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Riddles

A year and a Life

By Brittany SeeboPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Here is the story of a dog named Riddles.

Riddles is a shelter dog that was said to be 3 years old. The shelter said she had heartworms and needed to undergo treatments if anyone adopts her. At the time, it had been a year since a beloved tuxedo cat in our household had passed. We ended up looking for a small dog that could be mine even though we still had two cats. Well instead of bringing home just one dog, we ended up with two. We found out at the vet visit after we adopted these two dogs that Riddles, the smaller dog, had more medical problems that were possibly caused due to having heartworms and that she was more like 8 years old rather than 3 years old. We adopted her regardless. Nyla, the boxer mix that was adopted with Riddles, had severe hip problems, but she was too young and still too mobile to do surgery on.

The cats, most certainly did not like the dogs coming into their home. The house became divided between the upstairs and the downstairs. For the most part, the cats remained out of reach of the dogs by staying upstairs or on the stairs themselves. Eventually the dogs learned well enough that they were not allowed upstairs. Riddles, the now known Fox terrier and Pomeranian mix, eventually grew to tolerate the cats, but she also acted slightly afraid of them. Over some time Riddles and my white cat Lilly have grown close enough that they will stand next to each other, nose to nose, without any issues.

We discovered after the heartworm treatments that if Riddles wasn't on prednisone then she would have acute seizures where she was become disorientated and appeared to wobble, much like a human when they are drunk. Then at some point she would lay down and stay in that position until it passed. She also developed chronic bronchitis which ended up requiring antibiotics on occasion and the use of a cough suppressant.

More recently, Riddles has gotten to the point that treatments are really much help anymore. She is now around 12 yrs old. And to find more in depth treatments the cost would be large and the results not so much. There was an agreement that it didn't seem like a plausible idea to put her through much more at her age. So Riddles lives happily at home, despite having a coughing fit on occasion, as I would call them. I know what she's going through. I grew up with Cystic Fibrosis, chronic lungs issues because of it. Unfortunately they do have lung transplants for dogs.

Regardless of how long the rest of her life will be, it is fully intended that we give her the best life and a very happy life at that. That is the general story of my old girl. If given the chance, I urge others to adopt animals from shelters. They need a home and many may need some TLC. Especially the older residents and the not as healthy ones with medical needs.

Riddles was a shelter dog in need of good people. She all but won the lottery when she came into our home. She is such a sweetheart and she gets along with the cats and even other dogs. She still has a lot of energy too for a old gal like her with respiratory problems. It doesn't seem to slow her down very much.

There are plenty of dogs just like Riddles. Cats too. They just want good homes and people that love them enough to care for them especially if they are in need of additional care by their new families.

dog
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About the Creator

Brittany Seebo

Hey Hey

I'm a writer, or I try to be. I have a larger passion for music and so I became an Audio Engineer. I look forward to sharing knowledge, information, projects, recordings, etc. Maybe share stories for others with Cystic Fibrosis.

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