In a recent article, we told you about several puppies who had recently come to Rescue Ranch in need of veterinary help. It’s especially sad when youngsters arrive with debilitating physical conditions at the outset of their lives, but it’s not rare in rescue. Sure enough, just as we published our last story on the subject, two more hurt puppies arrived. Although the cases differed in severity, left untreated, they would both have been life-threatening. Now, thanks to Kitu’s Fund, Roxy and Brie have a second chance at a long, healthy life.
Another day, another puppy in need of veterinary help
A Hornbrook landowner found Roxy wandering on their property and took her to the county shelter. Without the means to care for her, Siskiyou County Animal Control handed the puppy over to Rescue Ranch. Something wasn’t right: she was listless and straining with constipation. Then her temperature spiked. Fearing a spinal injury, Sanctuary staff rushed Roxy to Animal Medical Hospital (AMH) first thing Monday morning. Vets discovered a large abscess near her rectum and started her on a round of antibiotics. Monday evening, the abscess drained and Roxy perked up. Within days, she rebounded. Her puppy energy resurfaced, revealing her spunky nature.
Roxy’s medical exam didn’t uncover any injury, but her hind legs seemed weaker than they should be. At a recent puppy pool party, they trembled visibly after her swim, despite the assistance of Sanctuary Operations Manager Laura Finley. The pup was tired, but water therapy would help strengthen her muscles.
When I visited again last week, she was already moving more freely and even standing on her hind legs for attention. Recuperation complete, she now shares her kennel with Dove, a lively border collie mix of about the same age. Time will tell, but Roxy appears to have a full, happy life before her.
Hurt puppies keep coming, even during fire season
Brie came to the Sanctuary during the Shelly Fire event. Resources were stretched thin: Sanctuary staff were dealing with rising dog numbers as the Adoption Center (AC) made room for evacuees. Meanwhile, the AC team was ministering to nearly 70 fire dogs in addition to the remaining Rescue Ranch contingent. But no one was prepared to turn away a hurt puppy.
Law enforcement officers had found Brie hiding behind a water tank during a raid at an illegal grow. The 10-week-old pup could barely stand and was screaming in pain: she needed veterinary help. X-rays revealed multiple fractures to her pelvis, but treatment options were limited. AMH vets prescribed six weeks confinement with round-the-clock pain, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic medications.
The good news is that Brie is mending more quickly than expected. Caretakers have been able to scale back the frequency of her pain meds, and her posture has visibly improved. She’s now standing, turning, sitting, and even scratching behind her ears. Nevertheless, she’s still fragile. Follow-up x-rays will tell us how well she’s really doing, once the rest period is complete.
Now that she’s safe and relatively comfortable, Brie only screeches occasionally–for attention! The challenge is to keep her mind busy as she continues to heal in confinement.
Our special campaign has ended, but it’s not too late to give to Kitu’s Fund
Thanks to our amazing supporters, we surpassed our $20,000 fundraising goal for Kitu’s Fund 2024! We’re so grateful to everyone who gave! Thanks to your incredible generosity, more sick and injured dogs will receive the high-cost veterinary treatment they need. But the cases just keep coming, so if you’d like to support this effort, you can still give to Kitu’s Fund.
Every dollar we raise, will help more dogs like Roxy, Brie, Aslan, Noble, Cleo, Molly, Pepper, Olivia, Patrick, Duncan, Titan, Rusty, Kiwi, and so many others.
