Meet Falkor!
Falkor spent a good part of a year with us at the Animal Center as he had to endure two surgical procedures: femoral head ostectomy and an inguinal hernia repair. I and the rest of the staff couldn’t help but fall in love with his endearing affection, patience while spending long days in a kennel, strong love to be pet and cuddled, as well as his drive to fight to get better. Despite his injuries, he ate (and still eats) like a champ, and walks with some deficit but fights to keep up with his kennel brother, Fred.
Falkor recently became gravely ill with unknown fever and periocular and muzzle ulcerations. Several days of hospitalization and additional testing revealed Falkor has an autoimmune disorder called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or simply Lupus. Much like how humans that live with Lupus, the flare up that Falkor experienced from the disease made it nearly unbearable for him to walk without crying out or comfortable enough to eat. The fighter in him continues to prevail and with the support of fluids, steroids, gabapentin and turkey slices, he has regained his appetite, walks a bit more comfortably, and fought with fire in his soul when his flare ups were at their worst.
Our family is incredibly grateful for our paths crossing with Falkor 10 years ago. We are so blessed that his story and spirit of survival has been one we have the pleasure to experience with him and be inspired by every day. We love you ‘Lil Falkor!
Likes: Falkor lets everyone know if there is movement or people walking by with a low grumble then a “barrrrk bark bark” **in that cadence. He loves a touch of table scraps on his dinner and never turns down a chicken treat!
Dislikes: Baths and plain dog food (he doesn’t like to eat dry kibble without table scraps added as an incentive!).