A Christmas Story of Love, Hope and Light

What does Christmas mean to you?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and most of us would be looking forward to be surrounded by our loved ones, family and friends while we feast, make merry and excitedly open our Christmas presents. Commercialization of this festive holiday over the past years have inadvertently created an indulgence syndrome where people usually spoil themselves and their family and friends with plenty of good food and gifts. 

However as lifted from Wikipedia, the true meaning of Christmas is described as “to give up one’s very self – to think only of others – how to bring the greatest happiness to others.”

2021 had been a challenging year for most of us; battling the pandemic, job losses, and some of our lives have been impacted beyond measure. As we draw closer to the end of the year, we would like to take a moment to be grateful, to reflect on how we could be a better version of ourselves, how we could spread more love and joy to people around us and to embrace the true meaning of Christmas in our daily lives.

The past year had been fraught with our 4-legged friends that we have lost and did not manage to save. Every single rescue was given a fighting chance and unfortunately, not all of them make it. Chance was a heartbreaking case, but we are comforted that he left in dignity, surrounded by his regular feeders who loved him.  On the flip side, we have also successfully rehabilitated quite a number of rescues and have them adopted to good homes. We received pictures and updates of our rescued dogs periodically and nothing else warms our hearts even more than seeing those doggy grins with their newfound families loving them to bits!

All of our rescues could not have happened without the love and support of all of you out there, who helped shared our appeal, contributed funds and food for us to continue our rescue work. We would also like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the tireless angels behind the scenes – our volunteers. Hope Dog Rescue operates on a very lean scale - there are only a handful of us and each of our volunteer holds full-time jobs and have their own families to take care of, on top of volunteering their time with us. That is why sometimes they are affectionately referred to as HDR’s slaves. :P

Slave benefits are aplenty and intrinsic in nature though! Seeing a rescue case miraculously transformed from a woebegone creature to a one chubby furry radiating happiness is enough reward for most of them. One of which is an unforgettable rescue, Button, an abandoned and unkempt looking Schnauzer when she was found, and later on trained to become Singapore’s first and only Hokkien Therapy dog, providing comfort to end-of-life patients in Assisi Hospice. All of us at HDR were so proud of this little minx! Button had left for the rainbow bridge in 2018 and have left an indelible paw print in the hearts of those who knew her. 

Hope Dog Rescue is all about second chances for the dogs we have saved, a chance for them to experience love, shelter and having basic needs like adequate food in their bellies. Yet they have touched our lives deeply as well, showing us how to live in the present with unbridled contentment and asking for nothing more. These 4-legged angels are truly sent on earth to keep us humans grounded.

May all of you experience the true meaning of Christmas and have peace and joy in your lives. Merry Christmas from all of us at Hope Dog Rescue 😊 

Written by : Jamie

Zeus, The Miracle Dog

Zeus was an injured stray living on scraps for 15 years. Now, he's one of our most well-liked and respected rescues.  At 15 years of age, Zeus is roughly equivalent to a 80-100 year old person. It is truly a show of his will to live that he has made it through almost 8 months recovering from a debilitating spinal injury, severe UTI, surgery to remove a growth near his eye and a huge open wound on his back which was so deep we could see his muscles. Despite all that he has gone through, he is a gentle soul yet still showing grit and determination, which says a lot about his character. His strong will yet at times childish and goofy antics, coupled with his unkempt look, have earned him a mad scientist reputation amongst the volunteers.

Zeus as he looks today, at 15+ years old

It all started on 6 March when the volunteers found Zeus during  our stray feeding rounds, hiding under a lorry with a huge deep wound on his back that was so deep that we could put our entire hand in. We sent him in for emergency vet treatment in the middle of the night to get his wound treated. Little did we realize there was more to come.  After 2 weeks at the vet, Zeus suddenly became paralyzed. A scan revealed he had multiple slipped discs in his spine. The surgery and post-surgery recovery would incur a hefty 5-figure sum and we did not have the funds. Do we proceed with surgery with no guarantee that it will be a success? Can we bring ourselves to look into Zeus' eyes and tell him we have to put him down because we did not have enough funds to try? In the end, we went with our hearts and did what we felt was right, and held on to faith that it would all be ok. And thus began the amazing story of Zeus, a triumph against all odds for this old dog.

Zeus, when we found him in the worksite

Zeus, the night he was rushed to emergency

The spinal surgery was performed on 27 March. It was performed by 2 of our favourite vets and lasted 5 hours! By the time Zeus was released and brought back to another vet clinic for hospitalization, it was late in the night. Zeus had a ventral slot laminectomy done on C5 and C6. The vet went in via the throat because Zeus' back had too many muscles to penetrate. Zeus also had strong bones for a senior and so they took a long time to slowly drill through to remove the pressure off the spine. A single wrong move could cause serious damage. Fortunately, there was minimal bleeding. After the surgery, the vet said Zeus must have had a few traffic accidents as there were new and old injuries in his spine. The old injuries had fused together so there was nothing that could be done. This explains why Zeus has a head tilt and slanted posture. But the vet did not think that these were the cause of Zeus' paralysis. The outcome of the surgery would not be known immediately and the vet gave him a 50-50 chance. The next 2 weeks would be critical.

