Manchego

Manchego (née Toby) joined The Golden Ratio as a foster dog on March 11, 2021. While not officially a hospice case, Manchego was sadly only with the squad in his final weeks of life. Before joining the GR Squad, he had owners who loved him but couldn't care for him anymore. Named for a mild cheese of Spanish origin, he was the third cheese-named dog to join the household (after Queso and Parmesan).

Manchego had diabetes, requiring blood sugar checks and insulin injections. After picking up Manchego near the Tennessee/Virginia border, GR Dad put many heroic efforts into mastering his blood glucose monitor at a truck stop on the road trip back to Florida—practicing on his own fingers. Manchego's blood sugar was found to be very high when he first joined the household (though vets assured the family that his life wasn't in immediate danger). Manchego was kept on prescription food and wasn't able to have snacks of any kind--even carrots--until his glucose levels were more under control.

Because he also had severe arthritis, he immediately began using the "Cheese Wagon" previously used by Parmesan. It was soon noticed, however, that this original wagon was slightly too large to fit into the household elevator. After purchasing a smaller wagon, GR Mom and Dad could wheel him into the elevator, descend to ground level, and wheel him directly to the grass outside.

Due to cataracts, Manchego was blind (or mostly blind). Although he was assessed at a Miami eye clinic for possible cataract surgery, other health problems made surgery unsafe for him. These health problems led to a rapid decline, and Manchego passed away on April 27, 2021; as a small comfort, he did get to enjoy a waffle and other sweet treats on his last day.