May 1, 2009
Brian and I are enjoying life in our new home in kailua, Hawaii with Lily, Copper (who we adopted from GRFR and brought with us and also Dusty too!) Everyone is healthy and happy. Copper is a gecko and rat hunter although we are really trying to break him of gecko hunting since they eat cockroaches. All the geckos at our house have no tails lol.We sold Hawaii Pet Massage to Warm and Fuzzy Kennels in Waimanalo. They are opening soon so please support them!
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p>UPDATE DUSTY GOES TO HAWAII
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DUSTY'S STORY
Last year,we had just decided not to take in anymore foster dogs because it was too hard to let them go. We received an urgent call that a girl in our neighborhood wanted someone to take her dog or she was going to put him down. Being on a weekend, there was no-one else available, of course we said bring him over! When I answered the door, I couldn't believe it. There was a very overweight, filthy golden retriever, barely able to stand. His fur was one giant dred lock. He smelled like infection and his eyes were swollen shut. He has wounds so bad they were still visible through his matted fur and his skin was bright RED.
When I took his leash he followed me blindly. Not the kind of following you do out of trust or instinct, but out of being in so much pain and misery, you just don't care. He hardly was able to walk and I had to bring him around back because he couldn't make it up the stairs. Brian and I had to carry him in the house. All he did for the first hour is lay on his back with his feet in the air. He was afraid for us to even touch him and was clearly saying, "please be careful".
We immediately took him up the street to our groomers first so we could get his fur off to better assess his skin. We couldn't believe what we found underneath. Many wounds, and infections, and extremely bad and infected elbow calluses from being left on cement. His ears were caked with discharge and blood. He had cysts and puss filled blisters, that when you touched, just exploded. His teeth were in bad shape and he had a cyst between his toes that was the size of a plum. He was caked in feces and urine, from not being able to stand up while using the bathroom. It was horrifying.
I called Golden Retriever Rescue to tell them about his condition. They sent over someone immediately to assess him. Based on his condition, we were able to bump up his appointment to that day. We had to carry him there. The vet could not believe how bad he was and even said it was one of the worst cases he had seen. Dusty had several infections, former breaks and fractures to all four legs that were never treated. He had a thyroid condition and food allergy that was untreated, among many other things. He was immediately put on special food, 3 different kinds of antibiotics, thyroid medicine, anti-inflammatory, pain medicines, topicals, and ear and eye drops.
The first week we had him, he could hardly lift his head. We had to drag him through the house and outside on a sled we built for him. We had to hold him up to use the restroom. (Can you believe through all that, he never had one accident in the house!) Every night, he just cried, and I would lay on the floor and pet him and give him massages. I spent several times a day, attending to the wounds, and rubbing his legs. Immediately, we were able to see that in his former home, he had to fight for his food and never got toys or treats, because when we fed him, he would try and attack the other dogs when they came near him. He would also do this when he had a toy. We made sure to show him that every dog in the house gets equal amounts of food an toys. After a few weeks, he began to realize it, and stopped acting out and even shared his toys!
One day, I came home from work to find Dusty, waiting by the door (standing) with his tail wagging! It was a HUGE accomplishment. After that he started to walk on his own, and even began to go on park trips and walks. He even when to Nebraska with us on a fishing trip! He tired easily, but he is clearly doing better. We were able to get his eyes fixed and his cysts removed too, so he is on his way. I have to give him injections, and he requires daily meds and care to keep him happy and healthy.
We still struggle with some skin problems and chronic infections, but I am currently looking into getting a specialist to assess him and make sure we are doing everything we need to be doing. Other than that, he is a healthy, happy guy that continues to amaze me every day.
He is very special, and you only have to spend a minute with him to know it. When we take him out, people stop us in the street to ask what happened. That is just an indication of how much of a toll the neglect has taken on him. He is 9 but looks 15. I can't believe how bad it must have been to make him the way he is now physically. He has a permanent waddle/limp but never the less his personality is amazing and loving. He follows me every where I go. Right now, he is sleeping under my desk, with his head on my foot. His tail never stops wagging! I love him dearly and thank GOD every day that he came to us! See the slide show for pictures of his progress!
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