Lucy is a precious tiny 5 lb. Chihuahua with a big personality who is no stranger to bossing around her three larger furry housemates. Her parents rescued Lucy from King City where, as a puppy, she was found wandering the streets in April of 2013. Lucy’s mom describes her as a “little firecracker” who loves to play fetch and tug of war with little baby socks.
Chihuahua’s are one of the top breeds of dogs most prone to dental problems, such as tooth decay and infections. Knowing this, Lucy’s mom made an effort to brush her teeth on a regular basis, but unfortunately Lucy’s teeth continued to deteriorate. When Lucy’s mom took her in to be spayed, the vet also pulled four of Lucy’s rotting teeth. After that, there came a point where Lucy’s broken and loose teeth caused such extreme discomfort that Lucy would no longer allow her mom to brush her teeth. In Lucy’s case, bad breath and painful chewing from her damaged teeth were growing into additional health issues and complications; so time was of the essence.
With a good prognosis from the family veterinarian, Lucy was referred to Carmel Valley Veterinary Hospital for multiple teeth extraction; but Lucy’s parents could not afford the entire cost of treatment. Lucy had heard about Max’s Helping Paws Foundation (MHPF) through the Animal Welfare Assistance Group (A.W.A.G.). From there, Carmel Valley Veterinary Hospital sponsored Lucy to receive assistance from MHPF, and within 2 days MHPF was able to give the Brandts a grant to help with the cost of surgery. Lucy’s mom said that giving up was not an option! If she did not qualify to receive assistance from MHPF, then she was prepared to go door to door asking neighbors to help chip in. And those are exactly the kinds of pet parents Max’s Helping Paws was created to support.
Max’s Helping Paws was able to assist Lucy and her family with the overwhelming burden of surgical costs and recovery. Lucy’s mom said, “What Max’s Helping Paws Foundation is doing is a miracle to those of us who want the best for their pet but can’t afford it.” The [Carmel Valley] Veterinary Hospital extracted a total of fifteen of Lucy’s teeth; but today, even though Lucy only has three teeth left, she is still a happy little dog (and she still plays tug of war with socks!). Though Lucy lost quite a few teeth, she definitely hasn’t lost any of her spunk – and now her mom loves getting kisses from Lucy.
