URGENT PLEA! Zoey Has Nowhere To Go!

Sweet Zoey needs a home environment to recuperate!

Zoey is ready to be discharged and needs a foster urgently! Poor Zoey went for her third surgery on 16 January 2015, to fix her dislocated hip. The first two was to clean the huge wound on her stomach and the next was to close it. Dr Ly advised us that he'd left her fracture near the pelvis untouched because it's located at a very sensitive area with a lot of nerves and more harm may result from trying to fix her fracture. Thus, it was recommended to let it heal on its own. In addition, Zoey's biopsy results confirmed that she has TVT, plus a tumour in her vulva. Poor Zoey! Her suffering seems never ending, all the bad news coming one after another.

Read her rescue stories here :
http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.sg/2015/01/the-streets-to-nowhere.html
http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.sg/2015/01/the-streets-to-nowhere-part-2.html
http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.sg/2015/01/the-streets-to-nowhere-part-3.html

Zoey often looks worried and deep in thought

With the 3 surgeries that Zoey had gone through, we've chalked up more than $12K of vet bills alone, not including our other rescues. However much we wish to, we will not be able to rescue or help anymore new rescues for the time being now because we are knee-deep in debts with our vet bills! We cannot afford to keep Zoey at the vet to recuperate but we certainly do not wish to release her back to the streets while we only keep her sole survivor Lily. This is definitely not fair for Zoey! Please help us to help Zoey! 

Zoey needs a home with no dogs as she requires plenty of rest and her movements must be restricted to minimal because excessive movements will aggravate her wound and impede her recovery. Zoey can be confined to a room or small area while you are at work. Her wound is still reddish and looks a bit raw, so she is on antibiotics and her foster will need to clean her wound twice daily. Poor Zoey needs a home to let her rest and recuperate after 3 surgeries, a clean place for her lie on so that her wound will not get infected, and a quiet environment for her to heal her soul after losing 4 of her 5 puppies.

Are you able to help foster this sweet mummy? She has gone through so much and needs your help! She needs to be discharged from the vet by this week.

Please kindly step forward and offer your assistance if you can! Be it to offer your help to foster Zoey, or help us with her vet bills, please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg today to help sweet Zoey! She deserves more after going through so much hardship!

Handsome Walter Awaits His Home

Walter is the sweetest goofball you'll know, with the constant curious expression on his smart and extremely handsome face. Being as independent as he is, he does great when he's on his own and spends his time exploring and smelling.

In a comfortable environment, he can even do tricks like sit and paw in exchange for treats. Once he is relaxed and settled, you begin to see his playful side emerging. He is sociable with people once he gets to know them and responds well to treats. He will then be the sweetest and most loyal dog for his new owner just like how he is extremely attached to the regular volunteers that walk him at his boarding place. He can be a little nervous around other dogs on the first encounter especially if they are overly excited in his personal space but once he gets to know them he is fine and gets along well with them.

Walter needs a firm and assertive owner to guide and nurture him as he can be distracted.  A great activity with Walter would be to jog with him as this allows him to expand his energy as well as learning to focus. He loves jogs and is the best companion for your exercise routine. He does not bark or make commotions when he is walking, even at the sight of common stimuli like other dogs, even those that bark at him, bicycles, skateboards, birds or joggers etc. Unlike most male dogs, Walter doesn’t mark at all. He just pees once and is ready to go for a good walk with you. As well-behaved as he is, he has the potential to be your loyal and treasured companion.

Walter is a handsome local crossbreed, estimated to be less than 2 years old. Fully vaccinated, sterilized and in perfect health.

Walter needs a foster / adopter. Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Bobby Boy

It has been a most tumultuous and busy month. There were numerous new rescues which have been so heartbreaking but also brought an outpouring of help that overwhelmed and touched us. Thank you! Thank You! Thank you!

Aside from the new rescues, Bobby, one of our darlings has been admitted to the vet as well.  

Brave Bobby

As updated previously, his ear infection was getting worse with pus oozing out and he seemed to be in great discomfort. He also had fresh blood flowing from his genitals in drops or at times, gushes, to the stage where blood was more than his pee. This has been going on for weeks. We visited the vet several times and antibiotics were prescribed but these did not work.  The vet recommended an operation to open his ear canal to get to the root of the problem and perform a procedure called an endoscopy and at the same time to try to find out what was causing the bleeding from his genitals. During an Endoscopy a small flexible tube with a tiny light and camera attached to the end is used to inspect the internal organs. The camera sends images back to a screen so the doctor can see what is happening inside the body. We had many concerns prior to the operation. Money is one although we don’t usually pay much heed to it (we are always broke anyway), but most importantly, Bobby has a heart murmur which means that there is a possibility that he may not wake up from the operation after being administered a General Anesthetic. The risk of General Anesthetic is also one reason why we can’t sterilize dogs with heartworm until they have fully recovered. A weak heart may not take the stress, but in the end we went ahead with it.

