This sweet boy came into the shelter in Bradford County in horrible condition. He has a large, bleeding tumor in his ear, and cherry eyes completely covering his pupils. He's also coughing, his breathing is labored, and he has a really bad fungal infection with sores all over his body. He can barely hear, and we don't think he can see much. This poor boy is miserable, and we think he's been neglected for a very long time. He came in as a stray, and we think he was most likely dumped.
The shelter staff wasn't sure he'd make it through the night. We weren't sure if we could save him, but we knew we had to try. At the very least, we could let him go peacefully, instead of dying alone in the shelter.
We named him Adonis. We don't have a foster yet, but we called Palm Valley Veterinary Center asking for help. As always, Dr. Mack said "bring him." Torena Rowe went to the shelter to transport him, and we rushed him to Palm Valley.
Dr. Mack did an initial exam, and we waited anxiously while he did xrays, bloodwork and fecal. Adonis has bronchitis and heartworms, and he’s loaded with parasites so he’s very anemic. He also has Coccidia, his teeth are chipped and broken, and he's extremely malnourished. All in addition to the tumor in his ear and cherry eyes.
Thankfully, there was no evidence of metastatic cancer in his abdomen, although his heart is enlarged from the heartworms. Even if it is a cancerous tumor in his ear, Dr. Mack thinks it is operable. So are the cherry eyes. The heartworms can be treated. Adonis eagerly ate wet food, which is encouraging. Taken one at a time, each problem is manageable.
As always, we had "the talk" with Dr. Mack. If he's suffering and there is no hope of turning him around, we'll make that call. On the other hand, if we can treat him and get him comfortable, hopefully we can give him a quality of life that helps make up for his past neglect. As Dr. Mack pointed out, "he's not the worst case you've brought me." There was Roy. And Kai. And Hope. And Zeus. And so many more dogs in terrible condition.
We’re going to do everything we can to save Adonis. Dr. Mack is starting him on antibiotics and dewormer to work on getting rid of the parasites and the infection, supplements to treat his anemia, and pain medication to keep him comfortable. Our goal is to do surgery in about 10 days if he is healthy enough. Otherwise, we’ll push it back until he is. He will be hospitalized for at least the next few weeks, maybe longer, depending on how he's doing.
After a lifetime of neglect, we want to show him the love and affection all dogs deserve. If something changes or he's not responding to treatment, we'll reevaluate. We want to give him the best chance to recover. He will need a lot of care, but this sweet boy deserves it. Please keep him in your prayers.
𝗙𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠
Sick and injured animals like Adonis need help fast. Every donation helps, but Monthly donors give us flexibility to respond immediately when there is an emergency. When there is a hoarding case or a hurricane, a dog with a gunshot wound or a cruelty case, we have to act quickly. We don't have time to do a fundraiser, and wait for those funds to get to us. Your monthly donation can help us save lives again and again. To learn more, please visit: https://www.floridaurgentrescue.org/donatemonthly.
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