by Penny from Turtle Moon Rescue

I am happy to report that Keona is doing so much better and she has come a long way since we first brought her in to rescue. She still has to undergo treatment for heart worms, and she is scheduled to begin that on May 5th.

Since our last update, Keona still endured many health issues. Shortly after her surgeries, the vet began trying to understand the cause of Keona’s failing health. She conducted numerous tests on Keona to try and determine the cause of her severe anemia and why she may have bled out. The first tests the vet did were another CBC and a coagulation test to determine if Keona had a clotting problem with her blood. The CBC showed, once again, severe anemia…the clot test was normal. That left the vet thinking maybe it was a rickettsial disease of some sort, so she called for a tick panel. Most reckettsia’s are caused from the bite of a tick and they include such diseases as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme’s. The tick panel came back clear. Then the vet almost knew what it might be, so she called for one more test. This test was to determine if Keona had an infectious disease called Babesia. Babesia is caused by a protozoan that destroys red blood cells, producing a hemolytic anemia. Babesia can be transmitted by the bite of a brown dog tick, and also can be transmitted through contact with an infected dog’s blood. Those tests revealed the problem, it was indeed Babesia. The vet treated her accordingly, and she is now healthy from all ailments but her heartworms. The vet wanted to make sure we gave Keona plenty of time to bounce back from all that she had been through. She wanted to give Keona a chance to gain some weight, get her blood levels back to normal and give her some time to just rest and enjoy a little of life’s good things before she under went treatment for heart worms. As I already mentioned, her treatments are scheduled to begin on May 5th.

Since Keona has won the battle against most of her health issues, she has really had a chance to regain herself mentally as well. She has just blossomed into one of the most truly delightful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of sharing company with. There is not a day that goes by that this girl does not bring a smile to my face. She is simply a joy to be around and she has a super attitude with her humans. She truly enjoys every minute of companionship she gets with her people….she takes not one second of good love for granted. She always greets you with a big ole bully smile, a big ole wiggle butt, and she has this way about her where she bounces around you; she does not jump up on you…she does this in quite a submissive way, but it is so cute and you can tell that she is just overjoyed to have someone who truly cares about her. She is such a happy dog now, and to me that is absolutely amazing for a dog who encountered such a hard life before. I call Keona my heart shine….because this dog really has a glow about her, and I think it’s the happiness in her heart radiating around us. Her name, which means God’s Greatest Gift in Hawaiian, could not have been more fitting for her…she truly is one of his most precious gifts.

We will be listing Keona up for adoption very soon. I will also be sure to keep the updates on time from now on. I will post an update after her first heartworm treatment, and the treatments that follow behind that. I will also make sure a link is made to her page when she is up for adoption. As hard as it is going to be for me to part with my heart shine, it is my dream to see this girl go into a home where she will be showered with love and affection and be accepted for the wonderful soul that she is. You can see from her recent pictures above that she truly has blossomed into not only a wonderful dog, but a beautiful dog as well.

05/01/03 UPDATE! Keona is now listed up for adoption. She must still have her heartworm treatments and test negative before she can leave for her forever home, but we are now taking applications on her. She is listed at Turtle Moon Rescue S1814

09/06/03 UPDATE! Summer has come to an end, and so has Keona's health problems. She went through her heartworm treatments like a champ with minimul problems, and tested negative!! She has been given a clean bill of health and is now ready and waiting for her human soul mate. If you think you might be interested in adopting Keona, please visit her at Turtle Moon Rescue S1814.

Keona was officially adopted by the president of Turtle Moon Rescue. Together, these girls have found their calling in the community. Keona has been through extensive obedience training and is now Penny's official education dog. Penny uses Keona to educate children on dog safety and bite prevention, as well as high risk youth. Keona loves her job and feels really good about being able to help Penny give back to the community. Together they make a wonderful team!