It's Valentine's Day

Valentine is the daughter of our t.v. stars George and Gracie and it was our goal to keep all three of them together until we found an adopter. Not too long ago, however, Valentine started to act strangely and was losing weight. We took her for bloodwork and other tests, but nothing was really abnormal. She continued to lose weight, so we had x-rays done, where we found evidence that she was once shot - so we checked for lead poisoning - no lead poisoning. Her problem continued to elude us, and she continued to lose weight, despite eating plenty of food. It seemed clear that Valentine might not make it, and I brought her home to foster.Although I worried about taking her from the comfort of her parents, I also couldn't stand to see her pass away at the rescue. She shared a huge pen with George and Gracie, but I wanted her to have the full-time attention and love she had once known for her last days. Much to my surprise, she came into our home, plopped down on the bed with our dog Charlie, and acted like she had always been here. Apparently, she knew me well enough from our Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Rescue, that she felt at home.Within two days of observing her,  it was clear to me she had Cushing's Disease. I make no claim to be any kind of authority on dog ailments, but I had seen these subtle symptoms in our first dog. The vet performed the test the next day and started her on medication immediately. Withing a week, Valentine was a new girl! Although she still did a lot of napping on that comfy bed, she was now eager for a short walk and wagged her tail every time someone new came in the room. She has a ways to go to regain weight, muscle strength and hair, but she is on her way. So, it may not say Valentine's Day on your calendar, but around this house, every day is Valentine's Day!