Meet the newest member of RAGOM. She goes by the name of Sadie and she is 9 years old. Sadie is fostered in North Liberty Iowa. She has been spayed and up to date with her rabies vaccine but needed all other vaccines with heartworm and fecal testing done. Now she is current on all her vaccines and her heartworm and fecal were negative. The wellness and senior exam showed normal hips for a senior which means she is a little stiff in the morning and evening with a little tenderness in her knees. Urine was positive for bacteria so she in on an antibiotic for that with retesting when meds are complete to make sure she is clear of infection. She also had a couple of abnormal blood tests but those can be elevated by stress so we will be repeating those in three months to verify a need for further evaluation. Sadie has not had routine vet care for some time so I am not surprised we found a few things wrong but overall she is looking pretty good for a senior who acts and looks much younger.

Sadie is completely housebroken and prefers to sleep on the floor shunning the dog and human beds as well as the sofa. We have been out walking so I can watch how she tolerates activity. She walks super on her regular flat collar and the word 'tango' is her cue to heel :). How cool is that? I have not seen any obvious stiffness and she dances just as great in excitement as my senior. Like my senior she likes to talk especially in the morning which sounds like a low rumbling in the back of her throat with some barking. Like most seniors a boost up in the car is much appreciated and she only weighs 54 lbs so it is really easy to assist her. The vet does not encourage any weight gain to keep the weight bearing on her hips and knees minimal. I have also added a joint compound to her daily feeding time.

 Sadie is getting along with my two goldens though there were a few grumbles from the two most senior girls, Katie and Sadie, over whose nose should not be in my bowl (even if it was empty), and who should be next to foster mom (she was mine first or I'm the new kid on the block so I should be the special one kinda look), and that was my bone so leave it where I left it (even if I did walk away from it). Gracie just looks on in her timidness choosing to avoid confrontations and be the observer in all things. So a few chosen words of what I (FM) expect in my house to correct the grumbleys and now they are treating each other with more tolerance.

Sadie is a very calm girl and would do well in almost any home. She came from a home with children ranging in age from 6 to 12 years. I am not positive she needs a companion but it would be nice if she had someone in the home most of the time. I suspect she has a little anxiety when she is alone though during the time I have been gone as much as 5 hours the only thing moved is the pet gate across the stairs. It is still in place just a little skewed from its original position. There was a little whining the first 24 hours when I moved away from her but that is gone as she is learning I come right back plus I would have anxiety if someone took me away from everything I had known since being a puppy.

If you think Sadie would be a good fit in your home and you are an approved RAGOM applicant let your placement advisor know so we can set up a meeting.