This fun-loving Yorkie came to LazyPaw through a unique route. A long-term client found her dog, Snickers at Collin County Animal Shelter after being missing for a month.
Snickers was brought to us on the way home from the shelter for a check-up. The owner was worried because Snickers looked “kinda rough”, and was acting as though she had a painful urinary tract infection (UTI), something Snickers had never experienced in the past.
I began the medical workup on Snickers and diagnosed her with a significant oral disease and the aforementioned UTI. While collecting data on the UTI, it was discovered that she had large bladder stones. The stones were a surgical solution, so in preparation for surgery the next day, Snickers was admitted into the hospital. Thankfully, everything about Snickers was well–her bloodwork was great, she was clinically stable, and happy as ever.
As the shock and excitement of finding her dog wore off, the owner and I talked about Snickers. Frankly, not all the dots connected. Snickers was stable but sick, and had been on the streets for a month, yet she was a full two pounds heavier than she had ever been at home. These types of bladder stones usually manifest when there has been previous and reoccurring UTI’s. Snickers was had never been symptomatic for urinary issues in the past. Her teeth were a second issue, Snickers only had some mild tartar in the past, she now had significant oral problems. The owner and I sat and talked about the inconsistencies. Looking at old photos of Snickers, it became clear that the dog we had in the hospital was not Snickers. Snickers was still lost.
Now that it was clear she was a Jane Doe, our focus shifted towards what to do with the dog in the hospital. The first order of business was to give her a name. Our CVA, Lindsey, chose “Twix” because we like candy. Taking Twix home didn’t make sense for the family from both financial and emotional reasons, it was the right call after a long discussion. I adopted her and promised to fix her up and find a home.
LazyPaw sprang into action. The following day, Dr. Lenz performed a successful bladder stone removal surgery. Next, she addressed the oral disease, which required numerous extractions. Twix recovered nicely from the procedures. That was two weeks ago. Now Twix has been groomed, healed up, and has had no other complications. She has been updated on vaccines, heartworm testing, tapeworm treatment, and is now ready to find a home.
Twix will require regular veterinary care and maintenance to ensure the bladder stones do not return. Stones of these kind are fairly common and readily manageable given ongoing vigilance. Right now, Twix is waiting for a nice home that will treat her warmly and with all the love in the world. Contact LazyPaw to take her home today!
GOOD NEWS UPDATES:
Great news! Twix the Yorkie has finally been adopted! After months of wandering as a stray and impressive surgical recovery, Twix has finally tackled her last milestone—finding a home. Thanks to a long-term client of Lazy Paw, Twix will receive the love that she has been waiting for. A special thanks to everyone that expressed interest in adopting Twix–your enthusiasm for her well-being is amazing! The amount of attention that she gained over a small notification blew our staff away. If Twix does not adjust properly to her new home or an unexpected problem occurs, Lazy Paw will contact our other wonderful list of potential adopters.