Judy
Judy
Judy, age 5
It’s been a wild few months for Judy! She was doing well in foster care, when
one evening in the middle of July, foster daddy came home from work to find her
weak, lethargic, and unresponsive—clearly seriously ill. An immediate trip to
the vet saved her life. “Her
electrolytes are way off. She is extraordinarly weak and her heart rate is way
slow. She is at serious risk for heart failure,” said the vet. IV fluids and an
insulin drip stabilized her enough
for the trip to a specialty vet with overnight staff, though “there’s a serious
risk she might die in transport.”
But Judy hung on! She
received blood to address her severe anemia, and more fluids. To this day the
vets aren’t quite sure what happened, but ultimately, after multiple tests, they
decided she must have had a crisis due to one of the two tick-borne diseases she
has. After four days in the hospital, she returned home—and she just recently
sailed right through her first heartworm injection.
Her
somber demeanor belies her cheerful nature, so foster dad wrote up this story:
Judy can seem a little melancholy at times and her pictures seem to always show
a somewhat depressed-looking dog versus the typical happy Golden. In fact, some
have even suggested changing her name to Eeyore. Well, Judy really is sweet and
happy.
For
example, here is a recent conversation we had when a young female golden, named
Spritzer, who was as active as her name, came to visit:
Judy walked all round Spritzer one way, and then turned and walked round her the
other way.
"What did you say it was?" she asked.
"Her name is Spritzer." I said.
"Ah!" said Judy.
"She's just come," I explained.
"Ah!" said Judy again. She thought for a long time and then said: "When is she
going?"
Mornings are a great time for Judy.
In fact, I have to say she has been known to greet me in the morning. Why just
the other day we got up and I heard:
"Good morning, foster dad," said Judy with apparent gloom. "If it is a good
morning,” she said.
"Why, what's the matter?" I said.
"Nothing, foster dad, nothing. We can't all be – you know.., and some of us
don't... That's all there is to it."
"Can't all be what?" I said, rubbing my bald head.
"You know: Gaiety on the outside at all times, song-and-dance, here we go round
the mulberry bush!”
I
have to say, Judy really is happy, at least most of the time, well more than
average.
As
she would say: “Thanks for noticing me! I hope to get adopted soon; somebody
might like a nice quiet, well-mannered, sweet girl like me. Just remember the
saying: Her lips drink water, but her heart drinks wine. That’s me!”
As
foster dad notes: “Here is a case where the picture really doesn’t tell the
whole story.”
Update 10/13/12:
June 26:
“The
vet phoned.
They WILL NOT be
spaying Judy today.
Her gums are
very pale, and when blood was drawn it had a very ‘thin, watery’ appearance.
They will be running bloodwork today, & based upon the results possibly
an ultrasound.”
June 29:
“Judy needs a new foster home. Nothing wrong with her, she is a sweetheart, but
she is so bouncy and high-energy that she’s literally knocking her foster mom
Candy off her feet. Candy has a trick knee and she really needs the calmer dogs.
This one is acting like a rocketship.”
Uh… what?? How
can a dog with “thin, watery” blood be leaping around like a gazelle, checking
out the kitchen counters with ease, zooming out the screen door like a missile,
and circling the backyard like a racehorse?? Put it down to the power of
antibiotics, good food, liquid vitamins, a safe & loving environment, and of
course that Golden approach to life. Judy isn’t going to let a few little things
like heartworms, tick disease, and anemia get her down!
To back up a bit:
this vivacious redhead came to GRR from way down south in the Valley, where she
was found stray and held at the shelter for almost three weeks before transport
north could be arranged. That’s a long drive – but Judy rode like a queen, with
nary an accident. At her foster home, she immediately made friends with the
three resident Goldens, stood still as
a statue through multiple shampoos (followed by crème rinse to make that
auburn coat shine), and accepted her meals with great gusto. At first she was
calm and sedate, too… but “I think she may be a bit younger than five. I think
she might start showing some more energy soon,” commented our medical director
thoughtfully. Truer words were never spoken!
Judy has been
diagnosed with two kinds of tick disease (hence the anemia), and she’s also
heartworm positive and about five pounds underweight. (She did have that
ultrasound, as the low blood count made the vet worry about internal bleeding,
but all is just fine.) She promptly started on doxycycline for the tick illness
and Pet-Tinic Elixir for the anemia, not to mention hearty helpings of quality
kibble, carrots, and green beans… and the results, as noted above, were rather
spectactular. She’s kicking up her heels!
With her long,
fringy ears, long legs, and dark red coat, Judy has an Irish Setter look to her.
She’s pretty now—just imagine what she’ll look like in a few months!
