Caregiver Adopts Memory Care Client’s Overfed Dachshund to Help Her Lose Weight

An in-home caregiver named Tegan Strickland, who was working with a memory care patient, met an adorable yet massively overfed dachshund named Daisy, who was living there as well. Concerned for the dog’s welfare, Tegan offered to take Daisy back home with her to help Daisy slim down, and Miss Daisy’s human agreed.

I became a caretaker for elderly people. And I ended up with this little lady who lives with this little dog that they warned me ahead of time has a little bit of a weight issue. ….Overweight was an understatement. Big time. Unfortunately, the owner of Daisy has dementia, and her memory made it almost impossible to change the deep set habits that had been at play for years with Miss Daisy.

When Daisy first arrived at Tegan’s house, she weighed a whopping 55 pounds, and her health was suffering greatly. Since then, Daisy has lost enough weight to play with her Corgi siblings and enjoy going for walks.

She couldn’t move. She struggled to breathe at times. And it was a hard sight to look at. Daisy has come such a long ways in such a short amount of time. …Her relationship with my dogs has been magical for her. She’s got a specific buddy named Goldie and those two are pretty much inseparable.

Tegan said that Miss Daisy’s attitude, which had always been good, really improved in her new environment.

I think that the mental stimulation of that alone was tremendous for her. The world was so small, and then it opened up to socialization. It opened her up to activities.