It was a chilly November evening when Alana sat on the porch, staring into the distance. Harlow, her once vibrant Weimaraner, lay beside her, her bones protruding through her thin frame. The family had exhausted every option to uncover the mystery behind Harlow’s drastic weight loss, but the answers remained elusive.
Source: The Dodo
“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 sighed, petting Harlow gently.
Harlow, however, still possessed an unwavering spirit. Despite her frail appearance, she wagged her tail and continued to play, as if determined to defy the odds stacked against her.
Desperation gripped Alana as she took Harlow to countless vet exams, each test revealing perfect results. The family was at a loss, watching helplessly as their beloved companion wasted away before their eyes.
“We didn’t know how long she could endure this condition. It was getting worse, and we were running out of time,” Alana confided.
Eventually, Harlow’s condition reached a critical point. Lethargic and refusing to eat, she was on the verge of surrendering to her illness. The family, facing the heartbreaking reality, planned a weekend filled with Harlow’s favorite activities before saying their final goodbyes on Monday.
But fate had other plans.
On a Friday night, just as the family prepared to bid farewell to their cherished companion, the phone rang. Dr. Amy Lam, who had treated Harlow before, had a breakthrough. She diagnosed Harlow with chronic neutrophilic enteritis, an incredibly rare form of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. The cause? An allergic-like reaction to animal proteins. The prescription? A vegetarian diet.
Hope flickered as Harlow devoured her first vegetarian meal. The transformation was astonishing. The symptoms that had plagued her for so long vanished, and she started gaining healthy weight. In November 2022, Harlow’s chronic disease index scored zero, marking her triumphant journey to remission.
“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 shared on Instagram, gratitude filling her words.
Today, Harlow bounds across the yard, a testament to resilience and the unwavering love of her family. The once skeletal dog has emerged from the shadows, leaving her bad days far behind. Harlow’s joyous barks echo through the air, a melody of triumph and gratitude for the second chance at a happy, healthy life.