Munich

Munich is a darling 1 year old black and tan boy with a heart of gold. He loves other dogs his own size and soon we will introduce him to some smaller playmates to see what he thinks of them. Munich is frighteningly thin right now, but our team of devoted volunteers will be working on getting some good nutrition into him and on building up his muscles. Munich will remain on the smaller side for a male–probably topping out around 75-80 pounds at full growth. He is playful and curious like a typical German Shepherd puppy, so we are recommending an active family for him. He would positively love to have another friendly young dog to hang out with.

10/8/05 UPDATE

We noticed that Munich was not putting weight on his rear leg so we took him to our vet to have him evaluated. She concurred that something is causing him pain, so we will be taking him to an orthopedic specialist in the coming week to see how we can help him feel better. Additionally, we found that Munich had an assortment of intestinal parasites, which is why he was so thin. We have managed to put some weight on him, but he still has a long way to go. Watch for updates about Munich as we learn more.

UPDATE 11/5/05
Our vet has diagnosed Munich with something called an “elbow hygroma”. It is a pouch of fluid that has developed as a result of him being on concrete during much of his young life. In older dogs, a callous gets formed to protect the elbow, but in younger dogs, fluid collects under the skin and makes an unsightly–but not painful–pouch. This is what the veterinary medical journals say about the condition:

Most elbow hygromas occur in young (i.e.6 to 18 months old), large-breed dogs before a protective callus forms over the bony prominence; small, non-painful hygromas are cosmetic problems tnat persist if not treated. The primary treatment for elboy hypgromas is elimination of repeated trauma.

We have purchased a therapeutic bed for Munich, but being a puppy, he keeps chewing on it!

Munich was rescued from an animal shelter when his time ran out. He had been picked up as a stray but never reclaimed by his owners, a mystery that we can’t understand given his wonderful disposition.

Munich is currently in boarding. To arrange to meet her, please complete the online application and email adoption@gsroc.org for more information.

11/13/05 update

To help Munich’s elbow hygroma heal, it was recommended that Munich go to a foster home where he can rest on softer surfaces and get the regular exercise he needs. Munich is doing well in his foster home. He’s getting lots of play time with his German Shepherd foster brother. Hopefully, the hygroma will soon dissipate. Munich is a sweet dog and likes to play with other friendly dogs. Please come and visit him! You might fall in love!