(ADOPTED!) As of March 2016, our most loving and happy girl is now approaching 50 lbs! Her new name is Evey, and she is very, very close to her ideal weight! HOORAY FOR EVEY!!! Now that she is close to her ideal weight her new owners are preparing for her much needed dental exam, cleaning and possible extraction of a bad tooth. We will be continuing to help her, by working with her adopter and new veterinarians. Thank you everyone for all your help and support!
This girl has the very sweetest, most charming, gentle personality you are likely to find! She is an absolute gem, with the best qualities of a cattle dog. We are looking for an adopter willing to continue her weight loss and conditioning regime, to achieve that healthy, playful cattle dog that we can see is in there.
She may be heavy, but Dee is still a cattle dog! At six years old, she is very alert, observant and bright, and wants to be with her people as much as possible. She does her best to follow her foster person around the house, and very much wants to please. Dee is a very happy girl, who adores human attention and will roll over for petting whenever someone approaches her. She very much wants to get up on the sofa or bed with you, to cuddle, but doesn't have the ability to get her body up there!. She also loves tennis balls and is learning to play with toys.
Dee is good with other dogs and wanted to make friends with her first foster's cat. She is house trained and very obedient. Dee Dee waddles to the door when she needs to go out and comes right back in when her foster calls her. She walks very nicely on leash, and barely needs one to walk at your side. Our girl also rides very nicely and quietly in the back (or front) seat of a car. Dee has been in two foster homes with us, and both have been very impressed with her incredibly sweet and happy personality. Her current foster dad says she is very accepting of any situation, and is a joy to have around the house.
We rescued Dee from a very overcrowded kill shelter. Her people said they were moving and dumped her and another dog, at the shelter. We took in both girls. By the grace of a wonderful pilot, Dee was able to escape the 110 degree temperatures she was living in, and flown up to us in Santa Rosa. In a dehydrated and over heated state, weighing 95 lbs., and with an internal temperature of 105 degrees on arrival, we rushed her to the vet to make sure she didn't have any major health issues. When we first got her, she was too stressed to walk. After cooling down, getting re-hydrated, and feeling more relaxed, we discovered that she could walk on her own, although with difficulty and great strain on her legs, feet, and joints.
Dee's blood work results show that she has a hypothyroid. We have her on thyroid medication, and a low fat diet, which seem to be working. She is otherwise in pretty good health, only needing some work/care that we consider routine for a rescue dog her age. When she loses enough weight to be anesthetized safely, we will have a dental cleaning and exam done, and possibly one tooth extraction. We are also giving her supplements for her joints. Her kidneys and other organ functions are fine, and she does NOT have diabetes.
We believe that as she loses more weight, it will become easier for her to walk, her stamina will improve, and the increased activity will help her to lose weight faster. We haven't reached that point yet, but soon! We estimate that it may take another 3-4 months for Dee to reach her ideal weight. She has been going to physical rehabilitation for her muscles, joints, and stamina. After two months, she was doing so much better, and able to walk continuously (bouyed by water) on the underwater treadmill for 15 minutes. When she first started, she could only walk for 30 seconds, and was 20 lbs. heavier.
Everyone who meets Dee falls in love with her. She has a very special personality, and needs people who will be as loving and devoted to her as she will be to them.
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It is clear that our veterinary and other health care expenses for Dee are adding up quickly. We would be very grateful for any donations to help us pay for all our costs to help Dee. As a federally recognized, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible. No contribution is too small. Every $5 and $10 helps! Thank you!