GILBERT
9/4/2016 Update: Gilbert was ADOPTED!!! Gilbert will always hold a special place in No Borders Bulldog Rescue. Gilbert was the first bulldog that No Borders Bulldog Rescue took into our program. Gilbert was a hot mess when he arrived. He was grossly underweight, had breathing issues and was unable to hold down any of his food that he ate. After a surgery to correct his nostrils to help him breath, many different medications to get him feeling better and months of hand feeding him a special diet- Gilbert blossomed into the PERFECT Bulldog.
This transformation took many, many months and during thaet time it was very apparent that Gilbert had become very attached to his foster family. His foster family had also become very attached to him as well. So… after 8 months of living with his foster family and focusing on getting healthy Gilbert decided it was time that he became a full fledged member of the family. Gilbert now has brothers that he loves to explore the backyard with, rough house constantly and snuggle on the couch.
Not only will Gilbert always have a special place in the hearts of No Borders Bulldog Rescue volunteers, he now has found his forever family and he will never want for anything ever again. Congratulations to Gilbert and his new forever family.
7/3/2016 Update: Gilbert had a very eventful week. The week started when his foster dad decided he needed a day of pampering. So, Gilbert got a massage, a bath and a deep fur conditioning treatment. Gilbert then went to went to the salon to get his nails trimmed. While at he salon, he was weighed. Gilbert is now tipping the scale at a perfect 52.6 lbs. For those of you keeping tract of Gilbert’s weight, he was an emaciated 36.0 lbs. when he joined NBBR. Gilbert has gained 16 lbs. to date., we are now in the maintenance phase of Gilbert’s care. After all that excitement, Gilbert went home and napped the rest of the afternoon.
The middle the week was pretty normal. Breakfast, walk, nap, dinner, walk, nap. bedtime.
At the end of the week Gilbert got to join his foster dad as they went to meet a potential new rescue foster family . Gilbert and his dad both loved the family and they will soon be fostering a bulldog in need. Gilbert was able to meet their dogs and explore the house. All in all a very exciting day indeed.
If that weren’t enough there were the Fourth of July festivities to top off the week. Gilbert is not a fan of fireworks OR the storms we had last night. However, once he found out that as long as he was cuddling on the couch, the fireworks were not able to get him. So Gilbert and his foster brother River each picked a section of foster dad’s lap and spent most of the evening/night planted there.
All in all a GREAT week for Mr. Gilbert, next plan…to chill out and weather the dogs days of summer. We think that not only is Gilbert extremely handsome but intelligent too.
6/20/2016 Update: Gilbert has had another GREAT week tearin’ it up with his foster brother (Levi). The two boys play from sun-up to sundown. This week was extra special because NBBR foster girl Elley, came over for the day. Gilbert wasn’t sure what to do with such a tiny dog (Gilbert is the smallest dog at his foster house). But after a few minutes he and Elley were playing like they had know one another for ages. Gilbert may have a mild case of “little dog syndrome” while on a walk this week he decided he wanted to jump at a dog that was easily 100 lbs. bigger than he. Needless to say, we are still working on Mr. Gilbert’s manners. Gilbert is house broken, walks well on a leash and overall a great boy. He does still require hand feedings due to his reflux issues and will need to be on medication for this condition the rest of his life. So, the ideal forever family for Gilbert will be a patient one that has extra time to meet his needs.
6/6/2016 Update: Gilbert continues to do well in his foster home. He is coming out of his shell more and more each day. He is holding his own with his foster brothers, he even pushes them out of the way now so he can get his fosters dad attention. Gilbert is enjoying the weather but definitely prefers the cooler temperatures to the Texas summer heat. As the heat index has increased his morning and evening walks have been shortened a little to keep him for over heating.
5/30/2016 Update: Gilbert’s foster dad has been a complete slacker and hasn’t sent in an update for a coupe of weeks. But, fear not, Mr. G is doing wonderfully. Actually Gilbert has went from a scrawny little bulldog to one that has the start of a belly. He looks great. He has really bonded with his foster brother Levi- think THING 1 and THING 2 from Dr. Seuss fame (but with bulldogs). Their most recent adventure found them both rolling around in a mud puddle in the back yard. They both came strolling in covered in mud with a look on their faces like “not sure why you’re looking at us like that”. After a quick bath, they both retired to the couch for a 3 hour nap. Oh, the life of a Bulldog.
