“There’s always light at the end of the tunnel” is what Harlow would probably say if she could speak!
This amazing Weimaraner girl has been through a lot since 2021, and her life journey has been nothing but a true inspiration to all!
Harlow, the ‘skeleton’ dog, fought her life’s battle against all the odds, and together with her mom, Alana, she got to tell her story to the world. Let’s check it out!
Harlow’s Condition
Harlow has been in Alana’s family for years now. This sweet Weimaraner has been nothing but the cutest lovebug all this time, but in 2021, her life took an unexpected turn.
She suddenly started losing weight, and her entire family couldn’t detect the reason. Harlow was subjected to various vet exams and she took several tests, but all of them were showing up perfect.
She was literally deteriorating despite all the food she ate, and Alana didn’t know how to help.
“We could see every rib, every vertebrae, all the bones in her legs. It didn’t matter how much we fed her. Harlow was deteriorating before our eyes,” Alana told The Dodo.
Still, Harlow never lost her enthusiasm, nor did she stop playing. Her spark was still out there, and she definitely had a lot to give!
“Despite all that Harlow was going through, she never lost her spark,” says Alana.
The problem was, Alana and the family didn’t know how long she could endure this condition. It was evidently getting worse, and it was only a matter of time before she would lose all of her strength.
The Mystery Finally Resolved
Eventually, Harlow came to the point of total lethargy and illness. She refused to eat and drink, and her family needed to take her to emergency at least two to three times a week.
Harlow even lost her joy, and the family was facing the inevitable end.
One Friday night, they came up with a bucket list of Harlow’s favorite things that they were going to do over the weekend, and then on Monday, they were gonna put her to eternal sleep. But, then the phone rang!
Dr. Amy Lam, who treated Harlow before, contacted Alana. She diagnosed this poor girl with chronic neutrophilic enteritis, one of the rarest forms of IBD in dogs.
According to this amazing vet, Harlow had an allergic-like reaction to animal proteins and she needed a vegetarian diet.
As soon as she was offered her first vegetarian meal, she instantly felt better. Even though her family hoped to get her back on her paws within a few weeks, Harlow surprised everyone with how fast she started recovering.
All of her symptoms stopped, and she finally started gaining healthy weight! And, in November 2022, her chronic disease index scored zero!
“This little girl well and truly fought into remission. To say her veterinary team are absolutely amazing would be a huge understatement – they are forever heroes in my eyes,” Alana wrote on Instagram.
Today, Harlow’s enjoying her life to the fullest, and she couldn’t be happier. Her bad days are finally behind her, and her family is so grateful that their girl is finally back on track!