Charlie 17-281
Profile
At a Glance #17-281
| Golden Retriever | Born: January 2007 |
| Male | 73 lbs |
Status: Deceased
Charlie's Well-wishers
Profile
Updates
Thursday, October 15, 2020
This beyond amazing and loving dog crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on October 13th, 2020. Charlie Bear went peacefully in our arms with the beautiful fall sunshine on his face. It is with deep gratitude that we were able to love this guy for almost four years. He was our soul mate.
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
First off, thank you Jan M -- "In memory of Super Dog Walter (Ollie) 08-262" -- for the lovely sponsorship of our dear Charlie Bear. Grateful!!!
Second, it is with a heavy heart that I need to report that Charlie Bear has an invasive cancerous tumor in his sinus cavity. It has invaded the right side, but has not moved to his left sinus cavity, right eye or brain. We have chosen to provide palliative care.
At 13.9 years, we don't want to put him through an invasive biopsy to determine one of two cancer types or subsequent radiation. He acts like he feels like a million bucks and is on pain and anti-inflammatory meds that the U of M and his Vet feel are good for him right now.
He just spent six glorious days on Gull Lake, his favorite spot, swimming his heart out. It brought Charlie Bear great joy and that is all the matters. He is eating well, walking every day and still has that gorgeous smile.
We are taking it one day at a time. He and I have a bond like no other, so we will know when it is time to help him peacefully cross over, in our home or backyard. He has been the greatest dog gift.
There have been three dogs in my life that have been soul mates, and don't tell Bear and Griffin, but Charlie Bear is at the top. He was surrendered by a wonderful person who had him since he was a puppy, and trained him to hunt and obey beyond what I have ever experienced. He is a love; a mild mannered, really perfect dog.
Here are some photos of Charlie experiencing joy.
Thursday, July 2, 2020
A BIG HELLO from Charlie Bear!
My apologies for not keeping you updated on this loving boy. He is great! He will be 13½ this month.
Charlie is healthy and happy. He loved his time with Turkey-girl Dutchess until she passed on this Spring. For now, he is our one and only and he is definitely King of the Castle.
His recent check-up was perfect. The only issue with this big guy is that he is slowing down on his walks. He can no longer make it all the way around Lake Harriet so he has a 1½-mile walk in the neighborhood depending on the day. He is on arthritis meds and supplements for joints.
His incontinence is the same, so he wears a belly band indoors. He still has a lion haircut to keep him clean. He is referred to as "Simba" by the neighbors.
I swear his smile is even bigger these days. A blessing of the pandemic is that his foster mom is working from home and he attends all Zoom meetings with her. As his foster dad says, "you two are joined at the hip!"
Love, love, love this gift of a dog. Here are some photos from last October and now.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Both Charlie and Duchess are doing well. They remain healthy and happy and they continue to bond more since our beloved RAGOM Chocolate Lab, Dottie, passed in March. Dottie and Charlie were very close.
Charlie Bear continues to be the talk of the town at Lake Harriet and around the neighborhood. He is just a big, loving, smiley guy - not to mention, he is trimmed up in the back like a lion to keep him clean with his incontinence. He is very calm and so nice.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Charlie Bear is great! Loving the nice weather and walking around the lake. I've said it before, but he has quite the fan club at the lake!
He had his teeth cleaned recently and passed with flying colors. No extractions which is remarkable for a 12-year-old. His pre-op blood work was perfect.
Charlie had to say goodbye in April to his beloved companion Dottie (aka Fuzzy 16-054). Her body just gave out as she lost a lot of strength in her legs and hips. It was a peaceful passing in our home and Charlie was nose to nose with her the entire time. He has now bonded more with Duchess, our RAGOM dog from Turkey. No change in his incontinence—just a part of our everyday routine.
We love this big, silly guy.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Charlie Bear had a great winter! He celebrated his 12th birthday and had a great check-up. He's already back walking the lake every day and loving it. He continues to be the wonderful, smart and best-trained ever dog we've known.