Bobby at the vet

Blood in pee

Bobby is old but his determination, willpower and his progress has so far amazed us. Another push factor is that his bad days seem to have increased recently and we do not want him to spend the rest of his life in pain and discomfort. But we have full trust in Bobby that he will get over this next hurdle in life. After all, he is one of our miracle babies albeit a very old one.

The vet will be opening up his ear which has been a great mystery other than its pus producing capabilities. It can be filled with maggots or it can be cancerous or surprise! Even the vet doesn't know what to expect. As for his genital bleeding, to be very honest, we are praying it’s not caused by cancer as we have no idea what could have caused him to bleed continuously for weeks. It is therefore with mixed feelings that we send him in but all we can do is pray that it turns out for the best. Bobby went for his operation yesterday (9 Jan 2015).

THE UPDATE:

Voila! Isn’t it nice when you don’t have to wait for hours for the news and everything is updated in one article? I really hate waiting for the call from the vet! Anyway, to set your fluttering hearts at rest Bobby has woken up from his surgery and is eating and drinking well, and his humongous appetite is back!

Still smiling until he had to go back to the vet

Blood from his genitals

The vet has reconstructed his ear and cleaned up all the gooey pus in his ear. They have also taken a sample to the lab for a biopsy and culture test to understand the exact cause to better treat it, AND the endoscopy and ultrasound has detected NO MASS and NO TVT lesion! Almost whooped in joy over this news although of course, this doesn't immediately rule out cancer but no news is good news! However, his bladder is swollen and inflamed which is most likely caused by his urinary tract being more open as a result of his previous surgery and is therefore more susceptible to infection. A urine sample has been taken for testing and stronger antibiotics prescribed to resolve the infection.

Although we do not have the full picture yet as we still have to wait for the lab results which can take up to 6 weeks, our very worst fears are set to rest for the time being at least. Bobby is back at his foster’s place and he is blessed with the kindest and sweetest foster who is so worried and concerned about him that she went down all the way to the vet to pick him up personally.

Bobby’s recovery is really a winding road filled with turns and bumps. Alas, his ear opening has sealed shut again and he will need to go for a corrective surgery today to reopen the opening and this time round, the vet will make a bigger incision to prevent it from sealing shut again.

It has been a long long long road to recovery and I hope our dear boy can finally enjoy his new life free from pain soon. As Bobby will be going for yet another surgery this afternoon, please keep him in your prayers.

If you will like to contribute to Bobby’s vet bills or thinking of adopting a senior dog who can teach you much about patience, determination and positivity, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

There we go, Bobby not wanting to go in

Written by Wendy Yeo

Cody’s Update

Great news! Cody just went for his vet review and the vet noted that Cody has made superb progress! He has managed to gain 3kg and is now at 18kg! Yeah, what a piece of good news amidst the recent spate of negative news we have on our rescues.

His paws are less raw

He has put on some weight and looks rounded

Cody had his 2nd and 3rd heartworm injections last week and was warded overnight at the vet. Dr. Poh did a skin scrape to check for the presence of demodex and unfortunately, the result is still positive. We will run another blood test during his next vet visit to test for heartworm to make sure the treatment is working well on him.

No longer see his ribs

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Denise Poh for her dedication in helping to treat Cody. Dr. Poh would personally call to inquire on Cody’s progress and updates which is very much appreciated. A special thanks too, to all our volunteers who helped cooked nutritious and yummy food for our dogs! Cody would not be able to gain this much weight without your contribution and dedication.

Cody is presently housed in a commercial boarding facility. If you can foster him, even if it’s your front porch or sheltered garden, Cody would be the happiest dog around!

Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg 

The Streets To Nowhere (Part 4)

Sweet mummy Zoey did not seem to be any better after the surgery that removed her dead mammary tissues. The vets who did the procedure said that Zoey did not have enough skin on her stomach to close her wound, thus they only stitched the top and bottom, leaving the middle portion of her stomach open. We were terribly concerned about this and her being susceptible to infection, so we decided to take her to Dr Ly for a second opinion, after her present vet gave the all-clear that she was stable enough to be moved.

An extremely worried Zoey

Waiting for her turn to see Dr Ly

Volunteer, Peishang, assuring Zoey

Boy, are we glad we went for a second opinion! When Dr Ly first laid eyes on Zoey, he was shocked. Dr Ly did a quick check on Zoey and informed us that she was running a high temperature, was about to go into septic shock and could die any time! Dr Ly noted that her abdomen was very hard and bloated, and requested an ultrasound be performed on her. Zoey was given some injections for pain management and to help keep her infection under control. She was admitted immediately and put on drips to stabilize her condition. Dr Ly also put her in the hyperbaric room for Oxygen Therapy as wounds tend to heal faster in a highly oxygenated room.

