Whether your pet is healthy or dealing with a serious medical issue, the very best use of time and money will be to make Pennye your FIRST call.
Our Pup's diagnosis of aggressive oral cancer came out of the blue without any warning. We went from having a healthy happy pup to a life and death situation where we had to make many critical decisions very quickly.
We had just moved back to town and hadn't even had time to establish our pup with a new vet before he screamed out in pain one night. At the ER we were shown the large tumor growing in his mouth, were told it was aggressive and that we would have to make some major decisions very quickly because his condition was deteriorating.
Our dog means everything to us and we weren't ready to loose him without a fight but had no idea what that meant, what it would entail, or (gulp) how much it would cost. But since we had always taken care of him through natural remedies whenever possible, we knew we didn't want to subject him to things like chemo or radiation without at least finding out what other options might be available.
When we went to Pennye's pet store Big Bad Woof in Takhoma to look into what food and supplementation we could get him while we pursued treatment options, the store manager put us in touch with Pennye, and thank goodness she did.
We went from feeling clueless and overwhelmed about what to do and where to go, to having a knowledgeable, kind, patient, and calm advocate in our corner. From that point forward Pennye had our back to help us through the most challenging hurdles.
In between the two grueling months of getting the tumor biopsied and when he finally had surgery, our pup was getting so sick that at one point we thought we were going to loose him. Pennye dropped what she was doing and came to our house to comfort us and talk through options. She never made us feel pressured one way or another, always just providing concrete possibilities, and in a genuinely caring and patient way.
We luckily were able to get our pup to surgery, but it was a doozy. He had to have the entire lower left side of his jaw removed, with the need for follow up treatment to increase his chances for remission. The cancer had spread so extensively throughout his mouth it was not clear, even on the day of surgery, if the surgeon was going to be willing to do the procedure.
But our dog's over all health and spirit were so strong the surgeon felt she could proceed with surgery. We credit Pennye with making it possible because of the great lengths she went to to get him on the best possible nutrition and supplementation leading up to the surgery.
Pennye has been here for us through the post surgical care and follow up treatment as well! When many vet appointments at various specialists often left us feeling only more frustrated, confused, and poorer, Pennye has consistently provided wisdom, insight, resourcefulness, tangible solutions, and a steady sympathetic shoulder. She has been a wise and grounded second opinion and sounding board, going above and beyond in every capacity to give us the knowledge and confidence needed to make the best possible decisions for our family and our dog's health and well being.
Post surgery, now missing half his jaw, meant trying to figure out new food and feeding methods, the various meds being piled on to control pain, and the limited options that each specialist was giving us. All of it was exhausting. Pennye made it manageable by providing tangible options to all of our questions. And for anything she didn't already know the answer to she would take the time and effort to find out.
She worked with and followed up with the various vets on our behalf when we needed the extra support. She helped research treatments being recommended by various specialists, she provided a wealth of other options for managing his nutrition, pain, and overall well being.
The cost of vet bills have gone through the roof. There were many appointments we paid for in this journey that quite frankly we were ripped off and were to the detriment of our pet. Pennye's contributions were some of the few that were consistently rooted in tangible and positive results.
Pennye also went out of her way to make us, the humans, feel supported in the emotional toll our dog's ordeal was having on us, in addition to the tremendous energy she put into helping to heal our pup.
The recommendations she provided our dear dog were life saving. And her interactions with us bolstered our spirits and preserved our sanity.
Today our dog is doing great, thanks in huge measure to the heroic efforts of Pennye! Due to his nutrition and supplementation regement from Pennye he made a miraculously rapid transition off if all pharmaceuticals weeks ahead of schedule (the exact word from the surgical team was "flabbergasted" at his progress).
A pet owner would have no greater friend and advocate for the health of their pet than Pennye.
