Adoption Area: East Tennessee
Abby needs:
- Adult home with a calm environment
- Professional grooming
Abby is a sweet 10-year-old miniature schnauzer weighing around 15 pounds, looking for a loving forever home. She was surrendered to an area shelter but luckily found herself in the care of SBRET.
Abby is a special dog with a big heart that unfortunately doesn’t always work the way it should. She has a condition known as sick sinus syndrome which is a heart rhythm disorder occurring when the sinus node, which normally initiates the heartbeat, fails to discharge an impulse. Her condition causes her to have syncope episodes, or fainting. Her episodes often occur when she is overly excited or stimulated. Due to this her exercise is limited so no long walks or excessive playing with other pets. Abby loves when her foster mom comes home but even that can sometimes be too much for her, if she is not interacted with she will settle and then gets lots of love. Due to her condition, Abby requires a calm home without children.
Abby will be on an oral medication twice daily lifelong which she takes without any issues. Her condition is ultimately fatal, it’s unclear how much time she has left; it could be a few weeks or a couple of years.
Abby is a typical senior dog who enjoys relaxing and napping throughout the day. She loves being outside, exploring the yard, sniffing around, and soaking up the sun. She tries to play with other dogs in her foster home and occasionally plays with toys but her favorite interaction is receiving pets, rubs, and scratches, she is a glutton for attention!
Abby also experiences some itchiness, likely due to seasonal allergies. Her love for being outside doesn’t help but that is her happy place. It is evident that she has historically had issues with her ears and skin prior to coming into rescue. Anti-itch medications such as Apoquel did not help but medicated baths 1-2 times a week help keep her comfortable.
Abby rides well in a car and walks great on a leash. She isn’t a fan of being crated but she is so well behaved that shouldn’t be necessary. She has done great with house training while in foster care. She can be a little barky when she hears new things. She will require frequent grooming in addition to her medicated baths. Her fine hair tangles easily and she is very sensitive to even the smallest mat being brushed so frequent brushings will be needed.
Since being in foster care Abby has had a thorough veterinary checkup including bloodwork, vaccines updated, microchipped and she is up to date on flea and heartworm preventive. She also received a workup on her heart by a board-certified specialist who consulted with veterinary cardiologist on Abby’s condition. Abby has several lumps and bumps and has mild dental tartar but given her condition, she cannot undergo anesthesia.
This perfect little girl will take a special person to open their heart knowing she won’t get the chance to live many more years. If you have a calm and loving home and can provide Abby with the special care she needs, she will reward you with her gentle and affectionate nature. Abby deserves to spend her remaining time in a caring, peaceful environment showered with love and affection. Adoption fee will be waived, but will still need to go through the same application process.