5/8/2016 Update: Not much to report on Mr. Gilbert this week, he continues to do well and loves hanging out with his foster brothers. Gilbert he likes to rough house with them and is beginning to really show his true personality. It has taken him awhile to truly open up and trust his surroundings, BUT he is doing that now. Each week brings a little bit more of his personality to break through. He really enjoys tug-o-war with his new tug toy. He is also getting into more mischief. He has started exploring the upstairs all by himself as well as every inch of the backyard (which he never did before). Gilbert’s health has improved as well. He has not had any reflux since his surgery. He does still make “noise” when he breaths, but Dr. H thinks this will be the case due to Gilbert’s unique structure (small trachea and nasal cavity. But the breathing noises do not slow him down one bit. All in all, Gilbert is a great little guy.
5/1/2016 Update: Gilbert is doing so well in his foster home. He continues to gain weight and insert himself into the pack. He is still looking for his forever home. Ideally, his foster Dad thinks that Gilbert’s ideal home would be one where he is the center of attention. After being neglected for so long, it is Gilbert’s time to soak in all the attention he can. Gilbert’s ideal forever home will also be one in where his parents have extra time to deal with his hand feeding. He is doing much better with his reflux (in fact, he has not had an episode for 5 weeks now). Gilbert has also learned how to self regulate his water intake to avoid throwing up after drinking to much. He does still need to be monitored and occasionally reminded not to drink too much. All in all, Gilbert is a GREAT dog that even after all he has been through is the most loving little guy anyone could ask for.
4/24/2016 Update: Gilbert had a VERY busy week. He was the guest of honor at TWO NBBR events. He loves to get out, stretch his legs and meet people. Both events were well attended and a lot of fun. Gilbert continues to come out of his shell and show more of his personality. He does have a few favorite activities: going for walks, cuddling on the couch and eating (he is a bulldog after all). Gilbert is doing much better with his GERD, the medication he is on has help tremendously, he hasn’t thrown up since his surgery.
4/17/2016 Update: Gilbert’s health continues to improve and he is gaining weight. He is up to 46.5 lbs. He is still being hand fed but that may be able to be stopped. He will always need to be fed small portions at mealtime and from an elevated bowl but he is improving. Gilbert’s water intake if vastly improved as well. He is learning how to drink small amounts (instead of massive amounts that make him throw up). He loves to rough house with his foster brother and take walks around the neighborhood where he is very social, saying “hi” to everyone he happens to meet.
4/6/2016 Update: Gilbert went to the clinic yesterday and was given a clean bill of health!!! His surgery sutures where removed and all looks great. SO…. now he starts the next chapter in his life, finding the perfect forever home. Gilbert isn’t looking for a perfect home, just one that is perfect for him. Gilbert loves everyone and is a very chill kind of guy. But ideally, Gilbert would do best in a home that is calm and quiet. Gilbert is so laid back he will get pushed to the side by more assertive dogs (which is fine with him, but we want Mr. G to be the center of his new family’s world.) Gilbert does have a few health quirks, he has a smaller than normal trachea which means that he “wheezes” when he breaths. This doesn’t affect his life or abilities at all, but the noise is there. Gilbert also has reflux, which means that if he eats or drinks too much or too quickly he will regurgitate. To alleviate this, he will be on daily medication and require someone that is willing to ensure that he is fed and watered slowly. Gilbert LOVES to go for walks and cuddle on the couch. He is learning to enjoy toys and how to be spoiled. After a previous life of neglect and possible abuse, it is time for Gilbert to be treated like the Prince that he was meant to be. Someone that has just a little extra time, attention and love to give this little guy is the ideal candidate. Is that you? if so, please complete an adoption application.
