Macho had been adopted out in 2000. Since then his people have fallen on hard times, and have been neglecting his care and health. We had heard of him nearly two years ago, and thought he would be surrendered back to our adoption group. But his owner changed her mind and let go of her other dog instead. He needed better care even then, but there was nothing we could do at the time.
Recently the same person was seeking assistance to pay for his basic needs, and he still needed much more. This time a friend stepped in and got the surrender paperwork signed. She took him in to see her veterinarian for some "triage". He was covered in fleas, had a toenail growing well into the pad on one foot, has teeth that are absolutely nasty and smell rotten. He's got a slight fever and heart murmur, probably a result of all those bad teeth. Of course our group agreed to take him back. And we agreed to take him in.
So here's Macho. He's been in to see Dr. Flannery, and we waiting for all the test results. A full blood panel, fecal exam, x-rays and general evaluation. He's on strong antibiotics for awhile to get things under control before we can begin dental work. It's likely he will lose most of his teeth, they are so bad. But in the last 48 hours he has had the nail clipped, and the wound dressed. He has had a flea bath and is clean again. His diet has improved 2000% over the "Ol Roy" canned food he was getting. We've started him on vitamins and supplements, and he's eating with gusto.
I'm hopeful that in a month or so he will have his weight down a few pounds, the arthritis pain managed, the nails in order, the teeth cleaned or removed, and generally look like the other healthy hounds that live in our home. He has fit in with all of the pack, and is working on learning the dog door. So far he has gone out, but not back in yet. The photo below shows how he is integrating...
This boy will be 12 in October. There are many similarities between Macho and Tillie:
- Both were close to 11 when we took them in
- Both have long soft fuzzy fur
- Both are cow-spotted (Tillie black, Macho red)
- Both were in poor condition
- Both needed serious dental work
- Both are very much loved in our family
