Saturday night feeding sessions are not just about feeding. We also check the dogs for injuries, distribute food to workers, educate workers on sterilization and do TNR (trap, neuter, release).
During last Saturday's session, at one of the dark factories, we noticed a reflective glint on the body of one of the black dogs. He was very wary of us and ran further into the factory each time we tried to approach but we managed to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be scotch tape around his torso before he got too far.
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| Toby |
This is the factory where Alyssa came from and so, fortunately, we had the workers' contact number. We called the next morning and was told that this dog was bitten a week earlier and was already getting better so he would not need to see a vet. However, we were insistent that the dog be brought to the vet so we did just that this evening after work. With the help of the workers, we managed to catch the dog. We also caught 2 other dogs, a father and son pair, to be brought to the vet for sterilization. The younger male dog happens to be Alyssa's brother. The workers weren't too pleased that we wanted to sterilize the 2 other male dogs as they did not understand that being free-roaming dogs, they could easily find and impregnate a non-sterilized female dog such as Alyssa's mother who is very elusive and hard to trap. Alyssa's mother just had another litter of pups as a result.
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| Toby, feeling really listless. The patches on his body are caused by the scotch tape that the workers taped on him and his tummy was really distended. |
While waiting our turn at the vet, we noticed the dog with the tape, who we have named Toby, appeared very drowsy and was also panting and salivating more than normal. He was lying down in the carrier so we could not see any wound on him. When he was examined by the vet, we noticed that his tummy was very distended. We muzzled Toby during the vet's examination as we were unsure of his temperament but he was very mellow, though whether it was due to his naturally sweet nature or just because he was too sick to react, we could not tell.
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| Toby feeling really weak & miserable |
X-rays show that Toby's stomach is full of gas and bones which he had eaten. Workers said they have been feeding him bones for 10 years. The excessive panting could be due to the discomfort from this, but could also possibly be due to some other health issues which we have yet to uncover. The fur around his middle was patchy, probably due to the fur coming off as the workers changed the tape daily. The tape was meant to cover the deep wound on his tummy which we could see once he was taken out of the carrier. Toby's ears were covered in oil, there was discharge around his eyes and he was full of ticks. The vet estimated Toby to be around 7 to 8 years old. Although workers say he is more than 10.
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| Tummy full of gas and bones. At high risk of developing twisted intestines (bloat) |
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| Toby's ears |
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| The hole on Toby's stomach, with pus oozing |
Toby is at risk for developing GDV if we left the bones in his stomach. This is where the intestines get twisted and is fatal. So for now, he will be administered laxatives to try and help him pass out the bones. If that fails, they will have to operate to remove the bones. As for the wound on his tummy, the vet was unable to establish just how deep it was but will manage it accordingly. So Toby will be warded for a few days at least while he is treated for these various conditions.
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| Father & son pair in for sterilization |
As for the father (black dog with white patch) and son who we have named Robbie and Terry respectively, they will be sterilized tomorrow and released back to the factory the day after.
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| Get well soon, Toby |
Written by : Sam
