First of all, we want to say thank you so much, Sandy, for sharing this incredible story with all of us! Sandy is a hardworking, dedicated pet mom who rescued poor Georgie, saving her from enduring any more pain in her difficult life. Sandy knew how much commitment and care it would take to help this poor soul, who unluckily had a life-threatening case of untreated diabetes, but that did not stop her! If anything, it only made Sandy’s love and care for Georgie grow even more.
Get ready to come along with us on an incredible journey for Georgie the diabetic dog:
October was the month that changed it all for sweet Georgie, who was originally known as Croissant.
During mid October, a concerned individual reached out to the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AWD) to report an incident regarding a neighbor’s dog in serious distress – and possibly coming face to face with death. When the AWD officers showed up, they found a senior female pit bull mix in a horrifying condition, and barely alive. Only 33lbs, blind, and covered in infected sores, she wouldn’t have lasted much longer in that environment.
Soon after, the hardworking staff at the Albuquerque AWD started to care for this sweet girl, and they named her Croissant. Her blood glucose levels were at a shockingly high 612, and euthanasia was considered “for humane reasons if there is not an option to treat in the shelter setting or if condition declines.” Thankfully, the AWD shelter staff decided to begin networking with other local rescues.
Week 1: They began the crucial first steps of giving Croissant insulin and metered, consistent meals.
Week 2: They increased her insulin and her blood glucose levels started to decline slightly. Unfortunately, at this point, this brave little fighter developed a kennel cough and a case of conjunctivitis. A note disclosed by the kennel revealed that they were struggling to find the budget to purchase food for a diabetic dog.
Week 3 & 4: It took another long two weeks to get her kennel cough fully resolved. They had also increased her insulin during that time but her BG levels remained high, reaching 715 at one point.
Week 5 and 6: As if all this wasn’t enough, she was diagnosed with what is known as “Happy Tail,” which is when the skin is in such a poor and sensitive condition; when she wags her tail and knocks it against the wall or a hard object, it creates sores on the skin.
In the long run, she was in the shelter for about seven long weeks. She had to receive surgery for spaying and to correct cherry eye. Plus, Croissant got dosage changes and a different insulin type prescribed to her, resulting in her blood glucose levels getting consistently down to the mid to low 200s.
During this time, another local rescue specializing in rescuing blind dogs known as “Tootsie’s Vision,” led by Ed Goodman, was contacted by the AWD rescue and sent out a message asking for foster homes for sweet Croissant.
One day, Sandy received a notification about this poor dog. Sandy had been fostering dogs for well over a decade, but this would only be her second blind dog, and she had never cared for a pet in such a poor condition.
During her stay at the AWD shelter Georgie was adored by the entire staff, so when it was time for her pick-up appointment on December 4, 2020, Sandy had to wait while Georgie made her rounds and said goodbye to everyone.
At this time, Georgie had gained a few more pounds, weighing in around 38 lbs.
After a day or two, Sandy simply felt the name Croissant did not fit her at all and unexpectedly, the name Georgie kept popping into her head, “I don’t know where it came from”, exclaimed Sandy.
A couple of weeks passed, and Sandy and Georgie began to develop a routine. Sandy started learning about diabetes in dogs through the Diabetic Dogs Owners group on Facebook, and how to be a Seeing-Eye companion for her pet. Now, Georgie is being housetrained and learning how to use the dog door!
Sandy received a warm welcome when she joined the DDO group on Facebook by Michelle Miller, admin and co-founder of the group, and by Steven Thuss, President of PetTest. They set up a platform to support Georgie and Sandy, and PetTest sent a very generous shipment of supplies and offered their support and expertise.
Now, Sandy is using the PetTest Painless Blood Glucose Monitoring System for Pets and other supplies to monitor her blood glucose levels in between vet visits. “I’d be lost without them.” Sandy states.
This bittersweet story reminds us that, even in the face of horrible mistreatment, dogs can be incredibly resilient and respond to love. Georgie, we know that you will never have a shortage of love again! Stay tuned for updates on sweet Georgie as soon as they are available.
Newest Update from Sandy:
Georgie’s weight is now up to 47 pounds and she is still learning her way around the house and yard. Not to mention, the staff at our veterinary office absolutely adore her. My other dogs are learning to live with her, as she often steps on them and bumps into them, which they don’t appreciate so much.
One of our local premium dog food stores, Simply Diego’s, donated some high-quality food, treats and supplements and offered to continue to sponsor her for six months. However, I am concerned that because her BG is elevated again, we may need to return to a prescription diet. She was in the shelter for seven weeks and only gained 5 pounds on a prescription diet, while gaining 8 lbs. in just over 2 weeks on regular food. I think the challenge will be to continue to increase her weight while stabilizing her blood glucose.
She continues to sleep a lot. But she is spending more time in the sun and ventures into the backyard when the other dogs are barking at neighbors walking by. She LOVES to cuddle, and is beginning to show some silliness. She can be quite verbal!
Georgie is absolutely the sweetest dog that I’ve ever met. Her days of ill health and isolation are behind her and our community is committed to making sure that the rest of her life is spent in a home where she is loved and cared for.
Sandy will continue to foster her until her health is improved and then will begin to search for the perfect home for her.Thank you for reading about Georgie’s incredible story. Check up on her by joining the DDO group on Facebook! And while you’re at it: follow us on Facebook.com/PetDiabetes and Instagram.com/OfficialPetTest
Toledo, United States.
