Her second chance.

Our first dog, like many people's firsts, was not a rescue. We got him from a breeder when I was 10 years old, fully vaccinated, health checked and kennel club registered. We took him to puppy classes, long walks, and had loads of socialisation, he was a spoilt brat to be perfectly honest. However, even though we did all this he still ended up needing both his cruciate ligaments fixing after he stupidly bolted after a squirrel and he developed little man syndrome (meaning he tries to fight any dog bigger than him), despite all the training and socialisation he got from a young age.

On the other hand, Dora, my rescue from Ireland, came with no history. She came home with an out-of-date vaccination card and her old owners didn't even remember if they had had her spayed... From what I can tell she was a street dog or a farm dog. She is covered with scars, missing a chunk out of her tongue and a messed up eyelid, which implies she was used for badger bating, ratting, or fox hunting over there. She was rehomed once before but her owners of 5 years returned her to be put down because they believed she had Cushing's disease and they couldn't deal with it. We were given an estimated age of 8 years old, but at the time I thought she was more 12/13.

Cushings Disease is like the opposite of addisons disease. It can occur in both humans and dogs. Essentially your body is kicked into overdrive. Her body was pumped full of cortisol meaning she was full of stress. She drank way more than she needed to, leaving her with a bloated belly and an incredibly weak bladder. She looked overweight (Weighed 11kg and when she sat down her stomach rested on the floor) and her teeth were awful. On top of all of that, she had hardly any fur, the fur that remained was wirey, unhealthy, and missing her undercoat.

The first day we took her home we went on our usual walk and she struggled tremendously. She was open-mouth panting after 5 mins of casual walking. She was so exhausted from doing nothing she would fall asleep standing up. She had clearly been suffering with Cushing's for years untreated and that was about to change.

We took her to the vet, got her blood test and it was confirmed, she has Cushing's. The treatment for Cushing's is a medication called Vetoryl, which stops the production of cortisol and allows the body to calm down. Cushing's is an incurable disease but this long-term medication maintains her cortisol levels so she can have a normal life again.

Within weeks we noticed a difference, she was drinking a lot less and the barking in the middle of the night to go to the toilet ceased. With each month we noticed her getting better and better. The walks were getting longer and easier for her to do, her body was getting leaner. She was getting healthier.

Jasper had a massive impact on her too, it's almost like she was learning through him. She started to wag her tail, follow him around, learn the routine and be more involved than ever before, she would even help him when he chased off the squirrels in the garden. All of her potential was unlocked just from this medication.

We have had her for over 2 years now and I couldn't imagine my life without her. She is Jaspers little sidekick, he just has to whine and she backs him up. She loves her walks. She loves to sunbathe. And most of all she loves to follow me around everywhere I go, something jasper never does as he's Mr. Independent.

Dora now weighs a healthy 6.8kgs, has a healthy fluffy coat, a brother, a human pack who loves her, and has adventures every day.

To think this poor girls life was going to end 2 years ago shocks me. If you looked at her now you wouldn't think anything was wrong with her, and i truly believe if she had got that medication sooner she would have been even happier.

Yes, her medication isn't the cheapest. Does that mean i regret taking her on? Hell no. Shes worth every penny. The amount she has changed over these years and become a dog again is worth more joy than any pedigree KC Poodle puppy could ever give me.

I fully recommend getting a rescue dog over a breeder puppy any day. The reward you get from rescuing, the end result, and the happiness you see in their eyes when they are finally settled is worth more than money can buy.