Charmin is a 2 year old beauty queen. White as the driven snow, her coat is fierce! She gets along nicely with others and would appreciate a k9 companion to pal around with. Charmin can live successfully with cats as well. Spunky at times, yet knows when to turn it off and lounge around! Charmin is looking for a home that will accept a dog with special needs, although her condition really doesn't necessitate anything but daily meds and a once yearly visit to the cardiologist. We are looking for someone who has the level of commitment that Charmin deserves!

Update: 05/15/08

Charmin has been diagnosed with sub aortic stenosis, or SAS. This congenital defect causes a narrowing of the valve that leads into the aorta. This narrowing can cause pressure to build up and therefore makes the heart work a little harder. Charmin was just evaluated by a renown cardiologist and we now know the following:

* Charmin will probably act like a normal, healthy dog....although she may develop some intolerance to exercise as she ages.

* The defect could limit her life expectancy, but the cardiologist is optimistic that she still has a good chance of living to be 8-10 years old.

* Since she is close to 2 years of age, the defect is not going to get any worse. Once a dog hits maturity (around 2), the heart is no longer growing and changing. This is good news as her condition is not going to get any worse over time.

* She will be on beta blockers that reduce the pressure build up at that pinched valve, and generally make the heart happier! She will probably be on this med for her lifetime. It is not expensive and it is easy to give.

* Charmin can still run, walk, play like any other healthy dog. She is probably not a candidate for intensive hiking/running or agility work....but normal, regular exercise is just fine for this gal!

* She will need yearly visits to evaluate her heart, but other than that will more than likely live/act like a normal healthy gal.

Our cardiologist is more than happy to discuss this condition with any adopters that are serious about adopting Ms. Charmin.