus hugs as they go through their own journey. It truly is amazing just how far Jaxson’s Journey Story has reached plus inspired in others and I hope that people will continue to support him as he continues to travel down his path to a most wonderful future! There is a PAWMATES Calendar Contest coming up on Sunday November 15th hosted by Global Foods – Kanata with Sue Bird as the photograper and it is free for all dog breeds to participate and all funds of the ensuing Calendar($15.00 each) will come back to BHRR to continue to allow us to assist animals like Jaxson that are in need of our programs. There will be a donation Jar for BHRR for those that wish to donate that day to assist us with our efforts too. Spaces are filling up, so book early!!!! BHRR’s Lil Linus will be the front cover on this 2010 Calendar and it is just a perfect fit with all that he went through before coming to BHRR(4 homes and the abuse) at just 14 weeks of age and being a SN’s(which is what BHRR specializes in) and being 100% rehabbed and now going to his forever loving adoptive home(SUCCESS!).  🙂 I am also bringing in BHRR’s Jaxson’s to enter into the contest for what another fantastic dog currently in our program and he represents everything that we believe in at BHRR in helping SN’s like him and also BHRR’s Potter; our “Honourary” Great Dane who is another fantastic SN’s boy. Though, they are not Great Danes and other than Jaxson, technically not even a Giant Breed; these dogs demonstrate what reputable/quality Rescue should be about AND no one who meets them would ever say that they are less deserving of an incredibly wonderful future than any other dog out there and that is what BHRR is passionate about.

With the way that Jaxson is healing plus rehabbing(he only has one small spot that still is a bit separated since the staples came out); I am thinking that within the next three weeks or so, he can be made available for adoption. I will see how this Sunday’s GD Hike/Walk goes for him as well before making anything more final on his status. Today, BHRR’s Dana decided that Jaxsons E-collar needed to come off and so she helped him. 🙄 We went through so many collars with Dana’s toe amputation and yet, Jaxson still was wearing his original e-collar as of today…sigh…MONKEY Girl! With the 2 bluez boyz now headed to N.S. for shows; I am ok with the collar coming off for when Jaxson gets excited, he likes to run at ‘grab’ at them and the extra length of the E-Collar gave them some protection from his rough mouthing of them. I have noticed the same thing when Jaxson is playing with the other dogs; he has very limited control over himself once his excitement level reaches a certain point and he just wants to run and grab at the dogs in his excitement and when you go to take his collar; he likes to drop right on his side and ‘play’ dead weight on you. He does not like the word ‘no’ during this moments of heightened excitement and in turn, he gets some quiet time in his crate to re-collect himself and calm down and be able to focus again. This is where he will then fall asleep and snore and be refreshed shortly after! Crates are not a ‘punishment’, it is a great training tool plus a ‘safe’ spot for many dogs. Being a puppy, sometimes as the adult, we need to step in and give them a break for they do not know enough to take a break themselves. They just keeping ‘feeding’ off whatever is happening and this is when something can go wrong, if someone is not careful. Distraction and focus training are our next steps with Jaxson for he needs to learn to be gentle with his playing and his adoptive home needs to know when/how to step in when needed to ‘break’ his level of ‘head in the clouds’. That is one strong mouth and we want him to learn how to play properly. It is very clear that he lacks some doggie communication skills but he is learning fast and no dog like Dana to help teach him things. She has a zero tolerance for total brainless gooberness. He is quite respectful of the girls and just tends to play more rough with the boyz. However; he has been really quite gentle with the ‘wee bear cub’ for the most part. Mr. Parker Paws is also still learning to play gentle, especially with those clubs of his. This boy possesses TONS of potential and I would love to see him as a Therapy Dog one day. I am hoping that with the strong foundations he is obtaining here that his new adoptive home will continue along this path for this boy is awesome. The other thing that I want to share about Jaxson is that I received a message from a woman in CT, USA about him and how inspiring Jaxson’s story is and how they also have a ABD(about 90 pounds) who has Osteosarcoma. She wanted to connect with us to discuss more about Jaxson and his amputation etc. and I have left a message back and hope that our paths connect soon. Jaxson has reached people all across the world with his ‘Jaxson’s Journey’ Cause and we continue to thank everyone that is supporting plus rooting for him as he continues along his healing journey. BHRR will continue to take in ‘honourary’ Great Danes as we can for if we have a spot and there is an animal in need; especially the SN’s that are often passed over by others; than BHRR will step up to assist them. Jaxson has given to us tenfold more than we feel that we have given to him since he came to BHRR and he continues to ‘take everyone to heaven’ that he meets!

