Mom rescued me back in 2009 and I was 3 years old at the time. She referred to me as her foster dog. I’m not real sure what that means, but she acted like she wasn’t planning on keeping me. Can you believe that?! I knew the first time I laid eyes on her that she was going to be my Mom, and I was even surer of that the first time I entered her house. One look at Duke, Daisy and Brandy and I knew I was home!
Things haven’t been easy. During the time she was calling me her foster dog, I was having a lot of health problems. I was having a difficult time getting the poop out of me and I couldn’t keep on any weight. The vet diagnosed me with nerve damage, a displaced bladder and a stricture of the intestines. It was assumed that the stricture was the source of my poop problems and because of where it was it could not be surgically corrected. Mom managed me as best she could with my food intake, but from time to time I had to get my “plumbing” irrigated ‘cause the poop would get stuck.
Duke, Daisy & Charm - The Terrific Trio
At the 11 month mark of being her “foster” dog, Mom took me to the vets to be irrigated and at that time I was diagnosed with yet another condition called a perineal hernia. This one can be corrected with surgery, but it isn’t always successful. It was at this point that Mom decided to adopt me as her forever kid. She was concerned that I might not have much time left on this earth and said that this was going to be the last home I ever know.
She took me to a specialist and went over my entire medical history with him. The specialist did his own exam and determined that a stricture might not be the problem and that my intestines might just be sagging and need to be tacked in place. It turns out he was right! Mom agreed to the surgery that fixed not only my intestines but also put my bladder back in place. Unfortunately they couldn’t do the hernia surgery at the same time. I have to go back in later for that one. Thankfully the first surgery did a world of good, and I’m having an easier time going potty, AND I finally weigh what I’m supposed to weigh! I’m finally on the mend and am so happy to officially be Mom’s kid. Foster dog my butt! She wasn’t fooling anyone. I’m right where I belong!
