Debbie

Debbie came into a big shelter as a “stray”, and a real matted mess. She’d obviously had a LOT of puppies (plastic surgery might help her looks) and had a hole in her cheek that we presumed was from a tooth so badly abscessed that the drainage had burst through. Her skin was terribly itchy and she scratched continually – and she had the frequent Shih Tzu problem with “dry eye”. Her perky attitude was still intact, however! The dental specialist fixed her teeth, then she was spayed and had some mammary tumors removed, she visited the ophthalmologist to start on treatment for her eyes, and we started working on her allergies. Three months later, Debbie is looking good and feeling much better though she will probably be steroid-dependent. She loves to sit on laps – sharing happily with other dogs or piling on top of them – and insists on sleeping on the bed, preferably between the pillows and under the cover. She uses a shrill voice to demand dinner or to be lifted down from high places that are oh so fun to explore, but mostly she’s a happy little dog who prances around the house – we’re so glad she’s no longer being a puppy factory.

Update:  Little Debbie’s attitude stayed much the same as dementia crept up on her. Medication helped for nearly a year and then her mind just started to fade away and some neurologic signs appeared. She still loved to be held on dad’s chest – when she remembered – and she loved her food, but everything else slipped away. She will be missed by her ODH family and the vet clinic staff who loved her also.