Ellie came from Turkey a few weeks ago. She had been loved by a family but they couldn't handle the typical Golden Retriever shedding and she was surrendered to a shelter. Ellie is about 12 months old and has the usual young dog energy! She can even tire out my resident boy Tannin.

Ellie is house trained now and requires crating or another way to contain her when away since she will get into things—she's young! She is also small—about 40 pounds but not done growing. And very sweet! Loves to snuggle when she's done playing. 

Now for the tough part...

When I chose Ellie to foster, I figured she wouldn't be with me long at all—a young happy, sweet girl should be adopted pretty quickly, right? Well, on our wellness exam appointment at Rum River Vet, an arrhythmia was heard in her heart. She was seen by a cardiologist, Dr. Janet Olson, last week and wore a 24-hour EKG monitor. Ellie also had a cardiac echo. 

Dr. Olson found that while the structure of Ellie's heart (valves, etc) were all healthy, her electrical system was not. Ellie has multiple premature ventricular contractions, or abnormal beats. She was started on medications to control them. But she remains at risk for sudden death.

Dr. Olson thinks that this may be the same arrhythmia seen in German Shepherd dogs and some Goldens. Many times those arrhythmias disappear when the dog reaches about 2-3 years of age. 

Ellie will need a special person to step up to adopt her. Right now, her meds are about $100 per month. And she will need regular monitoring to ensure her irregular beats are controlled. But she is special in many ways! She loves other dogs and people! Are you that special person for sweet Ellie?

If you are unable to adopt, please consider donating to help cover her medical care.