Special Atlanta Sheltie is in need of specialized care

ATLANTA - A four-month-old Shetland Sheepdog at the Atlanta Humane Society is receiving specialized care today at the University of Georgia.

Tipsy was removed from a property along with 49 other Shelties in September.  She has a congenital liver disorder that is causing toxic blood to flow to her neural tissues, and she is experiencing medical episodes.

Since being in the care of the Atlanta Humane Society, Tipsy has her energy back and is beginning to act like a normal puppy, but she has been experiencing medical episodes as a result of her health.

“The other day, she was slack-jawed and drooling and just seemed very out of it for an hour. She waslethargic the rest of the day and spent most of it resting. She was trying to be cheerful and playful, but you could tell she just didn’t feel good,” said Laine Killingsworth, Strategic Project Manager at the Atlanta Humane Society and Tipsy’s foster mom.

“Typically, this shunt closes up before puppies are born, but Tipsy’s didn’t. The shunt is forcing her blood to divert around her liver, so the liver can’t cleanse the blood like it should be able to. This is causing toxic blood to flow to her neural tissues which is triggering her medical episodes,” said Dr. Jennifer Morris, Director of Shelter Medicine at the Atlanta Humane Society. “The condition is so specialized, we decided to reach out to our partners at the University of Georgia for a consult, and likely, a surgical procedure.”

Tipsy’s consultation appointment at the University of Georgia is on Wednesday, October 26, and it is expected that she will receive surgery for her disorder at a later date. To help donate: http://atlantahumane.org/tipsy-2/