I brought Jaxson to see the Vet that amputated his leg/shoulder blade on Wednesday for a recheck. A+ given on the healing plus his temperament! The rest of his sutures plus staples came out and what a fantastic dog Jaxson continue to prove himself to be. He weighed 33.4 KGs(73.48 pounds) and all of us thought he had lost weight due to the surgery and then not being active(so losing some of his already limited muscle tone) BUT he has put on a wee bit. YAY! I talked to the Vet about doing Physio and/or HydroTherapy and he said that he honestly did not think that Jaxson would need any due to all the activity he gets at our home etc. We do a lot of rehab in our program and live on a hill and have lots of trails and I know that he will build up the muscle tone etc. and I think that was so wonderful to hear! I trust this Vet 100% and I do feel that a session or two or more could really assist Jaxson with his balance and co-ordination(BUT you should see this boy corner! WOW) and building up his muscle tone some more. So, I think I might still put Jaxson in a session or two of hydrotherapy, just in addition to what I am already doing at home for him. As of last Thursday, Jaxson has been walking about 1.5 kms with me to get the kids of the bus and as of yesterday, he was up to almost 2 kms plus we began to do some ‘hill’ work. I used to teach Fitness and Water Speciality classes including Water/Sports Therapy for 16 years and all that experience plus knowledge is being put to good use with Jaxson’s rehab. I am going to add three new slides to his show #9 -11 and I am going to add two below as they SHOW how amazing he is doing after only 2 weeks from his amputation. It is not going to be long before Jaxson leaves me eating his ‘dust! LOL Today, though; Jaxson was not up to snuff to go for a very long walk/hike and we only went about 1 km. I have organized at GD event next Sunday and was thinking of bringing Jaxson with me yet we shall see how this week holds for him first. I do not need him to feel overwhelmed by all of these others dogs racing and running about and him overdoing things. From his recheck appointment last Wednesday, I took Jaxson to work with me and then from there he came with me to do a hv for potential new BHRR Volunteers and he had the chance to do a little play with their GD Puppy. We have had Jaxson very closely supervised and on very limited interaction with the other dogs to avoid any zoomies or over exertion and he really enjoyed his little romps with their GD Puppy. Over the last few days, he has been allowed to do limited play moments with some of the dogs here and seems to pace himself well yet in only being a puppy still himself(not quite 10 months as of yet); we intercede and give him some quiet crate time to rest and regroup. You can then most often hear him snoring away! He has also begun demonstrate the ‘bully’ breed side of him as he is healing and the honeymoon period is ending! LOL AND he really likes to eat horse poop…UGH! He has had some ‘bossy’ pushing of my two bluez boyz as even though Jaxson is now neutered, it will take some time for his own hormones to settle down. He has also some some grumpiness in having his collar taken and moved off what he considers prime real estate bedding(where he was x-penned) and slept with Sean for two weeks post amputation. All just testing moments yet things that NILIF and Gwennie’s Boot Camp is nipping in the bud. While he has had some basic obedience exposure before he came to us, he is stubborn and his very much his own individual with a mind of his own and we want to continue to shape plus mold his personality in the right way. He is doing really well!!! AND for those that continue to inquire as to *if* we shall be placing Jaxson up for adoption at some point, I continue to see no reason why he would not be made available for adoption when the time is right for him. However, he shall only be placed up for adoption when he is ready and we are on Jaxson’s timeline as to when that shall be. We do not rush things here and this could be in two weeks or another month. We do not know the ‘when’ right now. It has only been 2 weeks since his amputation and he is doing great!

BHRR’s Jaxson ‘ZOOMING’ – October 11th, 2009 – Just 2 weeks after his leg/shoulder blade amputation

We wish to extend a very appreciative thanks to Mary for not only donating a new collar for BHRR’s Mr. Jaxson but in donating a Large Kuranda Bed. We are so deeply touched!

I wanted to post a couple of pictures of BHRR’s Jaxson from October 2nd, 2009. Just 8 days after his left front leg and should blade amputation. The next stage of Jaxson’s Journey shall be started shortly in October of 2009. He will begin Physio and Hydrotherapy to help with his balance and to build muscle tone and mass. His bills will most likely run into the thousands as he will require extensive rehab in this area. Having been lacking a lot of weight and muscle before coming to BHRR and then having to be kept ‘quiet’; Jaxson has many steps in front of him still. Please do consider becoming an Angel of Jaxson’s to continue to help him along his Journey to becoming 100% healthy plus happy!

BHRR’s Jaxson – October 2nd, 2009 – 7 days after amputation of leg plus shoulder blade

With Sean loving on BHRR’s Jaxson, I took out his drain last night. The drain ran the whole length of Jaxson’s shoulder right down to the end of his ribs. He made not one sound, layed there very calmly; soaking up the affection and did not even move one muscle. I cleaned up the whole area thoroughly with Betadine and Jaxson received lots of praise plus treats for his bravery! I am taking him in on Wednesday to remove the staples and any remaining sutures that will need to come out. We will be at 12 days after his amputation as of Wednesday. I also would like for the Vet to see how great he is doing! With the funds that we raised at our 2nd annual BHRR Boat Cruise/Dinner/Auction; we will be able to pay off the rest of Jaxson’s $1,007.36 Vet bill that is still owing + the cost of any recheck and we again THANK all of his incredible ‘angels’ for being there to support him. Jaxson will continue to have bills as we move to hydrotherapy and physio and we will keep Jaxson’s Journey Cause open to donations until such time as he is fully healthy. It is estimated that by the time Jaxson is healthy to adopt, his bills will run close to $4,000(if not more) and we only adopt the animals under our authority for several hundred. Reputable/quality Rescues DO NOT make money in Rescuing and as we take on many rehab animals that others cannot or will not plus focus on Giant Breeds AND those that are Special Needs; BHRR Bills are often quite high. However; to BHRR ‘success’ is truly measured in having these animals adopted into their forever loving homes or being part of our Perma-Foster Families or in our BHRR Haven Program. It is not Jaxson’s fault in having such terrible leg injuries that required an amputation or being left at a shelter to most likely end up being euthanized. We continue to say ‘who’ says that his life is any less worthy than another animal who has 4 working legs etc. BHRR believes that these animals are truly special WITH how they are so incredible and the life lessons that they can teach us humans are very valuable plus important ones. 🙂 Jaxson teaches me much about what it means to have ‘real’ courage and that life truly has no limitations if you believe in yourself. We never want to see anyone ever take that comfortable feeling Jaxson has in being who he is and that he is second to no other dog; away from him. He oozes a quiet, calm, confidence that is not arrogant; just ‘comfortable’. Jaxson lives under a ‘no pressure’ philosophy and success to Jaxson is not in just the big things, but the pleasure of all the little things! Jaxson lives in the thrill of a day of just ‘being’. He has the ability to ‘settle’ dogs down. A great Therapy Dog, Jaxson has the potential in making. He has so many amazing qualities this one. I keep saying, ‘he just steals you right to heaven’!

Jax had a bit of a setback on Tuesday night yet is better now. I suspected when I came home Tuesday night that his Duragesic patch was beginning to wear off (Day 4) and he was uncomfortable. I talked to the Vet on Wednesday who did the Surgery and we agreed to try and up his other pain meds to see if that would make a difference yet he was still quite uncomfortable with pale gums. He looked so sad and his ears plus eyes were not ‘Jaxson’. Temperature was within normal and nothing else to indicate that it was anything other than ‘pain’ control being the culprit. So, today, I went in and picked up a new Fentanyl 75 pain patch and Sean helped me to take off his old one and I put on his new one. When it kicks in, it is going to make him feel a lot better. He is draining a lot, so I am keeping the drain in for another day or so. Nice edema tinged with bright red blood. His incision looks fantabulous and I shall remove the sutures and staples next Wednesday or Friday, depending how everything looks then. The only thing that still sort of concerns me is his cold despite switching to Clavamox, he still has his bad cold. I cannot wait to see him get more weight plus muscle on him. He ate his supper really great tonight too so YAY! One week tomorrow since Jaxson’s amputation and he has been such a trooper!!!!! Only $1,007.36 left to pay off on Jaxson’s almost $2,500 Vet bill to date and we cannot say THANK YOU enough…from our hearts and on behalf of Jaxson; we just remain incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and continue to beg and plead to his ‘fans’ to consider donating to his Jaxson’s Journey Cause to enable us to get him 100% healthy and on his way to being available to be adopted to that ‘right’ matched home!!! We will be doing hydrotherapy once his incision is healed enough and he is strong enough and any funds would be so apppreciated. On another note, his neuter incision looks fantastic!

