Skeletal goldendoodle weighing just 12 pounds saved by Phoenix rescue making our hearts smile as her miracle recovery continues

It had been on January 11 when a skeletal dog arrived at the emergency room holding onto life by a thread. Her owners had declined treatment, but Sky Sanctuary located in Phoenix, Arizona knew she deserved a chance.

And here she was; her name was Violet, and there’s no doubt she had ben terribly neglected. This adult goldendoodle weighed just 12 pounds. A blood transfusion was immediately ordered, and as she looked up at her rescuers with those big, brown soulful eyes, all everyone wanted was for her to survive.

Here’s how she arrived:

There had not been any information nor veterinary history to indicate why she was so malnourished, but testing put a light on her condition. Violet was a fighter! First, there had been the emergency treatments to save her life, and as she slowly responded, even though a long, hard road to recovery would follow, Violet needed to be clipped and bathed so her doctors could better evaluate her condition and treat her.

As the team slowly began to shave away years of matted and filthy fur soaked in urine and caked in feces, her emaciated state was even more distressing.

And the grooming began:

A feeding tube had been placed into her stomach to provide the needed nutrients that had been so starved, there was always the danger of overfeeding. This way her nutrition and food intake could carefully be monitored.

And then came a glimmer of hope. Within 24 hours, her body began to heal. Violet was responding, and life seemed to be returning. Her eyes opened wider, her energy level increased, and her sweet disposition started to show. Within days, Violet was already beginning to stand up! Everyone smiled as she took her first steps.

Violet continues to make remarkable strides and improvements Her balance is returning and she can go on walks. But we all know, sometimes complications can set in. On January 17, just one week later, Violet developed a concerning cough.

Dr. Beckwith did detect a heart murmur which was new. A cough can be indicative such a spectrum of things from difficulty swallowing, aspirational pneumonia all the way to heart failure, so it is important we are prudent as this progresses.

The new heart murmur had gone from a grade one to a grade two in just a few days. Her echocardiogram revealed very mild regurgitation or backwards flow at her mitral valve. The leak found at her mitral valve may be due to abnormal growth or have developed secondary to her severe nutritional deficiency. Severe nutritional deficiencies CAN cause changes to multiple systems within the body. Theoretically, this could have contributed to the leak at her mitral valve and may be reversed as the cartridge in her heart strengthens and as she regains weight.

By January 28, Violet had gained 4.7 pounds. That means she went from 11.4 pounds to 16.2 pounds. She had fun when she visited the park on a beautiful sunny day and watched the ducks swimming while enjoying chewing on a bully stick.

And the coolest improvement for Violet – as of last week – just one week before Valentine’s Day, Violet weighed in at 18.7 pounds.

Violet still has a long road to a complete recovery, but no doubt she has made amazing progress. If you would like to support Violet and the other beautiful lives at the Sky Sanctuary Rescue, please click here.

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