Trixie Lou: In Memory

Last week, CTDR tried to help a beautiful girl we named Trixie Lou, but she had too many strikes against her. We share her story not to evoke sadness, but to help to educate dachshund owners of the importance of good nutrition, regular vet checkups and the dangers of obesity.

We got an e-mail from the Fort Worth shelter about a down dog who had been turned in by her owners because they couldn't afford surgery. The person who contacted us didn't know about her extreme obesity, so our volunteers were a little surprised to see how overweight this little dog was.

We don't know how long she had been down in her back before we got her, but she had no deep pain sensation at all from her legs. She was in extreme pain from the back injury. The slightest movement would cause her to cry out. She couldn't even lay down because her stomach was so big that when she laid down on her front paws it caused pain in her back. This poor girl should have weighed 9 to 10 pounds and she was almost 21. She was most likely diabetic and already had a nasty urinary tract infection.

After Dr. Bouloy at Hiway 620 Animal Hospital in Austin checked her, we called Dr. Elaine Caplan and she asked that she be seen at an emergency clinic. We took her straight there and after an exhaustive exam we found there was nothing we could do. It would have taken possibly thousands of dollars worth of surgery just to ease Trixie's pain and she had a less than 10% chance of ever walking or having bowel or bladder control again. She had so much excess weight that trying to get her weight down while she was recovering from back surgery would have been nearly impossible. A cart would have been out of the question because her front legs couldn't support the weight either.

We know dachshunds love to eat, but it is our responsibility to be sure they eat the right stuff, the right amount and don't get into this condition.

We wish we did not have to help Trixie cross over the Rainbow Bridge. But we imagine she is very relieved to have all of that pain gone and the weight off of her. Rest in peace, sweet girl.

• Read about obesity in dogs and weight-loss diet tips.

• Read about the seriousness of canine obesity.

• Read about canine nutrition and how to pick the best dog food.

Trixie Lou reminds us that we can't save them all, no matter how much we wish we could. But we're asking you to help us ensure that her short time with us is not in vain, because there are many dogs we can save with your help.

Can you make a donation in her memory so we don't have to worry about paying for our vet bills?

Can you foster a dachshund in your home so we can say yes, we've got room for one more?

Can you sign up as a volunteer with us to help with home visits, fundraisers and transports, to help more dachshunds find their forever homes?

We know Trixie Lou would thank you.