b'TheBerneseMountainDog/Poodlemixwaseventually not be blamed entirely on his illness. Doc had been severelydiagnosed with spinal meningitis, and the prognosis was not neglected. good. Docs family called the breeder who agreed to take back At Coles home, Doc was able to catch up on much-the puppy when told he would be euthanized. The breeder of needed rest. Cole soon discovered that Doc could not lift hisDoodlemixes,inturn,contacted4LuckyDogsRescue head,andyelpedinpainwitheachattempttodoso.Iof Valrico, Florida to find out if they could take another one thought our next course of action would be to take him to theof her puppies. emergencyveterinaryhospitaltoSomerescuegroupshave be euthanized, said Cole. He wasdevelopedfriendlyrelationships in so much pain. But, within thewith breeders in an effort to keep hour he was able to get up, seem-puppies from either being eutha- ingly with little to no pain.nized or ending up in a shelter. The The rescue groups veterinari-breeder, in this instance, donated an checked Doc out the followingthousandsofdollarsto4Lucky morning and put him back on hisDogs to help with Docs treatment. medications, which had previouslyAs I was heading to pick up been discontinued. The next stepDoc from the breeder, we were told wasaconsultationwithDr.he wasnt walking or eating, said CookatSCAN(SpecialistsInJennifer Cole, a foster volunteer for Companion Animal Neurology) in4LuckyDogsRescue.Shesoon Clearwater, Florida. discoveredDocsconditionwas Charlie, Doc and Perla The key to managing meningi-even worse than described. He was incontinent, matted, and tis is to taper off the prednisone very slowly, or Doc wouldemaciated, said Cole. He was also in pain. relapse pretty fast, Cole said. It was a touch-and-go process,These maladies and Docs overall condition had not hap- but a year later, the only signs of Docs meningitis is a paralyzedpened overnight. And the sole cause of his condition could tail, and the need for some assistance going to the bathroom.32 THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'