Miss Mabel

          Six months ago I was "introduced" to Mabel, an English bulldog who had not been treated well during her 4 to 6 years of life. She was the "property" of a backyard breeder, who had used her to produce 4 to 5 litters of puppies during her short period of time. I saw her sweet photo on the Detroit Bulldog Rescue site and from the time of our first true meeting, it's been true love.
          When we brought Mabel home, she was having great difficulty breathing. Watching her breathe was like watching one of my old COPD patients. She had to forcefully exhale and sounded horrible. She couldn't pant--a necessary cooling mechanism for dogs. We were fortunate to find a bulldog specialist who diagnosed her with brachycephalic syndrome. Brachycephalic syndrome is a cluster of diagnoses, including stenosed nares, an elongated (and, in her case, prolapsed) soft palate, and saccules in her trachea. Mabel also had enlarged tonsils and a hypertrophic epiglottis. Mabel also had a horrible fungal skin infection on her belly, mild entropion, hyperkeratotic nose tissue, an ear infection, and a benign tumor on her rear leg. After the vet gave us the "laundry list" of problems this sweet dog had, we made the decision to spend whatever it took to bring her to her optimum health.
          Mabel underwent major surgery within one month. While we noticed an immediate difference in her breathing, we were well aware that she might never be able to function as other dogs. The enlarged epiglottis was not able to be fixed and continues to be a problem. But her belly is again turning pink, we have the tools to keep her ears clear of infection, her teeth have been clean, and she has a cute little nose. The entropion will require constant eye drops to protect her corneas, and her wrinkles will require continual cleaning with special products and Gold Bond Medicated Powder--a true miracle product!
          I heard from a friend with Detroit Bulldog Rescue that Mabel's previous owner denies that this dog or any in her "care" had any medical problems. What an idiot.
          Although we are happy to see her breathing better, the best part of Mabel's life with us is watching her play--possibly for the first time in her little life. She came with toys--none of which held any interest for her. I took her to a pet store and walked her down the toy aisle. She immediately picked out a blue stuffed dog. I tried a Kong, one of the toys our other dogs have loved, but she was completely uninterested. Then, on a whim, I picked up a deer antler. That was the most expensive and most valuable item in the cart. This is her favorite object. She will actually chase it if we drag it across the floor. She holds it in her paws and spends hours chewing on it. This never ceases to make me smile.
          She has started to blossom in her 6 months with us. Recently she chased Bill around the living room--something we never thought would happen. We look forward to the next 6 months and beyond.
          Although her breathing has improved, Mabel's stamina is still not and will never be what we had hoped.  We were so looking forward to taking long walks with our girl. This will never happen on a leash. She's a little slow and occasionally stops and refuses to move. As a result, I am in the market for a dog stroller. Yep. I never thought I'd be one of those dog owners. Our goal is to take her places with us. The stroller is the only way. 
          More to come . . .