Riley

a little about me

9/6/25 – Riley is doing wonderfully! His body is finally regulating his blood sugar on its own, and he’s eating eagerly—licking his dish clean at every meal. He still needs to eat every four hours, including overnight. Riley is acting more like a typical puppy now—getting the zoomies, letting us know when he wants something, and even vocalizing at the other pups in the foster home if he’s frustrated. This week, he will have a fecal and bloodwork recheck. Although he’ll need shots and neutering in the future, those procedures will be scheduled once he’s stronger and everything is confirmed to be okay. For now, he’s thriving and growing into the lively puppy he’s meant to be!

9/2/25 – Riley was discharged two days ago, and we are happy to report he is maintaining stable glucose levels, which is very encouraging. We are still accepting donations to help cover his recent hospitalization costs. He’s being fed every four hours during this critical time.

Regarding adoption: Many of you have asked. Riley remains very tiny and requires close supervision. He’ll stay with us until he gains more weight and strength. He currently weighs only 1.5 pounds and is quite underweight. Additionally, he cannot be adopted out until he’s neutered, which will be in 2-3 months, once he’s healthier.

Thank you all for the generous donations and kind words of support! We will keep everyone updated on his progress.

8/24/25 – Riley remains in the ICU. Over the past few days, he’s been eating small amounts throughout the day, with his glucose levels holding steady in the 120s. However, around dinner time, he often refuses to eat, and his glucose drops into the 60s or 70s. To help stabilize him, he has been on fluids containing dextrose, but when they tried reducing the dextrose, his levels fell into the 50s, so they increased it again. A bile acids test was performed to check for liver shunt, with results expected possibly by Tuesday. Liver shunts can cause hypoglycemia in puppies. Additional medications have been added in case a GI issue is contributing to his condition. While we don’t have all the answers yet, Riley remains in good hands with around-the-clock care, and we’re hopeful to identify the cause soon. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

8/22/25 – Little Riley, nearing 15 weeks old, could use all your prayers and good thoughts. Originally surrendered in Missouri due to luxating patellas, he was found to be very lethargic with diarrhea when examined by our vet. Tests for Parvo, worms, and parasites came back negative. He was started on fluids, dextrose, de-wormer, and antibiotics. His ammonia levels were slightly elevated, prompting an ultrasound to check for a liver shunt—none was found. Unfortunately, Riley cannot regulate his blood sugar independently, so he’s receiving supplementation. He’s also been reluctant to eat much lately. He is now at our specialist’s office, where he’s being monitored closely to stabilize his blood sugar and improve his appetite. We remain hopeful that as he begins eating better, his body will start to regulate naturally. While a liver shunt hasn’t been ruled out entirely, our current focus is on his blood sugar and overall health. We believe he has a good chance of overcoming these challenges and becoming the lively puppy he’s meant to be.