Ginger

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Rest in Peace sweet Ginger.  Ginger lost her fight with kidney failure when we found out that her liver and kidneys had masses on them that were most likely cancer.  She let us know it was time and now she can run pain free at the Rainbow Bridge.  She touched the hearts of many and will be greatly missed.

My story begins in May of 2013 when AGaG got a call from my previous owners saying that they couldn’t keep me anymore and they didn’t understand my medical needs.  I didn’t know what that meant but I sure was uncomfortable!  I was about 4 yrs old, quite curvy weighing in at a whopping 123 lbs., my knees really hurt, I was always tired and it was very difficult for me to walk more than a handful of steps.  And then I met my foster parents and my entire life changed!  They came and picked me up and took me to the first of what turned out to be many doctors’ appointments.  The doctor told them that my thyroid was really low, I had a UTI, and that I had torn cruciates in both knees (amongst several other smaller issues).  After many months of medications, doctors’ visits, underwater treadmill therapy, and TLC, it was discovered that I defied all medical logic!  I am extremely sensitive to that thyroid medication and it caused overnight emergency visits to doctors, specialist visits, lots of blood tests, and lots of people scratching their heads while they looked at me.  Of all the doctors I saw, no one had ever heard of a dog having such extreme sensitivity to that medication.  So after a year of trial and error and lots of therapy and loving from my foster family, I had managed to lose about 27 lbs and was able to begin not only walking and getting up by myself, but I rather enjoy playing with my foster sister and trotting through the back yard and taking walks!  My favorite thing is to be snuggled and petted and loved on!  In July of 2014, foster mom took me back to the doctor to see if I was ready for surgery on my knees.  They took some blood from me and did some more testing, and a few days later my foster mom seemed really sad.  She told me that those stinking tests showed that I had something called severe kidney disease.  She told me that my kidneys are so bad that they won’t let me have surgery to fix my knees.  Now I don’t know what all of this means, but what I do know is that they told me that I never ever have to leave my new family.  I get to stay here forever with these people that love me and take care of me!  They told me I have anywhere from 2 mo. to 2 years to live and they can’t say exactly how long it will be!  But shhh…I decided that I love it here so much that I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!  They can say all they want that I’m sick, but I sure don’t feel it!  I love to romp and play and bark with my foster sister!  I feel so good now that I can actually climb up on the couch and the bed!  My knees only hurt sometimes now, but as long as I take my medicine like a champ, I feel great!  So, this isn’t a sad story, this is actually a story with a happy ending!  I get to live the rest of my life with As Good as Gold with a family that loves me and spoils me!  And I might even get to help another dog out there that might have problems like I do!  A doctor at a University was so intrigued by my story that my journey is being written up by her in a medical journal!  Hopefully I can help another dog to be as lucky as I am!  If you want to help, I will be forever grateful!  Please click here to help me or other long term care dogs like me and we will never forget you!

This is me when I was first rescued.  I am much happier now!