The schnauzer was a female, around 10 years old. She had been living with an elderly couple in their 70s. The main caregiver was the grandmother in the couple. When she was admitted to the hospital, the responsibility of caring for the dog fell to the grandfather. As with most people his age, he was prone to absentmindedness and would sometimes forget to feed the dog the medication that she required. Concerned for the wellbeing of the dog, the couple’s daughter decided that it was in the dog’s best interest to be rehomed.
We contacted the daughter and arranged for her to meet us at the vet with the dog so we can have her overall health assessed. And what a laundry list of issues the poor old girl had. From the pictures we had seen of her in the Facebook post, we knew she had severe skin issues. Whether it was due to a food or environmental allergy, her skin was so dry and flaky and her constant scratching had left her bald in patches, and bleeding in others. She had arthritis in both hind legs, and her teeth on the right side of her mouth were rotten. She has cataracts in both eyes, and a heart murmur for which, an ultrasound was recommended. The vet also noted that she had increased gut movement and she was spotting as she was not sterilized.
The vet prescribed some oral medication, medicated cream and shampoo to address the skin condition. She has been placed with a foster who lets her wear shirts to prevent her from scratching herself raw. For now, we only hope that she starts to settle in her foster home. Her diet has been switched up to home-cooked food. She is slightly underweight at 6.9kg but not too much that it is a concern.Hopefully, with a more balanced and nutritious diet, and consistent administration of her medicines her skin condition will improve and her weight will increase. We must wait for her skin to get better before we can sterilize her as the constant itching now will only hinder the healing process of the surgical wound.
We have named this old girl Willow, after the pussy willows, in the spirit of Chinese New Year. Pussy willows are a symbol of good luck and fortune to the Chinese. We hope that with this auspicious name, it will represent a turn in luck and fortune for her.
Willow will need to go back to the vet for a review in 2 weeks. If you would like to help with Willow’s vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg.
Written by: Sam
