Magnificent Millie

**GRAFIC IMAGES**
So many have asked why I volunteer my time and home to foster animals. Some are harder to let go than others. 16 years ago I started volunteering for Great Dane Rescue of North Texas. With in that time span, over 300, probably close to 400 Danes now, have come and gone through my door. One in particular has been my favorite and always will be. Back in the day (hehehe) I used to the queen at helping dogs recover from Demodex mange with out using potent dips and other traditional methods. With the help of many seasoned vets, Texas A&M, research and trial and error, demo became my thing. Here is the story of Millie. I ended up adopting her but sadly she had to cross the rainbow bridge at an early age. It's long, sorry. But THIS is why rescuers rescue! 10 years ago today was when we got that phone call to get my Millie Moo Moo
"I got a call one HOT blazing hot day in Aug of 2007 from The Colony shelter who had a demodex mange Great Dane and everyone knows I am the mange to go gal. A transporter brought her right to me so I could start treatment and get her all fixed up. What they did not tell me is how severe this case was. The transporter from another rescue group pulled up to my house and out comes this weak, 4 to 6 month old puppy in horrific shape.
Millie's skin was literally falling off. She was running 106 temp and I could not touch her. I had to wear medical gloves and I was putting ice packs on her every 4 hours round the clock. She was oozing everywhere and her eyes were swollen shut.
Millie's story was promoted nationwide because of the severe condition she was in. She smelled so bad. SO bad, like blood, decaying skin and mange. It was horrific. I rushed her to Dr B at Ohio Dr the very next day and it was then that I realized this dog had a few hours to live with out medical intervention.
I had a lot of volunteers come by and help me because Millie was literally a full time job and Ella had just turned two. We had to cool her skin, give her meds and keep ice packs on her, rotating the positions.
I fell in LOVE with this bloody stinky mess. As time went on and she got better, it was time for her to be spayed and continue her medical treatment.
I took Millie to Dr B's and for some reason I was worried about her. Not like me at all, right!! As soon as the surgery was finished, Dr B called me and everything went great. I went by the next morning to check on her and she was fabulous. I would take her home later that day.
After lunch I get a phone call and Millie had mutilated her self, ripping out her spay and removing over 80% of her intestines which were now laying on the floor of the vets run. She did this in a matter of minutes. Dr B called me right away in which I gave permission to do emergency surgery. Here was this perfect dog who had mange ( very easily cured and inexpensive to treat) but had raised rescue THOUSANDS of dollars because of her story. Normally we would have had to euthanize at this point but I couldn't. We had the funds and she deserved to see if she would make it. She did but lost over 80% of her intestines.
Long story short is Millie has to be on special food which cost over $400 a month, has chronic diarrhea and is starving. We had nearly 2 years worth donated to us but now she is down to the last few weeks."
Millie was apart of my family and I had no idea what I was going to do. We kept her till her quality of life had become too much for her with the extreme hunger. The foster Dane I have currently reminds me of her because she smiles. All the time. Millie was the happiest Dane I've ever met and she will always be to this day, my one and only. Adopt, don't shop