That’s not all! On top of all these, poor Zoey’s hip was fractured on the right and dislocated on the left! Life has not been kind to this poor stray. All these were likely caused by the impact of her hit and run.

Her stomach was left open by the previous vet

Zoey’s abdominal ultrasound scan showed that her uterus was infected, possibly due to the aftereffect of her puppies that had died while still inside her. Zoey is currently on antibiotics to clear her uterus infection, and her wound is attended to twice daily for cleaning. Zoey is scheduled for surgery this afternoon, to try to stitch up her huge gaping stomach wound. Dr Ly also noticed that her private part was extremely swollen, as if she had TVT or a tumour so whilst she is in surgery, they would also take some flesh and send it off for a biopsy. Her two broken limbs will also need to be fixed during this same surgery. Poor poor Zoey is going to go through so much pain when she awakes. We don’t even dare to imagine the cost of her entire surgical procedure and her stay after.

Her front leg was swollen from water retention and too much poking of needles 

Zoey hasn’t exactly been her usual sweet self of late, grouchy and snappy, but with so much pain who wouldn’t be too? She has been through so much pain and suffering as a stray, and as a responsible mommy dog trying to care for and protect her babies from harm. And she is in fact still suffering at this point of time while I’m typing this, and is still in as much pain, albeit slightly lesser if any.

Her private part is extremely swollen, which could be from a tumour or TVT (biopsy needs to be done)

We have no idea how much her coming surgery will cost, but do we give up on her, or any of our rescues, just because we do not have enough funds? Or do we even have the right to deny any of them the chance that they truly deserve, just because? We seek your help to please help Zoey if you can, because we cannot do it all on our own. Without all your help and support, we are nothing. So, please keep sweet Zoey in your prayers and hope that she will be able to overcome yet another big obstacle in her life! And if you are able to help with her surgical expenses and vet bills, please do email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg .

On a side note, our cutie little Lily is currently doing well at her foster place. Though it is too soon now to tell if she is suffering from any neurological damage, let’s pray and hope that she will grow up healthy, safe, happy and loved!

On behalf of Zoey, and her sole survivor, little Lilliputian Lily, thank you!


Written by Venetia Neo

Bradley Has Returned To His Factory

Bradley has been discharged!!! *throws confetti*

This is the best news we’ve had in a while. After his life changing (or should I say sex changing) operation, Bradley was on a course of 4 weekly Vincristine jabs, a form of chemo drug. Last Friday was his last jab and upon examination, he was deemed to have fully recovered and his discharge was scheduled on Monday! He had spent a total of 5 weeks at the vet. 

Bradley hated the e-collar and would constantly remove it on his own

He would then have his temper tantrums and crumple his pee pads and newspaper and throw them into his food bowl. He were thoroughly amused! 

Bradley is a strong and young boy who loves his freedom. His youth and strength are his biggest weapons in fighting this scary tumour which almost took his life. In fact, we were amazed at his rapid recovery. On the second day after his operation, he glared at me when I visited and used his paw to bang on the cage door, ensuring I was aware of his displeasure. Subsequent visits saw him shredding his pee pads and stuffing all the newspapers into his water bowl. I knew then, this boy would definitely make it. However, the one single factor which played the most important role in his recovery is of course his fans who rallied and donated financially as well as supported him emotionally. Thank you for allowing us to be able to seek treatment for him. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers and leaving kind words on our Facebook page or email. Thank you for rallying behind a sick stray dog who had no one but now has everyone rooting for him.

All set to be discharged!

Bradley has been a stray all his life and is what we call a feral dog, he values his freedom above all else and taking it away is akin to suffocation. During the 5 weeks of hospitalization, he bonded with no one and hated the boundaries set for him. He did not allow anyone near and would not trust anyone either. Thus, the decision was made to return him to the only home he knew, upon his full recovery.

He was worried as he didn't know where he was going

This is how big and strong Bradley is, thanks to all our volunteers who religiously cooked and delivered food to him at the vet every day for 5 weeks! Bradley loves you for that!

His wound has healed! He is perfect again!

Many a times in the past, I felt very sorry for strays, but after I started volunteering however, I realized that some dogs will never be at home in a house and can never be domesticated. Some humans are like that too, free spirited and not bound by rules or boundaries. If confined, they will always try to escape and leashing or caging them would not seem fair. After all, we are supposed to help them and not make life more unbearable.

