Long Overdue Message From Sebastian!!!

Hello, Dear Friends!!!

We've missed all of you so very much! We sincerely apologize for not being in touch for quite some time, but rest assured that you have been on our mind and in our heart as Sebastian has been working hard to put the final touches on his coat and training!

Sebastian is in the best of spirits and has gained much weight and muscle since his neutering in September/October. He continues to be fond of much love, brisk walks, long runs, and belly rubs...

and loves to explore new places that keep his mind stimulated. We found the best dog trail in    Palos Verdes by Del Cerro Park.

Look at the view!

Sebastian can hardly contain himself when we get out of the car there!

He knows there'll be new terrain...

as well as new scents and sights.

Although Sebastian likes to walk without breaks, he knows we don't have a sleigh dog's stamina...

So he's happy to make a little pit stop here and there to enjoy the view...

and a little shade.

Sebastian is such a great dog...

At this point, Sebastian is finally 100% ready to find a forever home. He's healthy, neutered, strong, more trained and ready to be in a loving, calm home. I am being patient in my search, and my parents, his fosters, are understanding of that. 

All of us, and that includes all of you, have spent and given so much to help dear Sebastian recuperate that his forever family has to be truly special! 

For now, we are fortunate to have him grace us with his sweetness, funny antics, intelligence, gratefulness, and beauty.

Sebastian sends his deepest and warmest love to all of you and will be updating you very soon  with more photos and perhaps a video, too! 

Love to you all!

Julie & Sebastian

jheuli@gmail.com

Hello, from Sebastian! :)

Just a few pics as Sebastian recuperates on Wednesday! :)

 Big smile, sweet Sebastian!

Sebastian is doing so well! :D

Hi, dear pals! Sebastian finally got neutered on Friday, 10/19. All went well!

Here's a photo journal tracking Thursday, 10/18 through, today, Tuesday, 10/23!

Thursday- the day before surgery.

We figured the cleaner his skin & fur, the cleaner his wound would be post-surgery. So, we got the bubbles out!

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Sebastian doesn't enjoy baths, but he stays still once the water hits his fur.

Good Sebastian! :)

Once the bath was done, he rubbed himself on his drying cloth...

...and on the grass...scratchy, scratch...

...then he simply laid in the sun to dry. :)

His hair soon dried off and started to look shiny & fluffy. :)

" I think I like this clean feeling after all"-- Sebastian

That's Sebastian blowing all of you a little kiss. ;)

Friday- the day of the surgery. Close to 6:30am, in a crowded waiting room at SNP/LA. Sebastian did really well considering how many big dogs, cats, and men were around. He was quite calm the whole time. They checked him in by 7:45am and said he's be in surgery by 10:45am. I called twice during work to see how he was doing and if all went well. They said he behaved & endured surgery wonderfully, and would be ready for pick up by 2pm. 

Sebastian was still pretty groggy when he was released to me. He was able to walk on his own, but we were really gentle with him. It was hard for him to get in the car, so the vet tech and I picked him up carefully and put him inside.

   The back seat was folded down to give him a large space in which to lay comfortably during the 25-minute ride home. You can see how sleepy he still is here...I drove  s-l-o-w-l-y  so Seb could be as calm and comfy as possible....I didn't want the bumpy ride to hurt his wound.

Once we got to my parents house he was given plenty of time to get out of the car. He just laid there for quite a while though and seemed afraid to get down by himself.

In the end, I had to wake up my awesome dad from his siesta to help me get sweet Sebastian out of the car.

He finally made it out and into the back porch--his favorite place. It was freshly washed with disinfectant which was great for his wound. I set up the warm, freshly cleaned garage for him too, but, as always, Sebastian chose to sleep on the back porch.

Seb also got microchipped! This is where they slipped in the chip-- ouch!

To ensure Sebastian recuperated in the most comfortable environment, I got him a larger bed to sleep on. I figured it would be softer on his wound. He slept curiously that first day, though, with his back side hanging off the bed. I think he was too groggy to pull himself completely onto the bed (?). We took the cone off as often as possible when we were sure to be observing him... He pretty much lay and slept for the remainder of the day. I stayed with him 'til 8ish pm, reassured him and staying really close so he could feel accompanied and comforted. My parents stayed with him 'til 10ish and my dad check up on him again throughout the night. Dad wakes up at 4:30am so Seb had a constant partner from then onward. :)

By Sunday, Sebastian was behaving like himself again. He was a tad slower-- less jumping and galloping--but, his spirits were pretty high & he even wanted to go for a walk! Sorry, bud! No walk for you for another week or so-- doctor's orders!

By Tuesday, Sebastian was fully alert and he's recuperating quickly! He's been eating well-- a chicken soup my darling mom made for him (chicken breast, carrots, potatoes, and yams, no salt/onion/garlic/spices). Thanks, mom!! :D  

Seb was scratching so much today that I called the vet and asked if flea med could be applied on him already. I was afraid Sebastian would scratch his wound with his paw! Vet ok'd the flea med. The cone went on again though, to make sure he didn't lick the medicated spot. The flea med had to go lower on his back to avoid it getting onto his microchip wound.

