Moana has been a lovely dog from the start of her stay at the shelter. When she arrived, it was obvious she had recently had a litter of pups because she was full of milk. It was very sad to think that she and her pups had been separated before it was time. Moana had a microchip but her owner refused to come get her, so staff assumed that she was simply used for breeding and they were done with her. 🙁 She had a sweet disposition and was extremely clingy to humans. No doubt she was insecure about being abandoned and not knowing what was going to happen to her next. She had some mammary tumors and they were removed during her spay surgery. She also had a few lumps and bumps that were not so concerning to the Vet at the time and her blood tests came out normal.
Moana is a *big* fan of food, and will let you know right away that if you have a treat, she will be your best friend. She went to a foster home where we discovered she likes to hop up on the counter and steal loaves of bread. We also discovered she wasn’t a fan of other dogs. So we transferred her to a new foster home where she would be the only animal and she was much happier…although she did steal a 12 pound Prime Rib that was thawing on the counter! The new foster loved her anyway, and she is being taught that the kitchen is a no go zone.
Moana’s foster dad noticed that their daily walks were getting shorter, with Moana wanting to turn back and go home sooner and sooner each day. After visiting the shelter Vet, it was determined that Moana had developed cancer in her right rear area. Numerous tests had to be done to determine if the cancer had spread to her muscle and bones. If this was the case, the prognosis would not have been good. Fortunately, after all many tests, procedures and a MRI, the cancer was found to be localized in that one area, but very deep in the tissue. The specialist surgeon was confident it could be removed successfully. The surgery was very lengthy and difficult, but the surgeon was confident all of the margins had been excised. Mona’s surgery wound was extremely large, and she had to receive special fragile sutures.
Moana is doing well, back to her daily walks, although shortened a bit. She has not lost her appetite and continues to give those big ole puppy dog eyes, like she hasn’t had a meal in days. Content with the carrot sticks she gets for treats, she no doubt still dreams of that Prime Rib…
The Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter would like to thank Los Angeles Animal Specialty, Emergency & Rehabilitation (LAASER) for the amazing work they did to save Moana. We also want to say a *tremendous* thank you to our donors who made Moana’s many lab tests, her life-saving surgery, and her extended hospital stay possible. Despite being neglected and abandoned, Moana has always remained sweet, happy and incredibly friendly. She deserved a second chance at life. Thank you for giving her that to her.
