He came to us and we were supposed to help him get better, but now Babu may end up with his life cut short.
The next few days are crucial for Babu. His plasma transfusion went successfully, and he seems a little perkier although he is still refusing food.
His future hangs in the balance.
His future hangs in the balance.
If he gets better, it’s a miracle. If he gets worse, we may decide to take him back to be with family – the workers who have cared for him at the factory where he lives, and the other dogs that live with him.
Dr Chan says his condition has stabilised, although his kidneys have now been affected slightly by distemper. His teeth have started chattering, and he makes chewing gum movements - a sign the condition has started to affect him neurologically. The next stage is seizures, and after that, it’s death.
We visited him this afternoon. He drank a little milk, which the workers brought for him last night. The workers, who know him well and love him so much, told us he loves milk.
 |
| Baby Babu when he was a little puppy. The workers have taken good care of him since he was 2 mths old. (Photograph courtesy of Sharma, Babu's best friend) |
We wanted to bring him back to visit his family, but were worried that he could pass the virus to the other two female dogs. We wanted to bring the dogs to the vet to be tested for distemper and vaccinated, but if they are carrying the virus, it could trigger adverse reactions and more dogs might be harmed.
Plasma transfusion is very costly, and because he is in isolation, he has a vet nurse attending to him most of the time. The hospital bill is estimated to be $4,000 for a five-day stay. We don’t usually spend so much on a rescue dog because we feel the money spent on one dog could be used to help many more dogs. However, Babu has had a very hard month – two leg surgeries that he bravely soldiered through after his hit-and-run accident, then his body weakening so drastically from pneumonia – and we want to give the best after all that he has been through. We can’t let him down now.
If you would like to make a donation towards his vet bill, please send a cheque to The Animal Doctors at Block 108, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, #01-94/96, Singapore 560108. The cheque should be made out to “The Animal Doctors Pte Ltd”, and at the back of the cheque, write “HOPE Dog Rescue/Babu”. Please request for a receipt.
* Please note that no visitors are allowed. We understand your concern but he needs his rest and not be unduly stressed. Should you wish to receive regular updates, please email us. Thank you.
Written by YQ