BHRR’s Jaxson is doing amazing! He completely ‘stole’ everyone he met on Saturday at our BHRR’s Mini Open house to ‘heaven’ as I knew he would! He is such an incredibly brave and strong boy. He has been healing just wonderfully and within the next day or so, I shall remove his pain patch plus his drain. The staples plus sutures can come out within another week. The Vet did say as the leg was completely ‘dead’ that Jaxsons’ recovery could be much better than other dogs who have leg amputations and though it is easier to physically remove a back leg and is also better on the dog to have a back leg removed(I have had several in-depth conversations with a couple of Vets on this topic) for mobility and balance; Jaxson is kickin’ major tush! We have had to switch over to a stronger antibiotic for his cold and now we are working hard to keep him ‘busy’ and calm for he is bored and last night, he had a small case of the zoomies in the house with Sean hot on his heels trying to ‘catch’ him to stop him. I have to admit it made me *giggle* a bit for Jaxson’s face was full of puppy glee with a facial expression of ‘I am free! I am free! You cannot catch me!’. Unfortunately, for him, Sean did ‘catch’ him and back to the X-Pen set-up we have for Jaxson he went. We have a double bed plus a twin in the X-Pen area and have been giving Jaxson nice dinosaur bones to chew and Kong toys with treats inside to work at getting out but he wants to be more physically active and we cannot let him overdue things. He is still very much in the early stages of healing and has a long way to go yet to Jaxson after having such a terrible leg with injuries like that; he feels like he is ‘on top of the world’. I have received quite a few inquiries in regards to if we shall be placing Jaxson up for adoption and the answer is ‘yes’. There is no reason why Jaxson cannot be adopted and when he is ready; we shall move his status to adoptable. As with any of the dogs under our care; should he never be adopted, he has a place to call home with us. I know that Sean is completely enamored with him and WHO would not be. This boy ROCKS! I am still debating about whether he shall come to the BHRR Boat Cruise Fundraiser this Saturday October 3rd and when I go to pay for the catering on Thursday; I shall see if the Captain is there to discuss this possibility. I do not feel overly comfortable having Jaxson be by himself that long. Up to now, he has been watched 24/7 between myself and Sean and at our Open House; by a wonderful Volunteer Suzanne. We still need to raise about $800.00+ more for his ‘Jaxson’s Journey’ Cause to pay off his Vet Bills and as always, we thank EVERYONE for their continued support of Jax. We shall continue to accept donations until his Vet Bill is paid off. We continue to plead to the public that with your kindness of monetary gifts; we can continue to help Jaxson on his journey to a much better life than what he had before coming to BHRR. I am also attaching two pictures below of Jaxson from the BHRR Mini Open House that was held on Saturday September 26th.

BHRR’s Jaxson – September 26th, 2009 – One day after left front leg plus shoulder blade amputation
*photo courtesy of A. Bennett & photo courtesy of C. Desjardins

