Sparrow's Story

A Lovely Little Sparrow came into my life in January of 2005. Sparrow, a cream colored Pekingese, was an adorable, sassy, fun loving little girl. She was always happy and never sick. The only thing not “normal puppy” was some urine staining around her rear legs. She was treated for a urinary tract infection, but continued to leak urine. It was decided to investigate further and Sparrow went into her regular vet for a work-up and special x-rays to check her bladder and ureters. After x-rays were taken, it was found that she had one ectopic ureter. But wait, there was more. Blood values were all wrong. More tests were run and it was found that she also had a liver shunt. Sparrow and I were referred to the U of M where we met with Dr. LaFond to discuss both problems.

At 4 months of age Sparrow had her first surgery at the U of M. This one was to fix her liver shunt. At 5 months old she had her second surgery at the U of M with Dr. LaFond, this time to repair her ectopic ureter. She recovered from both surgeries like a champ and is still an adorable, sassy, fun loving little girl. 

Since surgery, Sparrow has gone on to earn multiple obedience titles, she is a registered therapy dog, she is the first Pekingese in North America to ever earn a flyball title, and she is currently training in agility. 

This little girl and her Mom feel very fortunate to have had the University of Minnesota take care of Sparrow's special needs. Many Thanks!