Malnourished, with bones protruding from her tiny frame when she first arrived, Leah could not keep any food down. She had been surrendered into our care when her owners could no longer handle the challenges of her mysterious condition. An emergency care facility thought perhaps Leah had pancreatitis. Our Pet Health Centers team began an exhaustive search for answers. “Leah’s been a very challenging case for us,” said Dr. Mark Verdino, Animal League America Chief of Veterinary Staff. “When she came in, she was skin and bones. We did retest her for pancreatitis and we could not confirm the diagnosis. We ended up doing an upper GI endoscopy and we noticed that she had severe gastritis, with ulcerations in the stomach and duodenum.”

The inflammation in Leah’s GI system was thought to be caused by a Helicobacter infection. This spiral-shaped organism can have a debilitating impact on canine health. Leah responded positively to treatment. “She’s keeping her food down now,” said Dr. Verdino. “You can see her body condition has improved dramatically over the past several weeks. Sometimes these situations are not easy fixes and it takes putting time and effort into these cases to get them through.”

Please help us continue to give more second chances to animals in need.

As Leah recovered under the watchful eyes of the Pet Health Centers team, she found a friend in a feline patient, named Donnie, who was also there getting his second chance. Though this cat suffers from neurological issues impacting his mobility, Leah would cuddle up with him, providing reassurance and paying the benefit of her loving care forward.

Leah will soon be ready for the next stop on her journey – a home where her kind nature will be cherished. She didn’t just overcome a medical mystery, she also reminded us of the transformative power of compassion, determination, and second chances – the very essence of our no-kill commitment.