Success Stories

Tootsie September 2000

Unwanted by her owners, this sad little chocolate girl was turned in to an animal control shelter in central California. The owners did not even leave a name for her! Before long, however, a kind rescuer took the 6 year old Lab home from the shelter, named her Tootsie, and took her to the vet for a medical evaluation.

Tootsie was found to have an assortment of problems. Most serious was a positive test for heartworms, but Tootsie had other ailments, too: a couple of tumors or cysts on her back, a broken tooth, tapeworms, and a severe case of kennel cough. It was decided that Tootsie would rest at the home of her rescuer to recover from the kennel cough before beginning the heartworm treatment. Then when the heartworm treatment was completed, Tootsie would be spayed - and the cysts and broken tooth could be treated at the same time. LABMED was contacted and we were happy to be able to fund the procedures needed to restore Tootsie to good health.

While Tootsie was undergoing the heartworm treatment, one of the cysts on her back ruptured and had to be removed in an emergency procedure. Happily, though, a biopsy showed that the growth was benign. When Tootsie went in for her spay surgery, more benign cysts were found and removed. But in a lucky turn of events, the fractured incisor was able to be repaired rather than extracted.

Now fixed up as good as new, Tootsie went to her adoptive home on December 22, 2000. What a wonderful holiday gift for Tootsie and for her new family!