Nacho (VA)-sweet Chihuahua & Terrier Mix Fairfield, VA

Nacho is being fostered in VA.

Nacho, a beautiful, sweet, and smart chihuahua mix, was turned into a shelter in Virginia in early
January 2024 after her owner was no longer able to care for her. After just a couple days in the shelter,
she was pulled by the Blind Dog Rescue and is now in a Virginia BDRA foster home.
Nacho was seriously ill when she arrived at her foster home. She was taken immediately to the vet and
it was determined she has diabetes. She is now on insulin injections twice a day and she is doing much
better (she is currently using Vetsulin). While her blood glucose levels are not always within range, she
has been doing so great – she is active, eating well, no peeing or pooping inside, etc. – and seems very
healthy. Periodically she will need a glucose curve completed, which can be done at the vet or can be
done with a continuous glucose monitor at home. She is good with getting her insulin injections.
She was very thin when she arrived at her foster home (7 pounds) but has gained some weight and now
weighs about 10 pounds. She looks terrific! She can see some although may bump into things too; she
does have bilateral cataracts and dry eye, and she is on Optimmune once a day to treat the dry eye.
Optimmune is completely controlling the dry eye and she is a very good sport about this medicine being
put into her eyes. She can hear well and seems to understand some words, including “out” when it is
time for her to go outside for a walk in the yard. She has a grade I-II heart murmur that requires no
treatment.
Because she had rabies certificate from her prior owner that indicated she was not spayed, she was
taken to the vet for her spay and, once she was under anesthesia and her belly was shaved, there was a
faint scar just where a spay scar would be. The vet felt she has been spayed because of the scar and
also because she has no mammary development which would have been typical for a dog who had not
been altered. So, she got a dental done instead; she had her teeth cleaned and 7 teeth pulled and she
made it through the procedure like a champ.
Nacho has settled into her foster home. She learned the routine pretty quickly! She loves to eat; she is
generally a quiet dog but just before mealtime she gets loud and, when she knows the food bowl is
coming, her tail wags so hard as she turns in a circle. She is a little sad, though, that she is not allowed
snacks since diabetic dogs should just eat twice a day; she loves to eat! She sleeps quietly through the
night in an indoor pen. She is housetrained. She doesn’t mind the leash. She likes to be outside to walk
around and smell all the smells. She can walk up and down the two steps that connect the deck to the
yard but could have trouble walking up and down a flight of stairs; at her foster home, she is always on
the first floor. When she is going to be picked up, she likes a pat on her head and to hear a few words
from her foster parents first (instead of just picking her up without touching her and talking to her first);
then she is glad to be picked up and she likes to be carried around. The person who adopts Nacho
should be prepared to go slowly with her, especially at the beginning, until she knows the routine and
the people in her home. She now loves attention from her foster parents, and especially loves her head
and her belly rubbed. She also doesn’t mind sitting in a lap either! And she is excited to sit on the sofa
in the evenings with her foster mom along with other dogs that live in her home. She also gets excited
when her foster parents come home after being out of the house running errands.
Nacho generally ignores the other dogs in the home but she has not liked it if one of them (the ones
who are blind) bumps into her bed when she is in it. She also does not like it when they bump into her
before mealtime when all the dogs are excited and moving around. So, she is kept separate from the
other dogs in the foster home, although she sees them outside and may even get very close to them,
and she ignores them. She also ignores them when she sees them at the gate that separates her room

from their room. Nacho’s foster parents think she could be fine in a home with other dogs who can see
(so they would not accidentally bump into her or her bed), but there is no guarantee of that, so she
would be best as the only dog in the house. And she would love being the only dog so she would get all
the attention! And, while she loves attention, she is also just fine taking a nap when her foster parents
are busy. She loves to bury herself under the blankets so you can’t even tell she is there.
She is interested in the smell of the family cat but does not try to chase her, and does not bark at her or
seem upset about the cat. But Nacho has a very good nose on her, and can tell if the cat has walked by
or if a strange dog has been in the yard and she will become alert and walk in the direction of the smell.
Nacho would not be good in a home with young children. Young children tend to move quickly and
unpredictably, and she may not be happy about that.
Nacho is ready for the perfect forever home! If you think you might be able to provide the perfect home
for Nacho, fill out an application today! If you have questions about what it might be like to live with a
dog with diabetes, please speak with your vet. And please know it is not hard! And Nacho is worth the
effort! And remember the Blind Dog Rescue can work out a transport to get Nacho to you (within reasonable distance). BDRA has voted against the use of electrical fencing effective immediately.