Adoption status: Adopted!
Renji is a 4 year old male Shiba Inu Mix. Follow his Facebook album!
Hello everyone, my new name is now Renji and it means, “yearning love.” I am a Shiba Inu Mix and a big boy at 53lbs. I was surrendered to a SC shelter in April by the family who adopted me last February. But that didn’t last long and they sent me back to the shelter because they said I ran away too much. DC SIR saw my story and acted fast to get me into their family. I am heartworm positive and need some extra medical care before I can be adopted. Luckily, DC SIR has some great volunteers that drove me all the way up to VA so I could get cleaned up at Shiba HQ.
When the DC SIR volunteer picked me up I was a bit nervous but kissed her on the face. When I got to Shiba HQ I drank a lot of water and then met a whole bunch of Shiba Inus. I got along great with everyone. But the DC SIR volunteer said I smelled really bad so I had to go straight to the shower before being able to play inside with the other dogs. The volunteer noticed I was covered in dirt and scabs from flea bites. It took her hours to brush out all the crusted blood that was caked into my fur. My skin is raw from removing all the scabs so I may need another bath in a week to finish cleaning me up. I sat very patiently as she brushed and then bathed me multiple times in the shower, and even sat still for my nail trim.
Oh boy was I happy when she was done! It felt so good to be clean! I ran and pranced around the house. Then I got really yummy food and curled up in a soft bed for a short nap. DC SIR said it is a real good thing that I ran away a lot because my life is about to get really awesome! They said my dry fur will be soft and lush in a month on their optimal raw diet and I will have the best family for my personality, health, and energy level. Make sure to follow my story if you think I may be a good fit for your family!
FOSTER UPDATE: Renji came to DC SIR last year from an SC shelter. He had been adopted out by the shelter the previous year with heartworm (HW), and unfortunately, he was returned a year later to the same shelter with untreated HW and covered in a severe pus-filled bacterial infection, dry fur and flaky skin. DC SIR elected to take a holistic and less invasive approach to his treatment with prime consideration to building his immune system and increasing the diversity of his gut microbiome, so we elected not to use antibiotics. We used a rotation of botanical microbial and Heartworm Free treatment. Renji’s bacterial infection took some time to clear up with regular baths to remove the pus-filled bacteria and even shaving his neck to expose the bacteria to air and light. Now he has a silky, thick fur coat and is completely cleared of any bacterial infection.
Last month we took him in to test him for heartworm and x-rays since his case was so severe. His 4Dx tests came back negative and he is heartworm FREE! However, his x-rays still showed heart enlargement, so we had these sent to a specialist for review. It was determined that the damage to his heart was from previously untreated HW for so long, and we can only provide supportive heart health care. What does this mean? Renji can overheat quickly but does well at self-regulating his activity. Renji has come on many DC SIR Alumni adventures and can easily keep up on light hikes as long as he has plenty of water and breaks when he desires.
Renji has also been in a multi dog house and has met and gotten along with dozens of dogs during his stay. He absolutely loves to cuddle on the couch and sleep in bed with his humans but will go to the floor when he overheats. Renji loves to go on adventures and has been on many while in foster care including DC SIR’s monthly events like our camping with DC SIR outing. Renji can be a bit nervous and vocal when left alone. He had previously knocked down gates to get to the front of the house and watch for his foster mom to come home. Once he was given full reign of the house, Renji was more comfortable waiting by the front window for his foster mom and was not otherwise destructive. He does want to be in the same room as his foster mom and will follow her through the house as she does daily activities.
Renji can be unaware of his large size and may trample over smaller dogs and people. He seems unaware of how big he is and will try to crawl into your lap. Renji has an odd fear of some kitchen utensils and sounds. Especially pounding sounds or chopping, such as chopping vegetables with a knife and he may scamper away. While he has gotten better, he can still be frightened and will look for quick escapes.
Renji is extremely food motivated and will train well with food. He is off-leashed trained with his foster mom and will enjoy taking classes. Renji loves going on hikes and exploring places in nature with his foster family or large group activities.
Location: Local (DC/MD/VA)
Dogs: Yes
Cats: Yes
Kids: Yes
Weight: 53 lbs
Intake date: 5/5/17
Available Date: TBD
Donate to Renji’s fund here.
Follow Renji’s progress in his Facebook Album!