. . . in the distant, early morning . . .

Should I adopt Milton?

Ever since I received Milton to foster I’ve been very attached to him.  He’s incredible with Mali, great with Elka, extremely smart and trainable and just has this incredibly wonderful, sweet personality.  He has just the right amount of energy.  Playful when its time, mellow when needed. And he’s only 5 months old! 

He’s a really great fit for my house, my lifestyle.  He’s a really great fit for Mali and Elka.  And he’s a really incredible fit for me.

But, he may not be the healthiest dog.  I know he has had stress colitis, and it may be flaring up again; which may be a chronic issue and/or a food sensitivity.  He also hurt his leg, which may just be a puppy injury or may be from malnutrition or both.

I’ve had very bad luck with animals in my past.  Odin died at 5 1/2 from pancreatic cancer, Kayne died at 4 1/2 from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.  Mali, as we all know, has had a long list of very expensive, ongoing health problems.  All of these take a huge emotional toll, and in Mali’s case, an ongoing emotional and financial toll.

Now, Milton’s issues may disappear with routine and a high quality diet (raw if I adopt him).  Or they may be a precursor to something much harder to deal with.  There’s no way to know.  I’m going to talk to his vet about it on Friday when she’s back in the office.

Of course, this could happen with any dog, even a purebred dog of the highest quality lines.  Colitis itself comes in varying degrees and forms and my research shows that colitis is usually manageable with minimal medication and careful dietary considerations.  His hurt leg is nothing really serious: nothing shows on the radiographs, so it’s just an injury that needs time to heal, probably a pulled muscle.

He does have a very high metabolism, I think.  He burns through his sedative very quickly compared to what I was told its longevity would be.  He also is thin even though I’m giving him quite a bit of food but I think he’s putting on weight.  I don’t think this is a sign of a medical issue - just being a puppy with several dietary changes.  But I’m not sure.

I really am in love with him.  @Cirira says I’ve already made my decision even if it’s not quite official.  But I’m scared of having to deal with two special needs animals.  I don’t consider a careful diet special needs, just if it is indicative of other health issues.

I really, really want to keep him, but I’m not sure he’s the right choice for me giving my history with animals and their medical problems.  Chris pointed out that he’s the second dog I’ve had here that has been excellent with Mali and Elka; and he’s right, but I didn’t bond with that other dog.  Even so, I often think about him and regret adopting him out.  With Milton I have bonded with him, so I feel it is a certainty that I’ll regret rehoming him if I do.

I can certainly provide the care he needs, and I’m very diligent about that care.  But the emotional toll if he is more sick than he appears right now?

I don’t know.  I feel that he’s the right dog, at the right time.  I want to adopt him.

But should I?  Should I keep Milton?

-Lisa, on March 31, 2010 at 8:17 pm

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