Caroline Golon, the human behind popular humor blog Romeo the Cat, shares stories of pet owners who have gone the extra mile for their pets in this series, The Things We Do for Love.

Neal and Cristi Glazebrook of Waterford, Mich., are typical doting pet parents whose lives revolve around their two Puggles, Milo and Monte. But the Glazebrooks have unique challenges with Monte’s health and have spent more than $20,000 and countless hours diagnosing and managing their dog’s medical problems.  

The Glazebrooks purchased Milo from a breeder and, six months later, adopted Monte from a rescue. From the start, Monte had issues.

Accidents and Medical Issues

Monte seemed to be accident prone. Prior to his rescue, a car had hit him. After the Glazebrooks adopted him, he tore his toenail so severely that it came off and he had to wear a cast as it healed. Next, Monte got into a tussle with the dog next door — and required 30 stitches. His vet visits (and bills) mounted.

Monte developed skin conditions and major personality changes. He went from being an active dog to one who rarely got up from the floor. He began to have tremors. Alarmed, the Glazebrooks rushed him to the veterinarian. After extensive testing and visits to neurologists and specialists, nearly a month later, the veterinarians diagnosed Monte with a fairly common problem: hypothyroidism.

Once Monte was on medication for his thyroid problem, he began to slowly improve. The Glazebrooks were happy to see Monte acting more like his old self.

And More…

A few months later, the couple was dealt another blow. During a walk one day, Monte started acting strange. Neal could tell something had changed with his little dog. Based on his behavior, Neal suspected Monte was having trouble seeing. Later the vet confirmed that Monte had, in fact, gone completely blind. Again, Neal and Christi consulted specialists and spent thousands of dollars to eventually discover that Monte had SARDS — sudden acute retinal degenerative syndrome, a permanent and untreatable condition.

New Treatment Program

But the Glazebrooks are committed to Monte’s health and well-being. After extensive research and consultations with experts, the two now have their pup on a new diet and a combination of weekly treatments including homeopathic and medical therapies to manage his existing health problems and to hopefully prevent further issues.

Fortunately, Monte is getting along without his vision. “He acts like there is no difference,” Neal says. “He’s a pretty amazing little dude.” Neal says Monte’s former personality is re-emerging. He’s even back to chasing birds.

After the amount of time and money the Glazebrooks have spent on Monte, Neal says his friends are amazed by the couple’s commitment. “You guys have kids, I have my dog,” he simply tells them. “We would do it all over again for either of them.”

What do you do for love? We’re looking for the funny, sweet and special stories that will make other pet parents smile. Email us at [email protected] to share your story. Please put "The Things We Do for Love" in the subject line.