After a really ‘rough’ start to the night that would have weakened the soul of even the most emotionally hardened invididucal, and, after the Hydromorphone(A narcotic that is 5-7 times stronger than morphine) that I gave to Jaxson around 12:30 AM, he rested fairly comfortably until around 8:00 AM today. Understandably, he peed on his blankets and is all cleaned up. The difference between last night and today is UNBELIEVABLE. The Vet did say that he would be doing much better this AM, but HE did not say that Jaxson would be ready to ‘run’ a marathon! HOLY! This boy is up and ‘at ’em’ like nobody’s business. It is all we can do to hold him back. When I called the Vet with an update, he said that it is amazing what happens in that 12 hour period with a young dog having his/her leg amputating. He does not know why it does but WOW! Jaxson had another HUGE pee outside this time and a fairly normal poop. He has yet to drink anything and the Vet said perhaps by this afternoon, he might. He ate a very small breakfast, took his antibiotics plus pain meds and now he is in his crate missing Sean. He has really really really bonded with Sean and we need to ensure that he continues to socialize and be around tons of other people to continue him along his already wonderful social disposition path. I am attaching a couple of pictures of Jaxson from last night and as much as I have seen in almost 25 years of Rescue work; I can still be surprised by how terrible people can be. For Jaxson to have been just dumped at a Shelter in the condition he was; is deplorable. These pictures are why BHRR exists. TO continue to help those that cannot help and speak for themselves for as clearly told to us by the Shelter, no one else stepped up to help Jaxson and if this handsome sweet boy had been put to sleep, what a loss it would have been to the world. He is incredible!!!! These pictures are graphic yet it is the reality, JAXSON’S REALITY. We continue to plead to the public to please open up your hearts to continue to allow us to assist Jaxson. He has a LONG way to go yet on his ‘Jaxson’s Journey’. He is nowhere near to being ‘out of the woods’ yet….

BHRR’s Jaxson – September 24th, 2009 *Full left leg amputation including shoulder blade

I just talked to the Vet. Jaxson was out of surgery by 3:00 PM and the Vet is very pleased with how things went. I was told that the nerve damage went deep into his chest and further than where the Vet was operating on and so most likely an injury deep into the spine that has resulted in Jax’s leg being the way it was. Apparently, he had no sensation or feeling in that leg from the chest downward(as per the findings of one other Vet that I work with of Jax having only ‘deep’ pain felt in some areas). The nerves were completely ‘dead’. Sometimes, when legs are being amputated and nerves are being cut; the leg will twitch, yet Jaxson had nothing. I talked a bit with the Vet as to his own expert view as to how this could have happened and it could have been 1) A Person(s) or 2) Jax culd have ‘possibly’ hurt himself yet regardless; shortly after he was hurt; he was dumped. That much is very clear. Poor Jaxson. 😥 BUT we care about Jaxson and his health plus happiness is a huge priority to us. So, after being seen by 4 Vets(two at the Shelter and two of my own), they are all in agreement with myself too; that this leg needed to come off NOW…. The next hour will be our next ‘worry’ point for sometimes they come out of leg amputations very dazed and disoriented. The Vet did say that due to all the nerve damage, that Jaxon might fare better coming out of the anaesthetic due to all the lack of feeling that he had previously. From there, we need to see how his pain management is going(he is on a Duragesic Pain Patch). The Vet is not overly worried about him not being on fluids in coming home yet we need to ensure that he is as comfortable as possible. We shall touch base in another hour to better determine the possible ‘go home’ plan for 6:00 PM tonight. After that, the following 72 hours will be our next ‘goal’ for Jaxson. Infection and shock are huge. The neuter went well too. Please please please consider helping us with Jaxson’s Journey Fundraiser, every little bit helps. I will update his blog as I can.

Jaxon’s was prepped for surgery around 11:00 AM today and the Vet is also going to be taking off his shoulder blade in addition to the leg for it will be better for Jax. We continue to thank everyone that has been donating plus supporting Jaxson by cross-posting his ‘Jaxson’s Journey’ Cause. $577.02 raised to date and though we still have a ways to go to reach $2,000; we shall continue to collect funds until he bill is paid for. Continue to send your well wishes plus positive energy Jax’s way. Jax’s fecal did come back NSF and his bw was ok. WBC was slightly elevated yet he is on antibiotics still for the cold. His chest was also clear upon exam today for his surgery.

I ended up taking Jaxson to work with me last night for I wanted to have him examined by my own Vet soon. I brought in all the notes sent with him and we await the disc with the actual digital x-rays on them. Jaxson weighed 32.8 Kgs(72.16 pounds) and the general consensus is in agreement that he should be around 85 pounds right now. I did bring in a fecal and we are running some bw for the decision is that this leg should really come off sooner rather than later. He is going to be so much happier(AND he is one happy boy!) without it and the Vet agrees that the leg is just ‘strange’ in many ways. He has ‘deep’ pain yet nothing surface related and you can see when he lies down how that growth plate on his shoulder just moves and appears to be disjointed. It appears that we are looking at several possible issues with that leg and it is ‘injury’ related and what a shame that he was dumped at the shelter in this condition. So, I have made an appointment for this Friday; September 25th to have this leg removed and we shall neuter him at the same time. I strongly suspected from the moment that I saw him myself and examined that leg that it should be amputated and I am feeling better about having my own Vet (the third Vet that has now examined Jaxson and has suggested amputation) concur for it is only going to cause him more angst and medical problems leaving it the way it is. He also has that nasty pressure sore on the back of that pad from how he moves and rests on his leg at times. BHRR focuses on the SN’s and takes in animals that others will not or cannot and we are pleading to the public to please help us to continue to help Jax….

