How do you like your Cooper? Mini, Classic, Signature, Iconic, or maybe a Countryman?!! Cooper is not exactly a Mini but with his Signature look he will grab your attention. Cooper is our own Countryman traveling all the way from Georgia to join the ranks of SEPR.

 

Cooper originally came to us in November of 2018, as a 7 month old puppy that had been hit by a car and suffered a broken leg.  He underwent FHO surgery to repair his leg, and settled into his foster home.  It didn’t take long before he won over his foster dad and soon became a permanent resident when his foster dad adopted him in April 2019.  Fast forward to July 2022, Cooper’s world is turned upside down when his adoptive dad suddenly passed away.  Even though we were full to the brim with foster dogs already, we weren’t about to let Cooper be homeless and immediately got him settled into a foster home.

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Cooper has always been a shy, slightly scared boy, but with all the changes life has thrown at him lately it’s hard to imagine what he could be feeling. The first thing we noticed was that Cooper was a little thin, part of this is attributed to his eating habits, Cooper will only eat in a place where he is 100% comfortable. After some experimenting with different feeding routines, we found one that works for him and are happy to report he is part of the clean plate club now.

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Once we got a feeding routine figured out, we took a look into his medical records.  We found that Cooper had some abnormal lab values that his dad was trying to get to the bottom of.  So Cooper got a thorough check up with our vet to see if we complete the riddle.  Blood panels were sent out for consultation, and they showed that there was no indication of cancers like leukemia or lymphoma… which is great news!  The consensus is that the abnormal lab values are from Coopers body physiologically responding to stress by contracting the spleen which releases blood cells into the blood stream, which filters through his liver.  This shows up on his blood panels as an increase in some of his values.  We are trying a low dose anxiety medication to help with the stress and the transition, and then re-running the blood panel and hope the medication has helped his body feel less stress.

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We also discovered during the vet appointment that Cooper’s femur on his FHO side has shifted from its original spot.  This has left his back legs a little uneven, with the left being a little shorter.  This doesn’t seem to be causing Cooper any pain, and it hardly slows him down at all, but he does have only 50% range of motion in that back left leg.  Cooper doesn’t let that stop him, although it does cause him to trip going up or down the stairs if he is running too fast….so foster mom just has to remind him to slow down sometimes. 

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Once we got all the vet appointments done, feeding routines figured out, and medication solidified, Cooper has settled right into his foster home.  He is absolutely loving all of his canine siblings, he relies on them to help him feel more comfortable, taking ques from them.  He made fast friends with alumni Beef Cake, and is almost inseparable from him. Cooper would need a home with one or more confident canine siblings, big or small he does well with all dogs.. but he definitely enjoys the bigger dogs he can play with.  He has been slowly expanding his circle of people, meeting new volunteers. We are also helping him gradually learn to be less anxious outside of the home, starting with car rides and sitting in parks watching the world.

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Cooper will need a special home, one that understands his shy slightly anxious nature, and is willing to work with him to help him achieve his full potential.  Once you get to know him, you absolutely fall in love with him, he has a lot of heart, and he loves his people with all of it.  We know there is someone out there who is perfect for him, and we won’t stop looking until we find them. 

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Be sure to check back for updates, we have no doubt that Cooper will make amazing progress.