Meet Buffy and Maxx…

Buffy

“Into every generation a slayer is born… She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires.” That’s how the show that I’m named after starts, but I’m not fierce enough for vampires! After I demonstrated my impressive skills destroying things, my parents tweaked the name a little and called me Buffy the Shoe Slayer.

I was born in a shelter in north Georgia and my parents adopted me in 2014 to keep their 16.5-year-old dog company. They were especially glad that I was still a puppy because they had had sick, older dogs for so long and looked forward to years of puppy health. But after my friend GeorgeBailey died, I got more and more lethargic.

Finally it was clear that I was really, really sick, and I had to make an emergency visit to EAAC. They said I have Addison’s Disease, which is often called “the Great Pretender” because its symptoms appear to be so many other diseases. Addison’s is diagnosed when a smart, determined vet refuses to give up and experiments with an emergency treatment.

I’m so glad that Dr. Starnes was on duty and decided to try that on me! The good news is that with treatment I can live a long, almost normal life. Miss Dana (my favorite technician) is teaching my mom to give me shots despite her fear of needles. Mom says she’ll get over it if I promise not to eat any more of her shoes!

Maxx

Hi! I’m Maxx! I’m 6 years old, but I just came to live with my forever family in May to help Buffy not be so lonely.

Before they picked me up from my foster home my parents learned I had “a little bit of an eye infection,” but as soon as they saw me they realized it was a bigger problem than that. My eyes were full of scratchy, uncomfortable mucus and I couldn’t see at all.

Fortunately, EAAC was able to fit me in as an emergency appointment the very next day so I could start feeling better fast. They were super nice to me even though I have some emotional baggage and can be pretty snippy with strangers!

After the immediate infection was under control, Dr. Dunnings diagnosed me with Keratoconjuctivitis Sicca (KCS), which basically means I don’t make my own tears and can’t keep my eyes clean and moist. (It also means I walk into things a lot!) We’ve been experimenting with all sorts of drugs to see if anything can kick-start my tear ducts back into normal mode. But even if that doesn’t happen, I know that EAAC will do everything they can to preserve as much of my eyesight as possible, and to keep me comfortable and healthy overall. I plan to indulge my squeaky toy habit for many years to come!