Sheba

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Update: 02/1/2007: In her foster dad’s words: “Sheba is a tough old lady. What a sweetheart.” His admiration for this lovely senior as she struggles with compromising health is palpable.

Sheba has made some progress with very close management of her diabetes. Her blood glucose is checked regularly with a meter calibrated for dogs. Periodically, a 2-hour measure for 24 hours is done with the results being reviewed by her vet so that adjustments in the insulin can be made if necessary. Regular meals help with keeping her stable and now include canned vegetables in the evenings. Her thirst for water is decreasing and she goes to the door when she needs to go out. She has full run of the house and no longer uses her crate.

Her ears have cleared but Sheba’s eye infection has been more persistent. It has cleared and then returned. She is totally blind but gets around her foster home and yard without any problems. Her foster dad notes that her jumping ability is just fine, especially when she is moving toward his lap. She likes to be held in his lap…….perhaps she feels most secure there, as she is also nearly deaf. She may be hearing the higher frequencies but responds to gentle touch more so than kind words.

Sheba ignores all of the resident cats in her foster home but occasionally will get into a scrap with one of the resident dogs. She may feel threatened at times, simply because she doesn’t see or hear their doggie language clearly. She sleeps much and follows her foster dad from room to room between naps. Her favorite sleeping place is on a pillow under his desk.

Sheba will be with her foster family for a bit longer, hoping to be well regulated on her insulin before making one last move. She will need a very, very special family, one who will admire her, love her and take comfort in her being close and safe and comfortable for the rest of her days. She doesn’t give kisses but has a great springer spirit to share.

Original: Sheba was adopted by her family from an SPCA approximately 6 years ago. From her pictures, you can see what a beautiful girl she is with full feathers and gorgeous markings. Unfortunately, due to family problems, she was surrendered to MAESSR so that a special family could be found to take care of her and love her. Loving Sheba is easy………caring for her requires a bit of patience and a basic understanding of managing canine diabetes. Fortunately, MAESSR had just the right foster family for her to spend the holidays with.

When Sheba arrived at her foster home, unfortunately, her diabetes was out of control and a contributing factor to other health problems. Her family began working with their vet immediately to establish a regular feeding schedule, the amount and type of meals she would have and, in turn, her insulin needs. At this time, she enjoys dry food at 8 AM and again at 6 PM and always in the same amount. At each meal she also gets an insulin injection. She will need some follow-up testing to confirm if this is just right for her………some adjustments can be expected as she makes progress toward control.

Her other health issues are mostly short term ones. Her ears have yeast infections, her eyes are also infected, and there is a bladder infection, likely stemming from the high glucose levels. With medication and controlled sugar, these problems should be put behind her. To improve flaky skin, Sheba’s getting some flax seed oil in her food.

Beyond these treatable health concerns are 2 not-so-treatable ones. This is where Sheba’s excellent ability to adapt allows a good quality of life for her and those around her. You see, Sheba has some hearing loss and is blind due to cataracts. She just hasn’t let this get in her way as she has settled into a new home with new people, new canine buddies to meet and yes, even cats! She’s done well with all of it.

It only took her 2 days to find her way around the house. She navigates the deck steps into the back yard. Occasionally she will lightly bump her nose and remind her foster parents that she’s not quite perfect. She’s allowed some special privileges and can jump up on and off their bed with no problems. Ditto for laps. By contrast, her foster dad concedes that he can’t navigate the house with the lights off!

Sheba is a very loving dog who likes laps the best. When the “lap” is on the move, Sheba follows “it” around the house. It is so rewarding when her foster dad walks up to her, puts his hand in front of her nose, and gets to see her grin with a wagging tail……..and does that tail ever go!!

Sheba can also be a couch potato and will settle whenever and where ever her people do. She sleeps in her crate at night, with water, and her family takes her out, usually once in the night for a potty stop. During the daytime, she is reliably housebroken and goes to the back door when it’s time to go out.

The immediate goal is to get Sheba’s diabetes under control. While working on that, her friendly nature and loving companionship is showing itself every day. She’s amazing to watch and has a promising future with the right family. Updates will be added as Sheba gets healthier.