Miss Peaches (aka Peach Pie!) 10 y.o. miniature poodle, diabetes & Cushing's
Well, hello everyone! Here I am back again – almost 1 year from the day we lost Miss Chloe (our cush girl). Miss Chloe was with me through many good times and bad times during her 15 years. She never left my side. I could not have survived without her when our 28 y.o. son died suddenly 2 ½ years ago from pneumonia. She stayed with me as long as she could but it came to the point I couldn’t let her suffer anymore and with a kiss and much love I sent her to be with Ari.
Now, on to the rest of the story.
I have been involved in animal rescue and fostering so my Facebook page is filled with pleas for help for animals during their last days in a high-kill shelter. One night, shortly after Miss Chloe passed away, I spotted a posted picture of the cutest little apricot girl poodle that I had ever seen. There were pleas for foster or adopter for her but time went on and no one would step up to recue her as she was 8 y.o. and diabetic. Next thing I know, I am getting messages to me directly – “Would I take her?” I said that if no one else would take her and if they could get her to me, I would take her. I told my husband, “Here comes another foster!”
The very next morning this scraggly, sad, inderweight little soul arrived at my door accompanied by a filthy cooler with insulin, syringes and a baggy of kibble. The transporter handed her to me along with adoption papers! Peaches was here to stay.
I told my husband to throw the cooler and its contents in the garbage (she was on the wrong insulin, for 1 thing). I started her on my Sparky’s insulin and made an appointment with my vet. Then came many surprises:
Miss Peaches age was more like 10 rather than 8
Her diabetes had not been kept under control
She has beginning cataracts
Her 2 back legs have the patellae turned in to the inside of her legs so she walks stiff-legged
Her front left leg bows out and the knee subluxes (probably an old injury or congenital deformity).
The vet said he would not do surgery as she is not in pain and runs and jumps with the her canine brothers but that, of course, we would work on regulating her diabetes.
We have been doing well but, shortly after she arrived, I have felt there was something else. Yup – Cushing’s. So now I start down the same path I was on with Chloe plus diabetes! We have just started on this journey and I am gathering the values from all the tests and will post them soon. She will have another curve done tomorrow, the first since starting Trilostane. This is a new experience for me as Miss Chloe did so well on Melatonin and ground flax hulls for her whole life. I have dealt with these 2 diseases for many years but never the two in the same dog.
Miss Peaches is a dainty, loving little dog and I would not give her up now for anything. She is funny. She is smart. She is our Princess. I truly believe either Chloe or Ari (or both!) sent her to be with me.
Oh, and BTW, she has ALL of Miss Chloe’s quirks, personality and tricks. Everyone is truly amazed at how one dog can be a clone of the other.
I am glad to have the benefit of this forum and the support of new friends as well as the oldie but goodies (you know who you are!!). As for me, I guess it is never to late to teach an old dog new tricks!
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