Here he is again....still recuperating, but making great strides! We'll continue to keep you posted on his progress! :)

Thank you, everyone, for making this possible for sweet, lovely Sebastian!!!

Hugs & kisses to you all!!!

Jheuli & Sebastian

Sebastian Gets Neutered This Friday!

Okay, everyone! Sebastian's neutering appointment is set for this Friday, 10/19, at Clinico (SNP/LA) in Pico Rivera. I've been advised to take all of his blood work results.

Check in is between 6:30am and 7am, but I'm planning to arrive at 6am so I can be as close as possible to the front of the line and be out by 7:30am. I've to be at work by 8am!

I'll keep you updated on how it all goes! 

 Cheers! :)

Julie & Sebastian

Sebastian's Vet Visit

Hello, dearest Sebastianites! :)

Sebastian went to the vet on Thursday of this week and got great news from the vet!

 
First of all, his age was reassessed and the vet estimates that Sebastian is really between 5 and 7 years old! YAY! :D Based on how clean Sebastian's molars are, how high his energy is, how nice is gait is, and his recuperation rate the vet estimates he's 6 years old. I was overjoyed to hear this because we met 2 people somewhat interested in him one month ago, but they said that he was too old (when we thought he was 10 y/o). Maybe they'll be interested in him now!!

Second, Sebastian is finally 65 pounds! The vet originally wanted him to get to the mid to low 70s, but Sebastian seems to be at his ideal weight now. The vet said it's fine if Sebastian gains a few more pounds, but not much more because he's perfect as he is. I'm supposed to feed him 1.5 cups of dry food and 3/4 of a can of adult wet daily now instead of 2.25 cups of dry and 1 can of wet puppy food. :)





Third, Sebastian's hematoma has not returned!! :D The vet taught me how to clean Sebastian's ears and gave me a special fluid to do so at home. He said dogs ears are most often neglected and, because Sebastian had such a bad ear infection before, it would be a great idea to routinely clean his ears. He also said that if I see him scratching his ear I need to put his cone on him immediately to prevent any blood vessels from bursting and refilling the hematoma.




Fourth, Sebastian's legs and hips were palpated and observed. The stiff walk the vet noticed before was no longer there. Now that Sebastian is healthy, at weight, and stronger, his legs and back are fit enough to walk normally. The vet suspected he was arthritic before--and only x-rays can truly determine that--but as of now, Sebastian is walking, jumping, running, and prancing like a well-adjusted, healthy 6-year old doggie. ;)

Fifth, Sebastian is 100% ready for neutering. This week we've noticed him...um...expressing his libido...which is something he would never do before. The vet said that now that Sebastian is healthy, all of his systems are awake again! Now that his skin issue has been fully controlled we are safe to neuter without a big risk of the demodex returning again. I'll let you know what the appointment date is for him this week. It will likely be on Friday or Saturday, though...











So, everyone, our pup is doing superbly and still has more wonderful progress to make! He's such a beautiful dog-- full of affection, energy, love, and a great sense of gratitude. Sebastian is indeed ready for a loving home that is gentle, active, patient, and, of course, super loving. :)

Hooray for Sebastian!!!! Hooray for his angels (YOU!) for making this happen!!!!

Sending each of you our warmest, sweetest love!!

Sebastian & Julie

Sebastian's Training Session

Hello, everyone!!! :)

Getting the before and after picture series together is taking a little longer than I thought! All of the before pictures are organized, I just want to have them all paralleled with photos that show Sebastian's most current state. I'll be taking more of those photos on Thursday when I see Sebastian again and I'll update the pics within the next few days. I'll likely have to post them in chunks as I get the after pictures settled. Hope you understand!

Today's pictures document one of Sebastian's training sessions. :) It's the most curious thing how he cannot keep his balance on the waxed floors at the Petsmart he we go to for his classes. He slips and slides all over the place and I can't help laughing while simultaneously feeling bad for the poor guy! He looks like one would walking on an ice rink without ice skates! Sebastian's trainer, Dominique realized  he needed traction so Petsmart donated a brand new set of booties with a gummy sole to help with the issue.

This is Dominique and my father putting the booties on Sebastian. Sebastian found a little spot to lay in and he was great about letting them cover his paws with the blue booties....

It took quite a while to get them on straight because they're quite snug and the sole kept shifting this way and that....

You can see the peculiar position of the sole here! His hind leg looks backward if you look at the bootie! Sebastian, he was so permissive and didn't even complain!

After we all finally tugged and fastened the booties as best we could, Sebastian gave the them a go. He walked as if through a swamp-- using slow, large, exaggerated steps!  The feeling of shoes was foreign to him. We sympathized throughout his tryout, but there was also a great sense of humor amongst the staff, ourselves, and the customers that happened to pass by...everyone was laughing, but commenting on what a sweet and great sport he was!

We didn't get too far before various adjustments were needed because the bootie soles kept moving around.

I told them to take the booties off. They weren't doing Sebastian any good and our training time was ticking! So they took us into a private room with a textured floor and--voila!--Sebastian was able to walk again! :)

In the end, Sebastian got his training session and he was allowed to keep the booties as a token of good sportsmanship! :) Thanks, Dominique! Great job, Sebastian!! :D