Abby became my foster on January 17th of this year. She is a Poodle mix estimated to be 12-13 years old. She was found eating out of a dumpster in Manhattan and taken to the shelter there. Her fur was so matted and dirty, they had to to sedate her to shave it off and clean her up. The few teeth she had left were rotten which gave her a systemic infection. She was in pretty bad shape when she got here, but very sweet! In Feb. I took her to Ohio to see a dental specialist to get rid of the rest of those nasty teeth. The vet said it was the worst mouth she had seen in 25 years of practice. Abby came through the surgery well but had some problems with her recovery. She did not like me having to give her injections for her pain and antibiotics!

She had a cherry eye on the right side, which was fixed at the same time she had her dental. She has a cataract in the other eye. She can see a little. She knows the way around the house good, but on our walks she will walk right into mailboxes or signs etc. if I don’t guide her around them. She has learned how to master the curbs though. She knows what “step up” and “step down means now.

In March we took Abby on her first vacation to the beach. She loved it! And she loved riding in the car! In the next few weeks Abby began to be aggressive with my other 4 dogs and also myself. Even though she had no teeth, she could still leave bruises. I took her back to the vet and she believed Abby had dementia. She was started on Prozac, Melatonin and a vitamin that helps with brain health. She is now getting along great with the other dogs, and also she crawls up in my lap now for belly rubs. She loves her walks and adores any snack she is given! I think Abby previously had a bad life and was abused. She will never be abused again, she will never be hungry, dirty or cold again. She is our forever Abby.