Foster Home Urgently Needed near Wheaton, IL

[Adrianne Matzkin]

DRC got an urgent call from a shelter. A 3 year old doodle was dumped there because their doodle ate a kids sock and had an obstruction. A house filled with kids + they knew their doodle was a sock thief = we can't afford the surgery so please put the doodle to sleep.

REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

All our foster homes are filled and this girl needs a home where she can recuperate from her surgery. We don't know much about her other than she was great with their kids. Cannot say if she has been socialized with other dogs but for at least awhile she will need to be kept quiet to recoup from the surgery.

Can anyone help get her out of the shelter and give her a place to lay her head, away from shelter germs and madness, in a home with good groceries and love???\

email me at [e-mail]

Thank you!!!!!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I am so sorry to hear this about Lucy. I hope it can be controlled with medicine. Thank you for everything you are doing for her.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Chris, I believe that the diagnosis was Diabetes Insipidus, right? This is very strange, as it's pretty rare, and we have a member here whose doodle was also recently diagnosed.

This disease has nothing to do with insulin or sugar, as the much more common Diabetes Mellitus does. This one is related to a dog's inability to concentrate the urine, and it has an excellent prognosis: http://www.petdiabetes.com/pdorg/diabetes_insipidus.htm

[Adrianne Matzkin]

TG you said that K!! I was so distraught to hear that she was sick. I guess if it had to be something this is manageable with an excellent prognosis!!

[Chris and Gretje]

Yes Karen, that is the diagnosis. Our challenge was the cost of the medication. It is a manageable disease, but the cost ranged from $105 to $40 for a partial month supply. Well worth the SAMs club membership for the price difference

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Chris -- Can you tell me what the Vet did to make the diagnosis?  The reason that I ask is that this is one of the things that our Vet has mentioned for the issues with our Sophie.  However, she says that the only real way to diagnose this is by eliminating everything else that it might be.  We are currently treating for Inflammatory Bladder Disease.  If the medication she is on for this doesn't work then she will look at the meds for Diabetes Insipidus.  Basically for Sophie she is presenting with all the symptoms of a Bladder Infection, but the tests all come back negative for infection.

[Chris and Gretje]

Our vet wanted a first morning urine sample, then checked the specific gravity. Got the results back very quickly this morning. I don't remember the specific numbers but it was quite off the norm. We had given her an antibiotic for a few day which made no difference. She is drinking insatiably and will pee several times within 5 to 10 minutes. We were pulling her water intake at 6pm but still needed to pee a couple of times during the night. While we were out getting the prescription this afternoon, she even peed in her crate. It can take a while to get the right dosage. We are starting with a low dose, but the pharmacy indicates dog metabolize different than humans so the dose might need to be much higher than where we are starting.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

This all sounds very much like what our vet did only she also did an ultrasound to make sure there were no stones or other issues with the bladder.  Sophie's urine tests were showing that she basically was not concentrating her urine at all.  She had tests a week apart and the second one was even worse than the first one.  The antibiotics wouldn't help this situation as it isn't an infection.  The one thing that I remember that she mentioned when talking about the Diabestes Insipidus was that we would have to be very very careful about withholding water. We are limiting it at night but not totally taking it away.  Sophie has made it through the night the last couple nights.   I really hope that the meds they have Sophie on now help her because if so, it might be possible, once we get her better, to actually wean her off of them.  Where with the DI I think it is on-going.  The only symptom that we have that you don't seem to is that you can tell Sophie doesn't feel good.  She is not her normal happy little self.  Hope Lucy gets to feeling better really soon.

[Chris and Gretje]

Because Lucy is so energetic I would say she does not feel bad, we have nothing to compare too but I don't think she could be any more high energy. Maybe it is the new setting! From what I read she must have access to water at all times when not on the medication. Her med is Desmopressin. I hope you are able to find out what is going on with Sophie so she feels better soon.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Thanks Chris.  Hope this helps Lucy and gets are all back to normal.  I'll be watching her story to see how she is doing and hoping that she finds a wonderful new forever home.  Thanks for helping her. 

[Chris and Gretje]

Thought I would give you an updated picture.  She is being tormented by chipmunks and squirrels in the yard.  Looks like she has put on a couple of pounds too!!  :)

[Bonnie and Kona]

She looks so happy, Chris! Thank you so much for taking such good care of her. many blessings!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

OMD she does look much better.  You are an "angel" and how very lucky Lucy is to have you:)