Everyone, welcome sweet 8-month-old Molly to RAGOM life! She came into RAGOM a few weeks ago and is settling in really well with foster mom, dad, and Golden Retriever sister, Dakota.

Prior to life at RAGOM, Molly developed some neurologic symptoms and spent many days in the emergency hospital where it was determined she has an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (IHPSS) in her liver. Due to her diagnosis, she was surrendered to RAGOM by her previous owners.

Prior to her life at RAGOM, she lived as an outdoor dog and slept in the garage. Due to her upcoming medical procedures and not knowing clearly what her future will look like, she will not be available to be adopted for a few months. 

Molly had a consultation with a vet at the University of Minnesota, and next month she will undergo a surgery called coil embolization for occlusion of the IHPSS vessel. This coil will help to slowly close the shunt over the next few months. She will be monitored by the U of M to confirm the shunt is closing appropriately.

As for right now, Molly is taking many medications and eating a prescription diet to help manage her shunt and the toxins and bacteria that are bypassing her liver. She could remain on these medications and live a semi-normal life, with a shortened lifespan.

However, the surgery gives her the best chance to live a normal, long quality and quantity of life. Molly is very skinny due to her shunt. She is expected to gain some healthy weight once her surgery is complete and she can process her food correctly. On top of her liver procedure (which is number 1 priority right now), she will also need to have her spay surgery in the future.

Now for the fun stuff: Molly is our sweet little peanut! We just adore her. She is so much fun to have around every day. She LOVES other dogs and all people that give her attention. Molly has also done well around cats: she will bark but not chase. A physically fenced yard is optional as long as her family has a plan to keep her safe.

Her ideal life would be with another pup that loves her as much as she loves him/her, but this would not be required. She picks up on dog cues very quickly and never tries to be the boss. But she does love a good game of chase (even though she is rather slow and clumsy), as well as a good game of tug of war!

Molly’s previous owners and her temporary foster home both indicated that Molly does with kids. However, until her post-surgery, long-term needs are known, we recommend that children in her forever home are at least 5 years old.

She has been our little shadow and pretty much right by our side at any given moment. She does awesome in her crate and has been sleeping in it throughout the night and while we are not home.

She has been quickly picking up on potty training and house-breaking. She is so grateful to be in a warm home, that sometimes she wants to make sure mom, dad, or sister are outside with her to potty (in our fenced backyard) so she doesn’t get left out there, especially at night. She has been getting braver and more adventurous during the day.

Again, until Molly’s medical issues are resolved, she will not be ready to go to her forever home. However, please follow her journey to recovery here! Due to this specialized operation, we would be so grateful for any donations and sponsorships in her name. Thank you for considering this sweet angel. RAGOM, Molly, and her foster family really appreciate you!