I postponed this post until after the holiday weekend.
We are a simple family,we have our house,a back yard and a lot of love. We always had friends fill the backyard,between parties and BBQ,its love,caring,spending time with those we care for.
It all started with a cat,killer was given to my sister,her owner couldn't take care of her...
So killer made our house her house,so we are like her guests here!!
Last year decided to adopt,we made trips to different shelters,heartbreaking trips,the look in each face,we wished we could take them all home... We found Shadow,he is everything and more we wanted...
Meanwhile my sister wanted a dog,they wanted a small dog,so mentioning at work,my mother found out her co work was a Maltese breeder,he is a friendly guy,he mentioned all his dogs had papers,had shots,no in breeding,and the promise of an adorable puppy at a discount price because she was his co worker,well, we got Frosty,sweet tender brave,teddy bear,lol.
Time has passed,Shadow is a giant,83lbs German shepherd and Rottweiler mix,he is a goof ball,very smart,always manages to impress with his tricks and his size.
Frosty is Shadow's best friend,and they will cry if separated even by a few minutes,they run and roll on mud in the backyard,chasing lizards or bugs,which for frosty doesn't end up as well since he can not disguise in a dark coat,so he comes in muddy from paws to ears.He is healthy,he is happy,he gets his fancy grooming once a month and walk with his prideful stance.
Happy family right???
So 3 1/2 days ago,"the breeder" who had sold my mom Frosty,asked her if she would take Frosty's father,he says he is quitting breeding,and some of the dogs have to go,he has a couple puppies,and Frosty's mom and dad,he warns my mom that the father is itchy,needs a good flea bath.
His name is Fluffy,my mom comes to pick him up,and her heart slowly breaks as she sees the conditions he is in,it looked as he has shed a lot,so breeder says its fleas,since both Frosty and Shadow are on flea medications,she brings him anyway,the breeder kind of rushes her out,so once Fluffy was here,I notice all the fur under his belly is gone,he chewed it all off,he has scabs and lesions all over from biting and scratching,he has a thin coat on top dry itchy skin, and flaky,his nails are so over grown he can barely walk... As he comes in the house he stops by the food bowl and devours a lot of food,you can tell he didn't have food for the day.
He starts scratching so intensely he is crying in pain,and would suddenly scream and yelp loudly in pain.I could not believe the breeder had allowed his dog to get so bad,we all broke into tears.My mom contacted this guy and asked him when he was last at the vet because something was really wrong,he claimed for 3 months this has been going on and he didn't take him to the vet. We are a simple family,with the economy my father has taken a huge pay cut,but we still take care of our animals and try our best.
I gave fluffy that night some benadryl,and hoped I could get a vet appointment asap,so we did take fluffy to Banfield,where we did tests,he has a skin infection,tapeworms,and his nail was so over grown it had pieced his paw pad and grown in.
He is now on antibiotics,which thanks to Publix supermarkets have them free even for animals.
He is on fungal medications,some antihistamine,has taken his tapeworm medications,Fluffy got medicated lotion to apply twice daily on lesions and scabs where his bit and scratched,medicated shampoo to rid of fungus,he had a couple shots to help him,cortisone to immediately stop the itching,antihistamine,along with his rabies shot which were given sometime in 07',which is when the breeder claims he acquired Fluffy,so conclusion,he didn't receive medical attention but once,for ear infection according to the vet office. This breeder used him for breeding for years,many litters came and were sold,and Fluffy was not treated,he just kept being used,his skin infection is so severe on his stomach his coat will take many months to grown and fill again,his walking is still unbalanced due to accommodating a nail grown into his pad.
Yesterday was first day on the medications,and fluffy no longer cries,yelps or screams in pain,his obsessive scratching and chewing is minimal,he has a super happy attitude,he likes walking up to you and rubbing his face in your palms,he loves cuddling in the couch,he loves following and making you company wherever you go.He peed in the house a couple times,but he has done his pooping in the backyard,I walk him out in the morning and he does his business.He is a gentle family dog. We started training today,and he is so smart and eager to learn,he learned to sit,we just need to keep practicing.
Fluffy's bill is more than our budget, he has to come back in 3 weeks for more medications,more treatment which will lead to more vet bills. We are going to be making small payments in the credit card and take ANY donation as we go.
Fluffy is welcome to live with us forever,he is a wonderful dog.
I will have pictures of Fluffy so everyone can see the type of cruelty this dog went under,and when his breeder didn't want him anymore he gave him away,he was used as a money machine then disposed off.
