Karyi and his brother Moet have lived in a factory together since they were young. Today, they're about three years old and their Myanmese caregiver, Tin Lui, loves them very much. He cooks for them, feeds them, bathes them weekly and even lets them sleep with him in his dormitory.
For the past three years, HOPE Dog Rescue has been helping Tin Lui to care for Karyi and Moet. Apart from weekly food deliveries, we also bring them to the vet when they have to go. Both dogs have been sterilized and fully vaccinated. When both of them contracted canine transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) two years ago, our volunteers took them to the vet for weekly treatments and they have both since recovered. Though they don't live in luxury, the two brothers and their caregiver lead pretty contented lives.
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| Karyi when he had TVT in June 2012 |
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| Moet at the vet when he had TVT too |
But last night, everything went wrong. We received a call from Tin Lui. In a panic, he said, “Sister! Karyi accident!” That sentence sent dread through us. We had been dealing with way too many accidents recently.
When we were alerted to the situation, Joceline and Lisa had just finished a home visit with the newly-adopted Cooper, and were on the way to a late dinner. They immediately dropped everything, and Fiona drove out to bring the team over to the factory.
Watch Karyi's video :
As we arrived, we saw workers milling outside the factory, waiting to direct us to where Karyi was resting. As Karyi heard our van approach, he slowly struggled to stand up. His legs were unstable, and he seemed to be in pain. He looked dazed, and his gums were abnormally pale.
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| Arriving to pick him up to take him to the vet |
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| Extremely pale gums |
Tin Lui carried Karyi into our van, and Karyi cried in pain.
At the vet, Karyi collapsed and lay motionless.
An X-ray was done on his chest and abdomen, and the usual tests were also ordered – distemper, parvo virus, tick fever, heartworm, as well as kidney and liver tests.
When the results arrived, we were crestfallen. It wasn't an accident. The X-ray showed no injuries indicative of an accident, but his blood tests came back positive for ehrlichia. Karyi had tick fever. His blood results showed that his white blood count was almost four times the acceptable range, while his red blood count was so low that he may require a blood transfusion.
When the results arrived, we were crestfallen. It wasn't an accident. The X-ray showed no injuries indicative of an accident, but his blood tests came back positive for ehrlichia. Karyi had tick fever. His blood results showed that his white blood count was almost four times the acceptable range, while his red blood count was so low that he may require a blood transfusion.
He has already begun treatment for his ehrlichiosis. He's on painkillers and he will be warded for at least a week. This really came as a heavy blow to us since Karyi and his brother Moet have been on monthly heart-worm and tick prevention medication for the past two years. Guess nothing is fool proof. We'll have to bring Moet in for blood tests too, to make sure that he's healthy and not infected.
The X-ray also showed that Karyi's stomach was very bloated and tender to the touch, which is why he cried when he was lifted into the van. There were also traces of bone fragments in his stomach, which he had eaten, even though we've been supplying his caregivers with dog food weekly. Karyi also had cuts and abrasions on his legs and paws, but these appear to be already a few days old. The most pressing issue right now is his ehrlichiosis.
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| A dried wound |
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| Handsome Karyi in 2012 |
Let’s pray that Karyi responds positively to treatment and won’t require a blood transfusion.
Karyi and Moet are two of the luckier ones who have caregivers who love them so much. We just hope that their work contracts in Singapore don't end too soon. Please help these two brothers by donating food and medication. If you would like to help with Karyi’s vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg
