Thursday, May 8, 2008

For Whom Would Pen Be Perfect?

Good news on the health front...a weigh-in this week revealed Pen has gained 4 pounds since she was pulled from the shelter. That means her diet and enzyme supplements are working, and she's regaining her health and achieving a proper weight.

Our hearts sank when the preliminary diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) came in; we went back this week to have her blood drawn and sent to Texas A&M University for the more exhaustive EPI test. But assuming it's positive, we're still concerned - is there a forever home for Pen out there somewhere?

The EPI was scary and overwhelming to us at first. But now, about a month into it, we're finding managing it really isn't requiring any more attention than what we give to supplementing the diets of all our animals. My horse gets a vitamin supplement, Ben's gets a joint supplement, and both get feed-through fly control supplements. All our dogs get skin and vitamin supplements, and two of our older females get Proin tablets. So treating Pen really isn't that much different; I crush her dry food with a rubber mallet to make it easier for her to digest, mix in a little water and a teaspoon of enzymes, and let it sit anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight, depending upon what works best for our schedule.

Once we got past the initial fear of dealing with the EPI, it's become routine. And in some strange way, there's something satisfying about the nurturing aspect of it. Ben would be the first to tell you I'm no cook, but the little bit of preparation that goes into her meals is not only fulfilling in a strange way but also makes me feel closer to this sweet little girl.

The type of person or family for whom Pen would be perfect would also be perfect for Pen. If you're the type of person who is devoted and nurturing to your animals and want the same devotion and love from them, Pen would be perfect for you. If you enjoy finding and feeding good diets and paying attention to your animals' well-being, Pen would be perfect for you. If you want a dog that will fill a big part of your life and a dog who will make you the center of their world, Pen is the dog for you.

Pen bonds quickly and strongly; she seeks closeness and companionship; she wants to lay next to you on the couch with her head in your lap. She wants to go jogging and on walks with you; she wants to follow you while you're working in the yard; she wants to lay on the patio with you while you relax or barbecue.

Pen will give all the love, loyalty, affection, and devotion she has to a person who will return the same to her. Special needs dogs usually have a way of loving their people more deeply and completely, and Pen loves deeply and completely with every bit of her now 41 (yay!) pounds.

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