[Dailydrool] Kelvin's story

[Carmen Kraus]

I guess I should have added why we are adopting Kelvin!!  My brain just 
isn't working today.

In the 6 weeks he's been here, Kelvin has shown  a tremendous amount of 
fear when we do certain things, he's peed himself a few times and we can 
only conclude he had suffered some pretty severe abuse that is going to 
take a very long time and a patient owner to work through. 
He is also the GASSIEST basset/dog I have ever met in my entire life and 
as a result will have issues that prevents him from eating if he doesn't 
get a gas-x or beano every single meal.  Yesterday was bad for us, he 
didn't eat for 24 hours because of the gas.  Right now the vet is 
thinking it's a food sensitivity so we are working through all the 
different things until we can to find what works for him.  Took us about 
3 months to figure Tesla's out but we are hoping it goes faster for him 
since we've already figured out a list of stuff he can't have. 
He's reached a plateau with the weight gain and has started loosing 
weight, our vet is worried since he sill hasn't gained enough back to 
cover the bones in his head or hips so we will be doing a few send off 
type blood tests if adding more protein to his diet doesn't help.  So 
he's getting extra meats with his meals and for snacks for a few weeks 
to see if it makes a difference.  If it does we will be considering a 
vet approved homemade diet. 
He has separation anxiety for only me.  Hubby can leave and he just 
doesn't care.  I leave and he paces, whines, whimpers, whistle noses, 
and is generally restless until I walk back in that door.  I don't pay 
him any attention when I first come in either, I wait until he calms 
down and lays on the floor or couch before I pet him.   Sometimes it 
takes an hour but he does eventually calm down.
He has bonded with Gus, which is a huge deal.  Gus loves Tesla but only 
plays with her, doesn't want her sunbathing or chewing on 'bones' with 
him.  He lets Kelvin do these things, waits for him to get outside in 
the mornings before looking for the warmest spot to sunbathe.  He 
doesn't growl at Kelvin over bones or treats or toys either.  They don't 
fight for the spot next to me, who ever gets there first gets there and 
the other will lay next to him.  With everyone else it's a fight until I 
throw everyone off the couch.

With most fosters we have a sense that they need to go somewhere within 
a few hours/days of them being here, like they are just here for the 
food until they find their real home, if you can understand.  Kelvin, 
no, he's home.  I don't think he'd be ok anywhere else.  I don't want to 
even think about having to send him anywhere else, it bothers me.  So 
he's not going to have to leave.

Carmen