Foster to Adopt.
Eugenie is a 4 year old French Bulldog who was surrendered to SNORT after she became paralyzed. It was initially thought that Eugenie suffered from Intervertebral Disc Disease but after extensive testing, the diagnosis of Autoimmune Meningitis.
Autoimmune Meningitis is a lifelong condition where basically Eugenie’s immune system is attacking her spine. She is on a treatment regimen of a steroid and an immunosuppressant. She also gets Chemotherapy. We currently know that Eugenie is responding really well to treatment- while she has not yet made a full recovery she has regained some mobility. We do not know how she will respond once treatments are able to be reduced but for now the future looks bright.
There is no set treatment plan- treatment continues until the dog no longer responds. Her Neurologist has indicated that some dogs continue the Chemotherapy treatments for years. This treatment is very expensive. Â Eugenie also receives supplements from her holistic vet as well as requires a specific home cooked meal.
Eugenie has had a hard time dealing with the high dosages of steroids. She goes to a holistic vet to help support her immune system and to detox from the steroids and chemotherapy. We have been able to taper down her steroids only because she continues on her chemotherapy. Because of Eugenie’s complicated medical situation and treatment needs - A foster to adopt home must be within reasonable travel distance of a specialty hospital with a board certified neurologist familiar with Autoimmune Meningitis and that has all diagnostic tools (MRI, spinal tap, etc).
Eugenie basically no longer has an immune system as her treatment shuts it down to stop the attack on her body. All three vets on her current team- her conventional vet, her neurologist, and her holistic vet- all agree that she cannot be vaccinated nor can she be spayed. Â Currently she does not leave the foster home unless to go to vet.
Eugenie, when not on a super high dose of steroids, is a very happy, loving Frenchie. She is the epitome of love. She is very energetic and very playful. Now that she can walk again, all she wants to do is run and chase bouncing toys despite not having the coordination to do so. Since she is so excited to be able to move, she cannot control when she crashes into things - so hopefully you aren't too attached to your furniture.
She loves to play with other Frenchies and Pugs, in her current foster home, especially chase and bitey face. Because of the risks involved though, care must be taken when being introduced to new dogs as they could spread disease. While at the vets she has been reactive to larger dogs or non-brachycephalic dogs- she is happy to see other Frenchies, Pugs and Bulldogs though when we have been to the vet. She does do well with cats, largely ignoring them.
Temperament wise I believe that she would be good with children, but her issues with mobility and lack of an immune system she might be better in a child free home. A ranch style house is would be best. At the current time, Eugenie is not physically able to climb steps. A suburban or rural home would be better for her- a city environment is not made for her. She would be fine with a single person or a couple of any age. Central air conditioning is a must. One of the side effects she suffers from with her medications is excessive heavy panting.
Eugenie is a wonderful dog and she deserves a wonderful life. Any potential home must be committed to giving her the care that she needs, protecting her due to her suppressed immune system, and be financially secure enough to be able to eventually afford her treatments. Even if she is able to be
tapered down, there is always a risk for a potential relapse that could require expensive and long
term treatment.
She is so worth it. If you would like to foster to adopt - please fill out an application.
What is foster to adopt?
Foster to adopt is a program we use when we want to place a dog in a home that will potentially adopt them. We always Foster initially because it’s normally a dog that SNORT takes in directly from a surrendering party. So, we know nothing about the dog’s medical needs or personality at that point. SNORT has legal ownership of the dog and is financially responsible of all medical needs while in foster care. Once all medical needs are met and the Foster to adopt family has decided the dog is the best fit for them, the adoption process will be finalized with a contract and final adoption fee. If for any reason the Foster to adopt family has decided that the dog, for whatever reason, does not fit in their home, they must continue to Foster until a suitable home is found for the dog.