June 2014
Stormy has been with Melissa for several months while she has battled a persistent urinary tract infection. After two different antibiotics failed to clear it up they did a culture, which told the vet to prescribe something different. At the end of it her meds, another test showed the UTI was diminished but still needed more antibiotics. We hope in the next few weeks to hear things are finally cleared up and she can go to a new home.
Lily has also been in rescue for a while. She healed nicely from her spay, but we took her to the vet when we realized she was standing with her right rear leg off the ground. Our vet suspected an old growth plate fracture, probably between seven and nine months old, and x-rays confirmed it. The end of the bone ended up at a slight angle so the kneecap doesn’t track as it should. That means there is some amount of pain. We are getting estimates from two orthopedic specialists to correct it with an osteotomy, in which the bone is re-broken and screwed together properly. It means thousands of dollars, but Lily is a young dog and deserves a pain-free life.
A few days after the last rescue report we discovered a Craigslist post about a dog named Frosty in Forest Grove. After a little detective work we learned it was one of the last girls from a prolific backyard breeder who died a few years ago. She was with the grand-daughter of the breeder and lived in a shed in a back yard. Pictures showed she had a significant eye condition so Melissa went to meet her. She found a friendly purebred Samoyed whose eyes were nearly closed. Melissa picked her up and took her home, where Kathy got her and drove her north. We called our vet immediately the next morning and asked for an urgent appointment and were in the vet’s office two hours later. It was a case of entropion, where the lashes rotate back and rub against the cornea, and it’s very painful. Surgery was set for two days later.
Our vet described this as one of her favorite surgeries because it provides nearly instant relief. Think about the last time you had a lash in your eye, and then consider all your lashes rubbing against your eye. Our vet was correct, and Frosty came out of the surgery obviously feeling much better. We had her spayed at the same time to avoid two sessions of anesthesia. She had a check-up a week later, and stitches removed at 14 days. They had to shave her face, so she looks like she is mixed with a raccoon. You can see the difference between her “before” and “after” shots. This is a very happy Sammy.
Last weekend a couple from Salem came to visit Frosty and they want to adopt her. Because they have trips already scheduled, Frosty will stay with us for another four weeks, but she has a wonderful future before her.
Only a month away: The Rescue Picnic is July 19!