3/27/2016 Update: Gilbert had a BIG week. He started the week (Tuesday) with having surgery on his nares (nostrils). Gilbert now has two new nostrils and his breathing is MUCH better, however it was discovered that he will always make noise when breathing due to a smaller than normal trachea. He was also neutered and while under anesthesia he had a endoscopy done to determine if he needed a palate surgery. The scope results showed that his palate looked good and did bot need surgery. Gilbert is healing well and he appears to be loving his new nostrils (he is sniffing EVERYTHING). The middle of the week found an adoption application submitted wanting to adopt Gilbert. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this will be a match made in heaven.
3/20/2016 Update: Gilbert attended his (and our) first No Borders Bulldog Rescue event. He had a blast meeting all the people that were there. It was apparent that in his mind, they were there to see him. He spent some one on one time with a group of very nice ladies that gave him plenty of love, attention and bully scratches (his favorite). Needless to say, he went home and CRASHED and didn’t wake up until dinner time. Gilbert was great with everyone and everything, he truly has never met a stranger. As we get to know more about Gilbert and his personality, it appears that his ideal forever family will be a calm one. He would also like to have a family that likes to go for walks and spend time outside.
3/13/2016 Update: Gilbert is feeling better and is more comfortable with his surroundings and his foster siblings. He has even started to play with his foster brother Levi. He didn’t have much choice, (Levi is the family Welcome Wagon). He is still struggling with his breathing but he is down to two larger meals a day and a snack. He will have his neuter surgery on 3/22/2016. At that time, the doctor will also do a scope to see if Gilbert needs surgery for his nares (nostrils) and possible palate surgery.
3/6/2016 Update: Another week has gone by and we are happy to announce Gilbert has gained more weight! He is now 44.5 lbs. which is 9 lbs. heavier than one month ago when he joined rescue. His overall health condition is improving and he is still on two rounds of antibiotics to get rid of his nasty respiratory infection. After discussing Gilbert’s condition with our vet it was decided that he will be neutered in two weeks. He may also require nare (nostril) and palette surgery, which will be determined after they do the scope while he is under anesthesia for his other surgery. Our goal is to minimize the amount of time Gilbert is under anesthesia.
2/29/2016 Update: Gilbert’s breathing is improving and there is less vomiting occurring In addition, his personality is beginning to emerge. Gilbert is the perfect houseguest, he gets along with all of his foster siblings, there has been on accidents in the house, he walks perfectly on his leash AND he isn’t phased by anything. He loves to go on his daily walks, currently he goes for a walk after his meals. Gilbert is very low-keyed and would probably do best with a calmer environment.
2/22/2016 Update: Results from Gilbert’s throat culture are back and he still has THREE creepy crawlers living in his upper respiratory track. All three bugs are resistant to all common antibiotics. So.. he will be getting two new medications to knock the crud out once and for all. It is also possible that he has a palate and nare (nostril) issue as well that is making his breathing sound so bad. We won’t know that for sure until he is healthy enough to have his neuter surgery and will be checked at that time. GREAT news, Gilbert has gained a total of 5.5 lbs. since he joined rescue.
2/15/2016 Update: Gilbert was still not sounding much better so yep, another trip to visit his friends at the clinic. Gilbert had a throat culture done to see exactly what is growing in there and what we need to kill it. It will take a few days for the results to be received but until then he will continue on his current treatments. He is doing better with keeping his food and water down. This has been helped by hand feeding him several (4)smaller meals and a snack each day.
2/9/2016 Update: Gilbert was still having difficulty breathing so his foster dad took him back to the vet. It appears that he may have aspiration bronchitis caused by inhale his own vomit. This was determine by X-ray. Gilbert also has GERD (reflux) that is causing his vomiting. He as been place on an anit-nausea medication in addition to his previous medications. He will be staying at the vet’s overnight and possibly get a breathing treatment. The good news is that he has gained 1.5 lbs. since he joined rescue.
2/6/2016: Gilbert had a visit with the doctor today and he is VERY underweight. He is tipping the scales at just under 35 lbs. The doctor recommends that Gilbert gain at least 15 lbs. His foster family will keep a very close eye on him. Gilbert also as a severe upper respiratory infection. He has been place on a steroid and two antibiotics to help with this. He is also vomiting quite a bit after meals and drinking so we will be monitoring this as well.
