UPDATE 8/12/2020: 

Twinkie, a female Doberman (mix), was adopted from us 9 years ago (her name was Marmalade then) when she was only 1 year old.  Returned to our shelter on 7/2/2020, she is now 10 years old now (though she acts much younger) and weighs 49 pounds.  Her fur is the color of marmalade and her feet look like they have been dipped in sugar.  

Twinkie was returned shortly after her people moved live chickens onto their property. Not realizing they were pets, Twinkie liked fresh chicken, picked out the ones she wanted to kill, and finish the job.  She is so quick to learn, she even figured out how to escape her pen so she could get at the birds that tantalized her. 

Recently vetted, she tested NEGATIVE times 4 on her Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis and Heartworm test (always great news) and had a full dental with several bad teeth removed.  She is very happy now because she can enjoy eating her kibble and nibbling on bone-like treats.

During her vetting we learned that Twinkie has a grade 4 heart murmur and will need heart meds for the rest of her life, but she acts like a youthful dog.  Her murmur is a grade 4 out of 6. This grade refers to loudness not severity of the murmur.  It is caused by a mitral valve that does not seal well on the left side.  Heart murmurs are quite common, and the correct meds will give her a good quality of life AND extend her life despite her heart disease.  Twinkie WILL NEED a checkup every 6 months and her meds cost about $70 per month.  (She is on 5mg Vetmedin (1/2 pill every 12 hours—a 50 CT bottle is 87.98 so this is about $1.75 per day) and 20mg Enalapril (1/2 pill every 12 hours—a 100 CT bottle is 58.00 so this is about 0.58 per day).  $2.33 per day x 30 days = $69.90 per month.)

Sigrid wrote:  Twinkie, our old lady, didn’t surprise me when she climbed all the way to the top of her kennel when a sudden storm popped up.  This is one old dog who seems to be able to do a lot of things still.  I love her smiley face.  Twinkie (very perky and interested in people) has many great traits!  She:

- is good on leash and she LOVES going for rides in a car.

- LOVES…LOVES…LOVES squeaky balls and is gentle with them (so far).

- is very clean in her room (an indication she will be easy to house train).

- absolutely loves receiving affection, belly rubs, and cuddles!

- enjoyed the companionship of the other dog she lived with and seems interested in making friends with new dogs here. 

- is a bit timid with people she doesn’t yet know, so she sometimes gives them a cute submissive grin to let them know she means no ill will.  (She smiles real pretty!)

- would rather not be involved in loud party atmospheres or where there are fireworks.  These are too scary for her.  And she HATES storms!

Twinkie is a lovely, lithe girl, that moves with the grace of a greyhound.  If someone will just give her the chance, she will give them her ENTIRE heart. 

GOOD WITH DOGS.  NO CHICKENS.

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