# Happy 12th birthday, Keefer!



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

My baby boy is 12 today. This day is especially sweet since he bloated Sunday night and had emergency surgery to correct the torsion and tack his stomach to prevent it from happening again. Fortunately, I recognized the signs quickly and we live less than 5 miles from an emergency vet. He came through the surgery very well and is doing great. So, just days ago we were not sure if he would still be here with us to celebrate his birthday and are so glad that he is. 




























Last year artist Dean Russo was accepting custom commissions for a brief time, and I had this portrait done from a photo I took of Keef a couple of years ago.










This is our first meeting, picking him up at the airport. :wub:










We love you Keef!!!


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Happy b-day to Keefer! What a beautiful old boy! Love the seniors so much.


----------



## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Aww!Happy Birthday Keefer


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Happy Birthday Keefer. Enjoy your day handsome. So glad Keefer recovered so well. Enjoy!


----------



## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Happy Birthday, Keefer! So glad he is all right!


----------



## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Happy Birthday, Mr. Handsome. So glad you are recovering well.


----------



## ratslap (Aug 20, 2017)

Happy Birthday Keefer. I bet that beautiful old fella has some stories to tell.


----------



## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Oh happy day, what a sweet-faced boy!


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

yeah for yet another happy birthday. And what a fun piece of artwork


----------



## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! Try to behave yourself, no more scaring your mom to death for a while!

Great portrait, by the way!


----------



## kelbonc (Aug 25, 2014)

:birthday:

Happy 12th Birthday Keefer!

Such a handsome senior and a very special birthday! Love the photos and the portrait. Glad to read he is doing well after his surgery. Thank goodness for your quick reaction to his symptoms. Sending best wishes for a speedy recover.


----------



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Happy 12th birthday Keef- feel better soon so glad you are doing well


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Thanks, everyone! He's doing really well, even a bit frisky the past couple of days. It's amazing how quickly dogs bounce back from major surgery. 

It was good I was here when it happened - it was clear something wasn't right but I don't think my husband would have recognized it as a life or death emergency until it was too late. And of course if we were both out for the evening he would have had little chance of survival. A woman I know from flyball lost one of her Dobermans to bloat just 5 days prior.  Even with the torsion, his lactate level was still within the normal range, meaning that blood and oxygen hadn't been cut off from his organs long enough for tissues to start to die off. Because of that, they thought he had a good chance at a positive outcome for the surgery. 


Both our previous dogs died young - Cassidy from discospondylitis a few months past her 4th birthday, and Keef's half sister Dena from lymphoma at 3 weeks past her 4th birthday. It's been 19 years since we've had a dog make it to 12, so we were really looking forward to his birthday. It was stunning to be sitting in the lobby at the emergency vet wondering if he was going to make it through the night.


----------



## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Happy Birthday Keefeer! What a birthday it was. Wow! I'm glad he is doing well. So much to celebrate about!!!


----------



## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

A Happy belated Birthday to Keefer!


----------



## montse (Jun 21, 2017)

Happy birthday Keefer!! I'm glad he's recovering well 

I'm really sorry about Dena and Cassidy, Debbie, even if it was so long ago.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Thanks montse, it was rough.


----------