As we drove near his factory, his eyes lit up and he started smiling. He must have missed that old familiar smell of his factory. As soon as we opened the carrier, he zoomed full speed into his factory and never looked back. Although Bradley lives in a vacant factory, he has a feeder and caregiver who feeds him daily, the same lady who helped us catch him when he was sick.

He smile when he realized he was nearing his factory

It was a bittersweet feeling, watching him go back to the streets, after having known him for 5 weeks but alas, this is part and parcel of what we do, providing medical aid to street dogs. Not all dogs want to be rehomed.

Fear not, this journey does not end here. Like all our dogs that we have returned, we continue to keep in touch and follow up. Bradley’s feeder will inform us immediately if he is unwell or hurt.  

Dear Bradley, although you have always growled at me menacingly and warned me with your stares when I merely stop in front of your cage, I only wish the best for you. Now that you are free from pain and illness, have lots of fun and adventure! We will always remember you. Lots of Love, Hope Dog Rescue.

Written by Wendy Yeo

Lost Or Abandoned?

 Do you know this dog?

Dog Found! (9 January 2015, 11.30am)

Matthieu's foster informed us that her neighbor had seen a Schnauzer lying by the side of the road since the day before, around McPherson area. It may be hit by a car as it cannot move it's legs.

Injuries on her stomach and hip

The Schnauzer is female and not microchipped.
She has been rushed to the vet. 

We are unsure if she is lost or abandoned. If you know this dog please email us. If you can help with fostering or the vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

UPDATES : 10 JANUARY 2015 (2.00am)

We temporarily named this mini Schnauzer “Little Miss Schnauzer”. She is a very sweet girl. Despite all the pain she is in, she was calm and pleasant, often looking at the volunteers with doleful eyes.

She had abrasions and punctured holes

She has a fractured hip with burns and abrasions on her stomach and the insides of the left hind leg. She also has numerous deep puncture wounds on her hind legs. We can’t seem to figure out how she got to be in this state and what caused the severity of her injuries.

She was found lying on the sidewalk around McPherson area, probably in too much pain to move. According to people living in that vicinity, she has been lying there for two days.

She is female, estimated to be about 4 or 5 years old, nice and clean smelling. We think she could be a lost dog, rather than an abandoned pet. She was not wearing a collar or any ID on her. An ultrasound on her abdomen showed her womb had been removed, so she is most likely sterilized.

A real sweetheart

She has been warded as she is in great pain and in shock. Little Miss Schnauzer is scheduled for a surgery this coming Thursday to fix her hip. The vets are giving her a few days to rest and stabilize her condition.

If you know this dog or who she belongs to, please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg Please do also email us if you can foster her after her surgery, or help with her medical bills.

We will follow up with reports to AVA and SPCA as well. 

The Streets To Nowhere (Part 3)

Our sweet Zoey went for her surgery on Wednesday to have her wounds cleaned and her mammary tissue removed. However, as her wound is too huge, only the top and bottom section of the wound could be closed. The mid section of her wound is still open as there isn't enough skin to close it. Zoey's blood count was really low during the surgery and needed an emergency blood transfusion. Thankfully, canine blood donor, Blur, came to her rescue. His very nice owners immediately brought him down to the vet upon hearing our emergency call. Zoey's blood count increased from 17 to 22 after the transfusion. Her blood count is still considered low despite the blood transfusion. Normal range is above 35. The vet advised that wound management is the priority now because Zoey is still at risk to septicemia. Currently, we need to wait for her wound to granulate before another surgery can be performed to try to close her stomach, and this could take from a few days to weeks depending on her recovery.

Zoey after her surgery

Zoey's canine blood donor, Blur

After surgery and having a blood transfusion

On top of her huge stomach wound, poor Zoey also has a fractured right hip to deal with but this will be managed at a later date. Life has really been rough and bumpy for poor Zoey.

Zoey and her precious sole survivor, tiny Lily

Still groggy after surgery

4 days old

Zoey is more alert today but her appetite is not great yet. Sweet mummy Zoey is very responsible and tried to take care of her precious sole survivor, little Lily, despite being in pain and not in her best condition.  Moreover, these movements will only aggravate her wound more thus we have no choice but to separate them. Our call for foster for little Lily was answered and she went to her foster home last night. We were told that Zoey's stillborn puppies were found to be with broken ribs and slight deformed features, most likely caused by the impact of the accident. Such is the sad life of the strays. We pray that little Lily will grow up normal and healthy. 

Umbilical cord still on. This will drop off within the next few days

Tiny little paws

This morning, we will be taking Zoey to Dr Ly for a second opinion, just to ensure that we are on the right track in terms of surgery and options..

Zoey will be required to stay at the vet for a long time due to the condition of her body and wound. If you are able to help with her vet bills, please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Written by Venetia Neo