2.5.14

Puppy Bruno (1st Update)

Poor baby Bruno, still in such tremendous pain. He has undergone a minor procedure under GA to shave off the fur from his face and neck, so that the wounds would be kept clean and it would be easier to apply medication, keep the wounds dry and lessen the infection. He is such a brave puppy, patiently allowing the nurses to clean him and apply medication without a single whine or protest. As a result of the shaving, his face is now very raw and swollen but we believe from now on, things can only get better. He is such a tiny sweetheart. The ticks are getting lesser although there still are some. He is eating well and drinking. He has not pooped since he was warded on Saturday, though the Vet does not seem to be overly concerned, citing the fact that he may not have been eating at all for quite some time.



Bruno is still critical as septic shock may set in but he seems stable for now. He may be warded about 3 weeks and is presently on drip, antibiotics and pain killers.

Watch Puppy Bruno's video  : 


His ears, paws and facial wounds are still wet and oozing with pus. It starts as little red dots that look like cigarette burns, and over the course of the next few days, the dots get bigger and then suddenly burst with pus oozing out, leaving it to look like puncture holes. His condition is curable, and we've started him on a weak course of steroids due to his young age. He has blood tests done every 2 to 3 days to check his blood count and protein level, which is rather low at the moment. Despite being in so much pain and discomfort, Bruno is such as sweet boy as he's never complained.

The sores (like puncture holes) starts off looking like cigarette burns
And within the next few days, it bursts with pus oozing out from the holes


His face is swollen from the shaving and cleaning 
Baby Bruno can’t open his eyes as there is a lot of discharge from his eyes, causing his eyes to be “glued” shut. His ears are still wet and mushy but it seems to be improving. His teeth are very tiny, not the normal sized for a 2 month old puppy. The Vet reckons it could be due to malnutrition and his growth has been slightly delayed.



It’s just too much pain for such a tiny puppy to be going through. He is very sweet. When we talk to him, he lifts his little head up to listen, before falling asleep again. We can’t wait for him to start feeling better and get adopted soon. It would be a blessing for the family who adopts Bruno, such a brave tiny soul.

Look how tiny he is! Puppy Bruno listening to Lisa talk to him and asking him to be brave
Once he passes this stage, he may fully recover from his condition, or he may have it as a recurring condition which needs to be managed. Unfortunately for sweet Bruno, his face may be scarred for life. We need a foster who can clean his wound twice a day, and feed 3 to 4 small meals a day as he's still a puppy. Please do help us spread the word, and if you know anyone who can help, do drop us a note.

If you can foster / adopt this precious puppy, please do email us hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg


Bruno’s Siblings

Armed with bottles of Frontline spray, our volunteers spent the morning at Bruno’s factory, deticking and checking on his siblings. They are all bigger and healthier than him.

Puppy Power!


Cute Puppy 1
Cute Puppy 2
Cute Puppy 3
Of his five siblings, two have been taken away by workers, leaving three puppies and two female adult dogs behind. Of the two female dogs, Bruno’s mommy is very wary of humans and not approachable, which would make catching and sterilizing her a tad challenging. The other female dog looks to be about 10 years or more and might be too old to be sterilized.

Volunteers, Zhiyi and Clara, applying Frontline on the baby mutt.


The dreaded ticks!
While we were at the factory, we met a sub-contractor who apparently has been feeding this brood of puppies for a while. He told us that Bruno had been weak and hiding for some weeks. He got better recently and managed to walk a bit, before getting worse again. This man, Mr Goh, was touched by our good work and generously contributed $1000/- to Bruno’s vet bills. Thank you Mr Goh for your kindness!

The 3 Mutt-sketeers! ADOPT a baby Mutt-sketeer!
Next week our volunteers will be going down again, to take the remaining three puppies to the vet to test them for Parvo virus, distemper, tick fever and heartworm as well as vaccinate them. We will continue to monitor them till they are of age to be sterilized.  

If you can foster / adopt Bruno or his siblings, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Photo Credits : Val Chua