Meet Polar!  Wow, what a sweet face!  Prepare to fall in love with this little cutie pie!

Because of his diminutive size, he has earned the nickname Little Man.  Born around January 2020, he is handsome, petite, and fully grown at 60 pounds.  He could stand to gain a few more pounds, but he is close to his ideal weight.

A few more pounds and a deep clean and he’ll be hard to resist!  His coat is a little scraggly right now, because prior to rescue, he was found as a stray, walking through wet concrete at a construction site.

His rescuers quickly recognized that Polar was in dire medical condition, and got him emergency care right away.  He was having trouble opening his mouth, as if it was completely sealed shut; this had caused him to become emaciated and dehydrated.  X-rays, bloodwork, and pain meds and anti-inflammatories later, he has been diagnosed with Masticating Muscle Myositis (MMM).  https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/masticatory-myositis-in-dogs

The MMM means that Little Man cannot open his mouth much at all.  He’s had it long enough that the jaw is scarred in place and will never change.  His forever owner needs to be cognizant of the size and shape of the kibble given to him.  Right now, he’s doing really well on Blue Buffalo dry kibble, and he likes it.  We have been able to put eight pounds on him since he’s been in foster care.

He may end up having to be on a very small dose of prednisone for the rest of his life.  The pred works to ease the inflammation and loosen the muscles so he can open his mouth.  The medication is fairly inexpensive.

Polar has to be fed separately from other dogs in the house.  He doesn’t like them watching him eat, and he takes about 30 minutes to finish his meals.  He cutely prefers to eat off the floor rather than a food bowl.  He will take his food and spread it on the floor no matter what you serve it in.  Maybe he’d like a special little WeatherTech food mat of his own.

He tends to dunk his muzzle in the water bowl so he can get enough to drink; he has to suck in the water, because he cannot stick his tongue out to lap up water as normal.

He likes having his teeth brushed!  Even though we can’t get to the inside of his mouth, he quite enjoys having the outsides done.

Because he cannot stick his tongue out, he cannot pant properly when he needs to cool down.  His little cheeks puff in and out.  Whoever adopts him needs to be careful, as he cannot tolerate the Texas heat.

Polar has the cutest bark because it is muffled!  He sounds like a muted trumpet.

He is house trained and will ring a bell to be let outside.

Polar has gone from this skinny, shut-down dog to one with meat on his bones, and one who actually does like people and other dogs.

He doesn’t necessarily need a doggy companion in his forever home.  However, he would likely do well with other dogs, because he is very sweet and gets along great with all of the dogs in his foster home.

He is coming out of his shell, and he will come to you so he can enjoy being petted.  He is happy to meet new people, and will give you little lick or two on your hand to say hi.  He's a heartbreaker.

Little Man needs a special, loving forever home, and he is worth it. 

SPIN Pyrs are all in foster homes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Potential adopters are asked to make travel arrangements if they live elsewhere. All SPIN dogs are spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and on heartworm prevention. Please go to our website www.SpinRescue.org and fill out an application for this great Great Pyrenees!