Cleo 333555

Cleo was rescued from an Animal Shelter in Iowa by AHS during our efforts to help out our neighbors to the south during the tragic floods this summer in Iowa. Cleo is a big sweet Black Lab who is approximately 6 years old and is looking for a stable loving home. She has been through a lot and has such a great attitude! We do not have any original back-ground information on her, as she was surrendered without any information to the shelter in Iowa. She made quite the impression on our site manager here in Golden Valley, who was in Iowa taking care of the animals there. Rescue was unable to take her, so we are looking for an exceptional owner who can love and care for her. Here is her medical story.

 

Cleo is overweight; actually she is obese, but is a sweet gentle giant. Even though she has lost approximately 12 pounds since her arrival, she still has a long way to go to get to her ideal weight. One of the causes for obesity can be hypothyroid disease or a low functioning thyroid gland. The thyroid gland has many functions one of which is to produce thyroxin which essentially sets the metabolic rate or how much energy is burned by the body, when function is low, the body stores excess calories as fat. AHS ran a blood profile which was normal, and a T4 and TSH which help to determine thyroid function, all were in normal range. Hypothyroidism is often difficult to diagnose, but she is not overtly hypothyroid. Your veterinarian should provide a comprehensive weight loss plan and continued monitoring of blood parameters.

 

Cleo had several lick granulomas or raised areas of inflamed skin caused by constant licking and chewing on her front and back legs. Fine needle aspirates of these areas contained white blood cells, and no neoplastic cells. The underlying cause of granulomas is always important to discover and treat directly. Sometimes dogs incessantly lick secondary to boredom or anxiety. Sometimes there is an allergy component. Cleo has responded nicely to long-term antibiotic therapy. Recently she had a flare up of the lick granuloma on her left wrist, antibiotics were restarted and a topical spray to relieve irritation is being used. Cleo has some large calluses on her hocks and elbows-this is likely to her sleeping on hard surfaces. Your veterinarian may want to start Cleo on a special diet as food allergies may be a component to her lick granulomas. Seasonal allergies may also be a contributor-while at the shelter and in foster care no other signs of allergies was seen. A full life with love, attention and exercise is important for her overall health.

 

Cleo had a large black mass on the side of her left eye-a biopsy was taken to determine the type of mass by histopath-a pathologist examines the cells from the mass and can determine if the mass is benign or cancerous. The initial biopsy left questions as to how infiltrative the mass was, and the mass had ulcerated, so the decision to remove the eye was made. The histopathology report on the eye after removal showed that the mass was not cancerous, but because the mass was ulcerated and uncomfortable to Cleo, removing the eye was the only long-term solution for her. The official diagnosis was regionally extensive scleral melanocytoma with ulceration and granulation; prognosis is excellent as no lesions were seen associated with the intraocular structures. Cleo has adapted very well to only having one eye. No further treatment will be necessary for this issue.

 

Cleo has been through a lot and is a sweetie; please consider her and her special needs. Can your family provide the love, attention and veterinary care she so desperately needs? Thanks for considering Cleo as part of your family.