Bandit is wonderful older Cocker who came to us from the York County SPCA. When he arrived at the shelter, he had to be shaved down to get rid of the 5-inch mats covering his body. The poor boy was so matted that he was covered with fleas, dirt, sticks, and even blood from all the fleas’ fecal matter. His ears, eyes, and teeth needed attention as all were dirty and infected. He also has dry eye, which is easily treated with inexpensive eye drops or ointment.

Dry eye is fairly common in Cockers who have suffered from neglect. It is a condition brought about by malfunctioning tear ducts. With no moisture, the eyes can’t get rid of the dirt, dust and bacteria that float in the air, so they quickly become infected. This in turn causes the green pus often seen in dogs with severe cases of dry eye. Dry eye management is easy and when performed daily, the treatment helps keep the dog from developing cataracts or glaucoma. Most dogs who have been getting eye drops regularly easily accept their drops, so don’t be afraid that it’s a hassle. This writer finds it a nice excuse to pay extra special attention to her own blind dog and uses the opportunity to check all over the dog’s business for anything out of the ordinary!

Bandit is wary with new humans at first, but once he warms up (which is fairly quickly), he attaches himself to whichever human is showing him attention or affection. For example, after figuring out that his transporter was good people, he was friendly, calm, cuddly, and affectionate. Bandit has probably not known much human kindness; he is gentle and needy, timid and submissive when you first meet him. But once he gets to know you and with a bit of love and care, he will be a wonderful companion for someone who wants a dog that will settle in quickly and already be trained to do everything he is supposed to do.

Please give him a chance--older dogs are truly wonderful. They are well trained, mellow, and quite content to lie next to you on the couch, returning whatever love you give them tenfold. For information on the benefits of adopting older dogs, please click here.