Zoee
I need a special home

Updated 9/23/11

Here’s our sweet Zoee  all decked out in her Thundershirt. She wears the shirt when she is going to a strange place, or in the house when there is a lot of activity. Since she can’t see, the shirt really helps her feel calm in stressful situations.

Today, Zoee was going for a pedicure and got to stop and visit her Golden neighbor Maggie's (04-104) yard. Fresh-cut grass, new smells, paw rubs. Happy dog!

Updated 4/24/11

It’s been a long, long time since you’ve heard from Miss Zoee! But that doesn’t mean that nothing has been going on in this girl’s life… quite to the contrary, the past months have brought  a couple of important developments. First, the good news: Her diabetes is finally under control. She’s on a special complex-carb diet, with cucumber slices for treats, and we’ve been working with an internist for help in adjusting her insulin doses to keep her blood sugar on an even keel. And at long last—success! On April 15, her doctor reviewed her latest labs and said “Those readings are perfect. I wouldn’t change her insulin dosage or her food at this time. Let’s recheck in 6 to 8 weeks.”

Fingers crossed that one hurdle has been cleared!

The less good news is that, as she nears her seventh birthday, Zoee is almost entirely blind. She saw a canine ophthalmologist last month; we had been assuming her progressive loss of vision was diabetes-related, and hoped it might be reversible. But the doctor explained that the blindness is in fact an unrelated issue: it’s called Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARD), and  surgery/medication won’t be of help. The bright spot is that the condition is not painful & it will not affect Zoee’s lifespan. She should, however, have eye exams every 3 to 6 months during her lifetime, to check for cataracts so that she does not develop glaucoma.

So where does this all leave this beautiful girl? There’s no denying, of course, that blindness has changed her life, but as dogs do, she is learning to live with it and having plenty of fun along the way. Her hearing and sense of smell have become even more acute—and she just loves walks, where she can sniff and listen. Trips to Petsmart are fun! To help her walk safely, her foster mom is using a harness; it takes the tug off her neck and keeps her close to her human, so she can more easily navigate steps and barriers and avoid tripping & stumbling. She’s learning new commands, too:  “Zoee, step up” and “Zoee, step down”  let her know what’s coming and make her more confident.  And she is a GREAT car rider, by the way! She jumps in and out of the SUV without any trouble—remembers the height of the seat  and hops right in.

Speaking of that heightened hearing: when someone comes to the door, Zoee is the first one there.  Figures she'll be first in line to get pets. She LOVES affection and a good brushing is her idea of heaven.  She raises her head and lets you brush for as long as you want.

The  blindness has made her a little more shy around other dogs: if she meets a new dog and doesn’t recognize his or her scent, she will growl at first.  It is as if she is saying,  “Back off, this is my space, I do not know you.  Let me smell you and then we can be friends.”

Zoee is such a loving, gentle girl! She would do best as an only dog—or with a friendly, supportive canine companion who is willing to guide her, as some of her dog pals in her foster home do. She needs owners who will devote time and attention to her, give her plenty of guidance and support as she learns to navigate a new environment—and who will be willing to to keep those regular eye appointments on the schedule, give her the two insulin injections she needs each day, and keep her on her special diet. Her Purina DCO food costs no more than any other high-quality dog food, but she must remain on the complex carbohydrate diet and not be given all the “goodies” we want to give our pets.  Zoee loves cucumbers, and to her those cool, crunchy slices are a great treat! -- good fiber but no carbs.

Zoee has been thrown a curve ball in life, but as you look at her posing in the bluebonnets, you can see that she still knows how to enjoy life and make the most of every moment! Good smells, new places, interesting sounds, lots of pets, loving support, a sense of security: she enjoys all the things that any Golden loves.  Now we need to find that special family who is willing to love Zoee for the sweet, precious girl that she is and give her the  forever home that she deserves.

Updated 3/27/11

Updated 12/20/10

Single gold female looking for patient, loving hero!

Zoee was diagnosed with diabetes and has been on insulin for several months.  It’s been a roller coaster trying to get it under control, with the doctors tinkering with her insulin dosages and diet. We’re hopeful that we’re on an even keel at last—since adjusting to a special complex-carbohydrate food, Zoee has not had any episodes of low blood sugar.

Due to the diabetes, Zoee has unfortunately lost some vision. Our plan is to take her to a veterinary eye specialist now that her blood sugar seems to be stabilized; we’re hoping that cataract surgery can restore some of the sight she has lost. Keep your fingers crossed!

Luckily for Zoee, eyes aren’t nearly as important to dogs as their noses.  And her nose is working perfectly well.  She can still sniff out food on the countertop with the greatest of ease!  In fact, she’s banned from the kitchen to keep her from engaging in unauthorized snacking.

Zoee can charm the pants off of anyone.  She has become a little more shy, probably because she can’t see everything going on around her.  But she’s still a real sweetheart and loves to get attention.  Her foster mom calls her a “hugga muffin.”

Zoee does especially well with another dog to help her navigate.  One of her brothers now seems to know when she needs help, and he’ll walk next to her so she can find her way.  She seems particularly fond of boys.

Zoee has so much love to give!  Some lucky family with patience and understanding will be rewarded many times over for adopting her.

Updated 8/27/10

Wow-ee, Zoee!

Pretty Zoee spent the day at the vet’s on August 20 to have her blood sugar checked throughout the day, to verify that she is on the correct dose of insulin.  Great news – levels are exactly where they should be. And on top of that, she has lost FOURTEEN pounds. Incredible! We worried this might be too much weight off too quickly, but the vet said not to worry – that going on insulin, coupled with a healthy diet, can have that dramatic effect in diabetic dogs. Zoee came to her foster home at 80 pounds, and she’s down to 66. She still has a little ways to go, being a petite gal, but she sure has more spring in her step and can fly into the car like Superdog! The only down side is that she can also jump up on the counter more easily.  Kitchen is off limits unless the people are there to prevent unauthorized snacking.

Zoee is ready to find the forever family who’s up for maintaining the regimen that has had such a positive effect already. It’s not hard at all – and in return you’ll be getting a wonderful, happy Golden girl who is getting happier all the time!

Updated 8/6/10

“Can you help us with our Golden Retriever Zoee?  She was recently diagnosed with diabetes and  we simply don’t have the resources to care for her in the way she needs. It breaks our hearts  but we’re hoping maybe there is another home that could take care of her in the way she deserves. She really is a great dog.”

 A meet & greet confirmed it – Zoee IS a great dog, and she does need medical help. She’s battling a urinary tract infection, she’s quite tubby, and the diabetes treatment needed to begin pronto – her blood sugar was sky-high, and the vet at once set to figuring out the right dosage and regimen of insulin injections. But for all that, Zoee is lively, engaged, and engaging. She hopped into the transport SUV under her own power and is quite the chubby little charmer. Her foster mom was thrilled to meet her! Luckily for everyone, Mom is well versed in  giving those twice-daily injections. (Zoee’s first vet was hopeful that continued weight loss would eventually control the diabetes on its own, so keep your fingers crossed.) More details and photos to come as we get to know Zoee better!