5.6.12

Updates on Babu Boy and Beano

Babu Boy

We thank everyone for your prayers, words of encouragement and support. Finally, we have some good news to share on Babu!

His condition is now, overall, considered improved and stable.

Over the weekend, the vet told us there was no noticeable teeth chattering or ear twitching during the hour that a vet nurse was with him. His breathing is much less rapid now, at 48 breaths per minute. The normal rate is 24 to 30 breaths.

Babu managed to drink some milk and liver soup. He loves Magnolia milk and drinks almost one large pack a day. He is also starting to eat some duck and chicken meat. We know it’s not the healthiest of foods but as long as he is eating, we’re pleased! He has lost so much weight, having not eaten for almost 10 days. He is gaining strength and responding to his name when we call him from outside the isolation room.


Babu, taken before he fell ill



We thank Veronique for bringing food and milk to Babu everyday.

We are so glad that Babu appears to be growing stronger. Please continue to keep Babu in your prayers. If all goes well, we can discharge him in a few days to a foster's home. Would anyone be able to foster Babu?


Beano has distemper!

After we found out Babu Boy had distemper, we tested Beano last week and his results gave the all-clear. However on Saturday, the hospital called to inform us that Beano has tick fever and heartworm. We also realized that he was losing weight and coughing. We were extremely worried and immediately discharged him from the hospital to take him to another vet for a distemper test.


Eye, nose and saliva swabs to test for distemper at another clinic

Nick assisting while Dr Chan draws blood to test Beano for heartworm and tick fever. Because of Beano's distemper, and as a safety precaution, he was not allowed into the clinic

As a precautionary measure, Beano was not allowed in the clinic and we waited outside for him to be tested for distemper. The eye, nose and saliva swabs were tested and to our shock, little Beano was tested positive for distemper. Beano was vaccinated after initially testing negative for distemper a week ago, so we are monitoring to see if his symptoms and test results arose due to the vaccination. We are saddened  and worried by this piece of news.

Poor Beano and Babu have gone through so much pain and suffering, one after the other. We don’t want to speculate how Beano got distemper.  

Thank you Sherry, Nick and Iris for fetching Beano to the vet and waiting all Sunday when Beano had no foster to go to. We also thank Joanne for rushing to get a van and asking a family member to foster Beano temporarily, and sending Beano to his foster home.


Beano's wound is much better but its taking a long time to close up

Little Beano


Beano's left ear has curled up after his injury. We're not sure if he has lost hearing in that ear

Beano's ears flip backwards now


We thank Rina, who cancelled her own medical appointment, to bring Marcus and Laurel to test for distemper today. Since both dogs share a kennel and were in the same hospital as Beano, we became worried as Marcus had a runny nose and kept sleeping as he was very tired (we recognized these as symptoms of distemper). Fortunately, both Marcus and Laurel's results reflected negative for distemper. 


This is Marcus with Sherry. Marcus is an old rescued street dog. Stay tuned to his story on our blog. Marcus lives in the boarding kennel with Laurel


Laurel stays at the kennels and is waiting for her own forever home. Save a life and adopt Laurel.

Lisa and Rina walking Marcus and Laurel. They took these two doggies for an ice-cream outing and Laurel absolutely loves vanilla ice-cream!

Beano and Babu Boy contracting distemper has caused us a lot of unnecessary money, time, worry and effort as we had to track back on all the dogs which had been at the previous vet centre and sending all of them for distemper tests. It has been a logistical nightmare and is extremely tedious for all our volunteers. We’ve also had to disinfect our cars and send our own pets for distemper tests.

Beano
Now Babu urgently needs a foster because the clinic has only one isolation room, which must be released for Beano as he desperately requires treatment for distemper, seeing how he has not eaten for the past 3 days. We intend to discharge Babu by this Thursday evening. He needs someone with a helper home all day to observe him although his condition is, thankfully, now stable. Please get in touch with us if you or someone you know is able and willing to foster Babu Boy. Preferably someone who does not have dogs at home. Email alicia@hopedogrescue.org


We would like to thank everyone who has gone out of their way to help our dogs, and showed concern for them. As always, your compassion touches us.