Megan was 9 years old when Friends of Rescue took her in. Megan is diabetic and this had been poorly managed, leading to her losing her eyesight. She was a worried and confused dog, but headed off to a caring foster home where her needs would be addressed.
“This wee girl is so strong, she has seen so much change, and has so many issues yet she still just wants you to comfort her and love her ”
A Schnauzerfest Grant is supporting Megan’s considerable veterinary costs. At the moment the focus is on stabilising her diabetes, then moving on with her other medical issues.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Megan continues to have all the veterinary treatment that’s needed to help her have the best quality of life possible. Her condition is challenging and she is finding it difficult to navigate her world right now. But her foster carer is doing everything that’s needed with this special, confused dog and if it is at all possible to restore some of her vision, it will be done.
FEBRUARY 2022
After many months of intensive veterinary monitoring, testing and treatment, Megan’s diabetes finally reached a more stable state. Just as things seemed to be improving, she had a major health setback and was hospitalised with pancreatitis. Throughout the months she has been with her fosterer, Megan has shown great resilience and she came through the pancreatitis.
Her fosterer describes how it’s been for Megan,
“Her various health conditions play a large part in her day to day life, but we have loved watching her blossom at home. She was very shut down when she came to us and took a long time to accept that she was loved or to ask for love. She has learned how to use her paw to ask for pets or to get up on the sofa. It was a couple of months before we saw any excitement or heard her bark. We’re so happy to see her get excited if one of us walk in the front door or to hear her bark at other dogs on her walk, she can’t see them but she can let them know she’s there! She loves walking in the park, she has freedom, no worries about falling off the footpath that she can’t see or noisy cars coming past and frightening her. She is such a resilient little lady, and it’s heartwarming to see glimpses of her personality when she’s feeling well.”
The good news for Megan is that as soon as she was sufficiently recovered from the pancreatitis, she went off to her new, permanent home. Megan now lives with her new brother Ollie, who knows all about what it’s like to be adopted by Jill and her husband. It’s wonderful! As well as Ollie, Megan now has the companionship of her canine siblings Ronnie, Zippy, Heidi and Sophie. Jill has spent time with her vet to prepare all she needs to know to continue Megan’s complicated regime. As well as diabetes, Megan has other complications, all of which will continue to be supported with a Schnauzerfest Grant.
JUNE 2022
Megan’s health continues to be both challenging and improving. Under the day to day care from her adopter jill, and close monitoring from her vet, Megan’s weight has continued to increase and is now at a healthy level. No more skinny Meg!
Her diabetes continues to require close, regular monitoring and with Jill’s agreement, Megan has recently become the first patient in her veterinary practice to be fitted with a continuous glucose monitoring device. This has many advantages over traditional methods of monitoring which involve in-hospital glucose curve tests, taking blood mutliple times. Megan has had a huge number of these, which over the past couple of months, have lessened, but are still demanding.
With the monitoring device fitted, which causes no discomfort to Meg, Jill is able to monitor her levels in the comfort of home. Far less stressful and demanding for Megan. Her vet is optimistic that this new approach will provide a high accuracy of readings allowing tweaks to Megan’s treatment, thus improving the stability of everything for Megan.
A further benefit is that the financial costs over time of this approach will be less than the daily glucose curve tests.
AUGUST 2022
Megan’s health is now stable enough for her to be referred to an ophthalmologist to see if her sight can be restored.
Megan’s needs are complicated and unfortunately, the initial consultation has not produced a clear pathway ahead for surgery, as yet. However, there is much for Jill and Megan’s vet to discuss and consider. It is still hoped that there is a real possibility surgery can go ahead in the near future.
“A huge thank you to our friends at Schnauzerfest for their continued support of us and wee Megs. We are so, so grateful”
OCTOBER 2022
Following Megan’s initial ophthalmology consultation it was decided that a second opinion would be worthwhile. It was, and the decision was made to go ahead with cataract surgery on one eye. The other has too many complications to be treatable. After her pre-op assessments, Megan was booked for surgery and was admitted to hospital in readiness. Unfortunately on the day of surgery her bloods caused some concern. It was decided to hold off surgery for 24 hours and give IV treatment to deal with what was hoped would be a temporary complication.
It was a worrying time for Jill. Megan doesn’t cope well away from her and with Megan’s complex medical history, she prepared for difficult news.
The following day Megan’s levels had improved. However, by that time, surgery couldn’t be done and it was agreed rescheduling for the following week was the right way forward. Megan went home with Jill, subdued, not herself but happy to be back with her family. The next morning Megan had a high temperature and was clearly unwell. Megan’s regular vet administered treatment for an infection. He also talked Jill through everything that had gone on over the previous 48 hours and confirmed that he had no concerns about Megan proceeding with cataract surgery. This is reassuring and based on the results from all the tests and what he understands Megan’s overall health to be, having now treated her closely for many months.
Then, at the weekend, a large lump appeared overnight on Megan’s back. It was an abscess. It must have been causing her significant pain, but her vet drained it and it is now healing. Megan’s trials and tribulations continue, but, as soon as she is fully recovered and all who are caring for her decide the time is right, Megan’s cataract surgery will proceed.
What a brave, resilient dog Megan is.