He is beloved by his senior RAGOM sister. He is still incontinent but we deal with it. He leaves us poops while he sleeps and sometimes during the day. He continues to wear a bellyband mostly indoors. We love him and will continue to return the joy to him that he brings to us. And yes, he still has a goofy smile. We feel honored when he smiles at us!
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Charlie Bear had a wonderful summer and great fall so far! He has traveled to Lake Superior and Gull Lake where he was in heaven.
He also spent a lot of time walking around and hanging at Lake Harriet!!
The acupuncture has helped with his incontinence for his bladder, but he still wears a belly band indoors and his bowel has seen no improvement. But that 's ok. We love him just the way he is!!
What a smart, incredibly well-trained and loving dog. He will turn 12 in January!
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Hello from Charlie Bear!
He is doing great!!! He is a hit at Lake Harriet where he walks almost every day, except when it is too hot. Although he does like to lounge in the backyard on hot days.
He loves to swim but now the lake is getting stinky so his swimming days there are on hold. He will be traveling to the North Shore in July, and we hope he can swim there if not too cold.
Acupuncture is going well. It has helped to relieve pain in his lower back and the incontinence is a little better.
He continues to be the loving, smiley boy that he is. We love him as big as the sky!
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Charlie Bear continues to be the loving, smart and happy dog that he is. He has become a regular at Lake Harriet with his daily walks around the lake. He loves it there.
We are seeing small victories with the acupuncture. He now tries to squat and do his business with some success. His bladder control is about the same and he continues to wear the belly band indoors. It is really no trouble at all to keep him clean and dry, it is the new normal in our home. He patiently waits for his bellyband to be changed and to have a bath.
Charlie was so excited to see the snow today as his areas to rub his back and nose have become limited due to the slightly warmer weather.
We love this beautiful boy and he brings so much joy to our home.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Hello from Charlie Bear!
Foster mom and dad want to say a HUGE thank you to all who have so generously donated supplies, gift cards and funds to keep Charlie Bear stocked up on supplies to treat the incontinence. We are very grateful and so is he.
Charlie Bear has had two successful acupuncture appointments and we start on twice a week next week. He is the model patient!! He is so calm so his vet can use more needles than she does on most dogs. The hope is to see improvement in the coming five weeks. We swear we have seen his tail wag, if even just a little.
He continues to be the happy and sweet dog that he is. Not only does he have the Golden lean in down to a science but he also tips his nose high into the air so we know not to stop petting him! Oh, and he is so smart that he knows how to tiptoe around any icey patches so he won't slip. We wish we could do that as successfully as he does.
More to come...
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
What an incredible dog. Charlie Bear is as sweet and loving as they come, and he smiles! He is a gorgeous boy who loves his tennis balls and daily walks. He also likes having our resident Chocolate Lab to curl up next to.
Charle Bear was surrendered from a loving and happy home from an owner who could not provide for him any longer. Charlie Bear spent a lot of his years as a trained bird hunter and "ultimate leaper" off any dock into a summer lake. He loves to lay at your feet when you are cooking and in front of the fireplace. He would never not want to be petted.
Charlie Bear saw a neurologist at the University of Minnesota who diagnosed him with a neurological disorder of the lower spine. Surgery is not an option as it would have a very low success rate.
As a result of his condition, he is incontinent. His belly band is changed multiple times daily, and his bladder is expressed to avoid a bladder infection. He has also lost control of his bowels, so he poops most often when he is snoozing, but on occasion in the back yard.
We just keep things very clean for him, wash him daily, and don't let the pads in his bellyband get too saturated. He stands there so patiently waiting to be cleaned up. It's really something.
Because of Charlie Bear's condition, his is considered to be in hospice care with his foster mom and dad and unavailable. It's a shame as this is a very healthy, mobile, and spry dog for age 10.
Charlie Bear is, however, going to check out acupuncture to see if that might help him in some way. Fingers crossed.
Did I say he smiles, all the time? What a love.
