An in-home caregiver adopted her dementia-stricken affected person’s dangerously overweight Dachshund in late Could to try to return the pup to a wholesome weight and located a brand new member of her household for all times.
Tegan Strickland met her affected person’s canine, Daisy, on her first go to to the house. Whereas the aged affected person’s daughter was exhibiting Strickland inside, she offhandedly added that her mom “has a really fats canine” that was steadily overfed.
Strickland was anticipating “a heavyset canine,” perhaps 10 kilos above common. As a substitute, she discovered sweet-faced Daisy, who weighed a staggering 55 kilos.
“I laid eyes on Daisy for the primary time, and there aren’t any phrases to explain what it’s wish to see Daisy in particular person for the primary time. I used to be very shocked. She’s very heavyset,” Strickland informed PEOPLE.
Over time along with her affected person, she tried to steer the aged lady in the direction of altering the feeding habits of the canine. However, along with her affected person’s reminiscence compromised by dementia, she struggled to enhance the pup’s meal limits when left alone.
“In the event you’re accustomed to dementia, that’s a shedding battle and that didn’t work out. I sat down with among the household and requested, ‘Are you able to give up Daisy to me in order that I can try to rehabilitate her well being?’” Strickland informed the outlet.
“They agreed and I do know that it was a weight lifted off their shoulders to not have a canine to take care of anymore.”
The second Daisy was in her arms, Strickland made a mad sprint to the vet. After they got here up with a weight reduction plan for the pup, she took Daisy dwelling — and rapidly realized the overweight weiner canine might barely stroll.
“We didn’t take her anyplace. She sat within the nook of my home. We’d carry her exterior to go potty after which carry her again to her nook,” Strickland informed the outlet.
Three months after beginning the weight loss program, Daisy is down about 10 kilos.
The rotund pooch continues to be working by way of well being points seemingly introduced on by her weight problems, together with hypothyroidism and gallbladder sludge. Her tooth are additionally rotting and can have to be eliminated beneath anesthesia after she loses sufficient weight.
Within the wake of the stacking vet payments, Strickland’s veterinarian beneficial beginning a social media web page to try to garner assist for the ailing pup.
Many dog-lovers rapidly latched on to Daisy’s journey and weight reduction progress, whereas others have mistakenly slammed Strickland beneath the idea that she “had [Daisy] for years and made her so heavy.”
Nonetheless, Strickland couldn’t carry herself guilty the rising mob.
“I’m nicely conscious Daisy is a stunning sight. I relate to the anger that they felt, and I felt the identical feelings once I first laid eyes on her. How did she get this far into this situation? Persons are involved. Individuals love animals,” Strickland informed the outlet.
Strickland hopes to mix Daisy’s journey with human health-related content material on her social media web page, together with “schooling on dementia.”
For now, although, she’s sticking with Daisy, who can lastly make it to the park after getting her vaccinations up to date.
“She likes to discover new issues. She likes to play with my three corgis. She loves to sit down exterior within the sunshine. She’ll dig a little bit space and sit within the solar. She has a lot enjoyable. She’s received a model new life for positive,” Strickland informed the outlet.