The cost of his surgery is going to be $2,000 and while we can do a payment plan on the leg; we need to put down some money on Friday.

We are begging and pleading to all that support BHRR and have become fans of Jax; if you could assist us in anyway with a donation to his Vet Bill, so that we can take this leg off this Friday September 25th(it has to come off, it is posing a danger to him); you can donate by PayPal(button found in the top left corner of our homepage) OR you can write a check out to ‘Liston Animal Hospital’ and mail to:

Gwendilin Boers
2425 Totem Ranch Road West
RR#1 Oxford Station, Ontario
K0G 1T0

OR you can call Liston Animal Hospital at (613) 591-0966 to pay on Jax’s Bill directly by Visa or M/C – Jax’s bill is under the account name of ‘Boers’

Please help us with ‘Jaxson’s Journey’ as we beseech you to help us raise the funds needed to help Jax!

BHRR’s Jaxson – September 20th, 2009 *Pictures courtesy of P. Tops

I arrived home close to midnight last night with ‘Jax’ and I have decided to make his ‘formal’ name Jaxson…it is so befitting of him! He is not deaf(as some have asked) and he is LUVBUG Heaven! He travelled really well with the Volunteer who pulled him from SWO and then his transition to another Volunteer went great in Scraborough and I met them in Kingston last night to bring him back to us. I noticed that he is presenting with nasal discharge and has had a few sneezes….sigh….so, I am proactively treating him for that. I had an appointment set for tomorrow night for Jax. I have also read his folder and the finding of ‘lateral shoulder possible mild fracture at cranial aspet of physis. non displaced-can’t rule out growth plate’ was read. There is quite a bit of information sent in the folder and I will add as I can. His Rabies plus DHPP are not due until February 4th of 2010. His HWT was negative. He was given a dose of Revolution on September 14th and in October, we will switch him over to Sentinel. The same day, he was de-wormed with Strongid T and we will do a de-worming with Panacur and I will bring a fecal sample in for his stools are diarrhea and very smelly(especially when he does it in your house!). On September 11th, he was given Bordetella Intra nasal. His birthday is listed as December 18th, 2008. I can confirm that while he is crate trained he is NOT housetrained. He has peed all over my dining room chair and has had three bouts of diarrhea in my home. He was also microchipped at the Shelter before he left. He travelled amazing(only once did he try to get into the front seat and that was most likely because he was hungry and I had his bag of food there from the Shelter) and has loved everyone and every animal that he has come into contact with. I have some pictures from one of our Volunteers with her two boyz and will post as I can. He also has been fully integrated with Tain, Parker, Abbi and Potter at our home. He is playful, gentle with taking treats and food, does not resource, listens quite well, leash manners are not bad etc. He did a few little cries when I put him into his crate last night yet settled down beautifully. He ate his supper last night(gave him only about 1/3 of his food) well yet today, he has not eaten much of his breakfast. He has been drinking well and is alert, active – despite that leg(the one pad on the back of his leg is raw….the poor thing) and so affectionate!!!! He was a little bit nervous last night in the dark when first meeting Sean, yet quickly warmed up and came into the house with curious puppy abandonment! Only a couple of times has he exhibited some handshyness and he is VERY VERY VERY people oriented. Right now, he is lying behind my chair. He does not seem to fully understand the ‘comforts’ of the Kuranda bed and nor the soft doggie beds and we will work on that! I think I am in agreement with the first Vet who believes that his left front leg should be removed. It is not known if this is from something his previous owners did or from getting caught up in something himself; but the paralysis is very apparent and the muscle wasting going on is clear to anyone’s eyes. He lets me hold that leg, examine it and touch it all over and is not in any obvious discomfort and he likes to use that leg(he moves it from the shoulder) to ‘paw’ or ‘hook’ you for some loving or to get your attention. He is quite adept at moving around without that leg and it is very much a hindrance to him the way it is right now. I am not sure if hydrotherapy or Physio is going to help in his situation. There is a pulse, the leg and foot is warm, good circulation is happening yet he cannot utilize it. He is painfully thin, not neutered and that tail is nonstop wagging! He really needs a new collar and his body needs a lot more muscle. The Vet records state that he is about 63 pounds and I would like to see him closer to 80-85 right now. We are going to begin a fundraiser for Jax called ‘Jaxson’s Journey’; whereby any funds sent our way for Jax will be used for his Vet care. That leg amputation alone is going to cost thousands. AND for BHRR, rescuing is about helping that next one in need and he is just as deserving of a great forever home plus life as any other dog in need. BHRR’s Potter seems to instinctively know that Jax cannot quite play the way he should be able to and has been just magnificent to watch him interact with Jax. Parker on the other hand with those big ol’ clubs, is working on the ‘just a baby’ and ‘gentle’ words again when using those paws of his. I will update his blog as I can. I cannot wait for those attending our upcoming BHRR Mini Open House to meet him. He head and jowls on this boy are very irrisitable in addition to his charm AND he is just going to steal you right to heaven this one!!!!

