Episode: Valedictorian
Emergency Vet: Dr. Holly Knor
Animal: Maxx

Owner Tony Barnes has seen his English setter start drinking 10 quarts of water a day. This massive intake could mean anything from diabetes to renal failure, but Dr. Holly Knor finds that Maxx's calcium level is high. This fact, along with an increased level of a particular hormone, leads to a diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism. Left untreated, the dog could develop osteoporosis or kidney failure.

An aborted attempt to deactivate one of the dog's parathyroid glands through ultrasound means Maxx's problem needs surgery. One of the dog's four parathyroid glands is removed in the OR. But a few weeks later, the calcium levels remain high. The 13-year-old must endure another surgery, this time to completely remove the thyroid and the remaining parathyroid glands.

Success is finally achieved when Maxx demonstrates an unquenchable thirst, not for water, but for life.