Living on the edge

Life has a funny way of giving you things you didn't know you wanted. I got word of a pug puppy with a liver shunt in need of a home in my area. Things got busy after the death in the family and I didn't get a chance to follow up. I heard that the pug ended up in a foster home for my shelter and I was relieved. Then I ran into her foster mom and we made plans for me just to meet her. That was my downfall. As you can see she is now here and we are fostering her. To be honest it is just a formality to make sure my two don't have any major problems with her. I've seen some behavior issues that I can hopefully continue to manage. She resource guards her toys when she gets wound up and she has shown some aggression at odd times. I was told today that can go along with liver problems.
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Liver shunts are tricky things. There are so many unknowns at this point. She might have a long life or it might be very short. So much depends on what kind of shunt it is and if she can stay regulated through diet. (I don't have all her paperwork yet so I am not privy to all the details like how it was diagnosed.) We had a family meeting so I could tell everyone that I wasn't sure how long we might have her if we did adopt her. True to form my family said they didn't care. Of course she had to stay! (And what was I even thinking to consider otherwise!)
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I can tell you that she is 8 months old, already spayed and is only 10lbs. She has no nose it is so flat. (Seriously, wait til I get a profile photo to share.) Luckily she breathes very well even after running. I've yet to see her pant. She has a scratch on one eye and has ointment for that. (if you see a blurry eye in photos you'll know why) Her head is also slightly lopsided which may show in some photos as well She has a serious underbite. Even for a pug she is a great example of really poor breeding. But she has personality plus and charms everyone she meets. She is a little clown for sure.
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I know I may be headed for heartbreak. But seriously, aren't we all? I mean we share our lives with dogs (and other animals) knowing that we will most likely outlive them. We refuse to think about it on a day to day basis but we all know it is true. Someday we will have to say goodbye to them. In this little ones case we just know it might be sooner than later. Hopefully this doesn't go terribly awry for us but I am aware it could. The "chit" can hit the fan at any time. I waffle between thinking: "Of course I have to do this, she needs us." to "What the hell am I doing? She is going to get sick and it will be awful and you will hate yourself for putting your family through it." to "I can do this, I work at a vet, who better to try?" to "You needed a 3rd dog like another hole in the head."
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But at the end of the day I feel good about it. She is a lovely little puppy who makes us laugh and deserves a chance at a normal life. I think we can give that to her. Now we just need to find her a name.