UPDATE from Shelter on X-Rays taken today on Jax’s leg:

 So our vet today feels that perhaps there is some tendon or nerve damage causing him to not use the leg. She recommends physio at this point to see if his level of use increases. If not, amputation recommended. There is more detail in his medical record and as I mentioned I will send the xrays as well.
Thanks

We were contacted earlier this week about an ‘urgent’ ABD(American BullDog) in SWO that needed a Rescue. We waited to see if Bullies in Need could assist and when they responded saying sorry, that they were not in a position to help him; BHRR stepped up. With the help of two very wonderful BHRR Volunteers; BHRR’s Jax shall be here on Sunday night. It was most concerning to learn that our first message to our network asking for help with Jax was not received by many and yet our second request got through – thank goodness- and I have been working almost nonstop over the past 24 hours to try and save this boy. He will not be available for adoption anytime soon. Here is the information that was sent to us on this boy and I have posted two pictures of him below. The shelter is doing X-rays today and will let me know their findings. He is utd on shots and is on flea preventative. I do not know at this time if he is neutered.

Jax is a 9 month old American Bulldog, surrendered to by owners who only had him 1 month claim they do not have time to care for the dog. The dog presented here non weight bearing on the right front leg. After exam our vet feels there is paralysis of the nerve and thinks that amputating would be the best option for this dog (radial paralysis). However we are not equipped for this sort of surgery on such a large dog (65lbs and growing, very tall!).

The following is information from the previous owners:
– lived with a cat (in an apartment) was playful but could be rough
– seemed good with other dogs but did not live with any
– good with their 10 month old child
– had pancreatitis a few months ago on gastro diet
– housetrained
– was allowed to sleep on bed but was also crated when away
– seemed to bark a lot when no one home (neighbors told them)
– knows some basic commands

BHRR’s Jax – 9 month old American BullDog

For those not familar with the breed; here is some information on the American BullDog:

The American Bulldog is a loving gentle family companion, good with children and other pets, yet at the same time, fearlessly determined. It has been known to display heroic acts of courage in protecting its master.  Height: Males: 22 – 27 inches; Females: 20 – 25 inches. Weight: Male: 75 – 125 lbs.; Female: 60 – 100 lbs.

History/Origin:
Bulldogs in England were originally working dogs who drove and caught cattle and guarded their masters’ property. At one time, the breed was used in the grueling sport of bull baiting. With the outlawing of the sport in England in 1835, the original type of Bulldog disappeared from Britain and was replaced with the less athletic dog we now know as the English Bulldog. Yet the original Bulldog was preserved by immigrants who brought their working dogs with them to the American South. By the end of World War II, the last remnants of the working English Bulldog were disappearing in the U.S. Thanks to the breeding programs of John D. Johnson and Allen Scott, the breed was brought back from the brink of extinction. The American Bulldog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1999 in the rare, working class.  Information from bulldogbreeds.com