Toast, an adorable Goldendoodle, isn’t your average pup.
Firstly, his childhood wasn’t all that nice. When he was just a five-week-old puppy, he was taken to the vet by his breeder to be euthanized. And all because he was deemed unsellable due to his medical condition.
In other words, since he wasn’t going to bring them money, they wanted to get rid of him quickly. Luckily, the veterinarian who was supposed to do the procedure knew how wrong it was.
Meet Toast
After giving Toast a head-to-tail medical exam, the vet was able to diagnose him with narcolepsy.
Just like in us hoomans, narcolepsy in pups is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. This means that Toast can’t really control himself and spontaneously falls asleep.
Other than his narcolepsy, Toast was a happy, healthy pup who was more than ready to take on the big world.
And since he was the cutest boy around, an incredible family fell completely head over heels for him and decided to make him a part of their loving home.
The Cutest Sleepyhead
Ever since he joined his new family, Toast has been living life to the fullest. And that can clearly be seen on his TikTok page.
Among all the videos of his awesome adventures, his family shows how they managed to navigate his life with the diagnosis.
One video in particular shows the pooch playing with his furry siblings in his backyard while falling in and out of sleep. And it’s absolutely adorable!
Apart from trying to make people smile with their adorable pup, Toast’s hoomans also want to bring awareness to his condition.
Even though pups with narcolepsy can lead happy lives just like regular pups, they still need owners who are aware of everything their condition brings.
Symptoms of narcolepsy can appear at any stage of a pup’s life, but most of them start showing signs at around six months old.
The symptoms include muscle weakness and unsteady walking, daytime sleepiness, and uncontrolled sleep. They also may include “sleep attacks”, instances where the pup suddenly falls asleep even during physical activities.
Pups can even experience cataplexy, a weakness in their muscles caused by heightened emotions such as excitement.
Since this is a genetic condition, you can’t really prevent or ‘cure’ it. But with the help of some medications along with a safe space and reduction of stimulation and excitement, you can make your pup’s life completely safe.
But the most important thing is not to discriminate!
Narcoleptic pups are worthy of love and affection too and we need to provide them with such just like any other dog out there.
For them to lead a happy and healthy life is super easy, all you need to do is stay educated!