She adopted the sickest Texas rescue dog she had ever seen without even a meet-and-greet. When the terrified pup refused to eat, her new mom had to get creative to save her life.
A Leap Of Faith
Sometimes, the strongest connections are made before you even meet.
When one Texas woman was looking to rescue a dog, she came across a heartbreaking profile online. She didn’t need to do a meet-and-greet or spend time getting to know the pup first.
She simply knew this dog belonged with her.
I actually adopted her online, she explained. I didn’t meet her first. I just went to pick her up.
A Heartbreaking First Sight
Despite her instant dedication, nothing could have fully prepared her for the dog’s actual condition.
When she finally laid eyes on her new companion, she was taken aback by how sick the animal truly was.
“When I saw her, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this dog…'” she recalled. The poor pup was in immense distress, struggling just to exist.
“She couldn’t even barely open her eyes, and she would just sit there and just cry and cough.”
The Weakest Rescue
Getting the dog home was only the first step in a very long journey.
The woman gently coaxed the timid, coughing dog out of her transport area, offering soft words of encouragement as she took her first hesitant steps into a new life.
But the dog’s physical weakness was alarming. She was so frail that her body simply couldn’t support her for long.
“She was definitely the sickest rescue that I had,” her new mom shared. “She could only stand for a couple minutes, and then she would just fall down.”
A Terrifying Refusal
The immediate priority was getting the dog’s strength up, which meant she needed to eat.
However, the terrified and sick pup had absolutely no interest in food.
“When I first brought her back, she wouldn’t eat anything,” her mom said. “I was offering her literally everything.”
She tried at least 15 different types of treats, hoping something would spark the dog’s appetite, but nothing worked. The dog’s refusal to eat started to scare her new owner “really bad.”
The Charcuterie Board Strategy
Desperate to get some nutrition into the fading dog, her mom came up with a creative plan.
She wondered if the dog was simply too nervous to eat while being watched. She decided to prepare a special, irresistible meal and leave the room.
“I’m gonna make her a charcuterie board of all the foods that I think she might want to try,” she explained.
She carefully plated a variety of solid foods, including cheese, hoping the enticing smells would finally win the dog over while she had some privacy.
Waiting For Mom
After giving the dog some time alone, her mom returned home to check on her progress.
To her dismay, the “charcuterie board” was completely untouched. The dog hadn’t taken a single bite while she was gone.
But then, something beautiful happened. With her mom back in the room, the dog finally began to eat.
“She ate in front of me,” her mom marveled. “I don’t know if she was waiting for me to get back. Waiting for it to be safe. You just wanted Mommy here.”
Turning The Corner
That first meal was the breakthrough they desperately needed.
Because the dog had a lot of necessary medication to take, she couldn’t consume it on an empty stomach. Eating that food quite literally paved the way for her medical recovery.
“I think that was also a big point, that she trusted me enough to eat the food that I was giving her,” her mom noted.
Once the first bites were down and the medicine was administered, the dog’s healing journey finally started going uphill.
A Thriving Future
Today, the sick, frail dog who couldn’t keep her eyes open is completely unrecognizable.
She has blossomed into a massive, healthy girl, gaining a staggering 20 pounds since her adoption day.
Her mom soon realized that her new companion was actually still a puppy, meaning she is only going to keep getting bigger and stronger.
“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” her mom smiled, looking at her thriving dog. “I needed her. I didn’t care. This is my dog.”