In a critical condition after his spinal surgery

Zeus was shaved as his body was covered with badly matted fur and huge sores

The next day at noon, Zeus' condition deteriorated. His blood pressure and body temperature dropped and the wound on his back had turned darker. He was unstable and had to be put on oxygen. By the afternoon, his red blood count started crashing. His RBC at one point was 14 when the normal is 35 and above. His gums were pale and he was unconscious. The vet warned that he may suffer a cardiac arrest if he doesn't get enough blood. A call on social media was made for dog blood donors with DEA negative on the same day. Volunteers took turns to sit with him, ensuring his oxygen mask didn't come off and checking his vitals. Fortunately he grew more stable by nightfall and no longer needed his oxygen mask. Hs RBC went back up and he no longer required a blood transfusion although we still kept some doggy donors on standby.

An extremely sweet old man

Over the next week, volunteers continued to take turns to accompany Zeus at the clinic to attend to his needs. A BIG thank you to all these volunteers. Zeus started to feel better and was out of the woods by the second week. In the end, he did not require a blood transfusion. He ate and drank well but he needed support to prop his neck up. His poo was irregular and the vets had to do manual extraction daily.

His wound was so huge it took months and months of daily wound cleaning for it to completely heal

Two weeks post surgery, we started him on massage therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatment as recommended by the vet to speed up the healing of his wound. This took place just across the road from the clinic so if you had seen a dog getting stretchered across the road in Serangoon, that likely would have been Zeus and his volunteers. We did this for almost 3 months, just so that Zeus can recover faster. Our volunteers also massaged and exercised his limbs daily. Despite all this, his limbs were still stiff and it was painful for him to go in his wheelchair so we delayed putting him in it.

The first time he sat up on his own after his spinal surgery <3 

On 17 April, Zeus sat up on his own for the first time! He was never able to do that before. He kept falling over when he tried to sit up but he never gave up. He was even able to stand on all 4 legs for a second!

"Dented" cornea that was ulcerated by the growth

On 28 April, Zeus underwent surgery to remove a growth/ulcer near the eyelid and a lump on his right ear. The growth on his eyelid had been there since his rescue but it had grown bigger since and was scratching his cornea and causing his eye to be red.

He was finally discharged on 29 April, 68 days after first being warded. He looked a little sad leaving his suite after having spent 2 months with the vets and nurses, but perked up quickly when he went to a foster home with 2 other dogs. Zeus loves to be in the company of dogs so he should ideally be adopted into a home with other dogs.

Old sweetheart <3

In early May, just a short while after he was discharged, Zeus developed severe UTI because he was previously on a urine catheter for too long after his surgery when he was paralyzed. The lab test showed that he had 3 types of bacteria that were resistant to many antibiotics. He was put on yet another antibiotic. By Jun 19, his pee was clear and a test showed that his UTI was cleared. 

Learning how to walk all over again

All this while, his wound was healing slowly but surely. By June, his wound was still open and the wound cleaning continued. The vet changed his medications to try and speed up the healing process. Zeus was becoming stronger and his hyperbaric treatments were reduced.

An extremely happy & grateful Zeus 

It's now been 8 months since we took Zeus off the streets. He is walking faster and is rounder and happier! We spent almost $35K to get him to where he is now. Zeus probably has another 2-3 years more since he is already quite old for a dog at 15. Now all we ask is that he gets a home with doggos to enjoy the rest of his golden years. He is on home cooked meals twice a day, and needs 2-3 short walks a day. Zeus is sweet, charming, and has zero aggression. He is hard of hearing and as he is a super senior dog, he should not be left home alone for more than 3 hours. If you can give sweet Zeus a home, please fill up the adoption form at  http://goo.gl/forms/ia4w4IlWYk/ 

Zeus as he is today. ADOPT ZEUS

Toby, the forgotten dog

Pets, more often than not, become collateral damage in unfortunate family situations. While there are organizations for people that are informed as soon as a situation arises, animals are left behind and sometimes get forgotten in the midst of everything. Toby was one such case. Left alone at home without food or water when his owner was remanded, we were only informed of his plight some 3 weeks later. By the time we got to him, he was malnourished and his kidney levels were high, due to the lack of food and water intake. 

Toby the cutest <3 

Toby was given into the care of this family when he was 3 months old. He was previously with another family who used to tie his mouth and though it has been years since then, his snout still bears the scars of that horrific and inhumane action. Even after being passed into his second family, his life did not improve by much. Toby was often caught in the crossfire of family fights. In fact, when we first rescued him, he had an injury from an object that was thrown, albeit not at him.

Now that we have taken Toby out of a bad situation, we can start working on his rehabilitation. Toby is a sweet boy, despite all he has been through. However, he does has some behavioral challenges to overcome, owing to his bad experience growing up in his home. He is extremely afraid of his leash and harness as these were used to forcefully lead him to the toilet for his baths when younger. Despite his fear of them though, once you manage to get them on him and take him out, he walks really well on leash. Toby also experiences anxiety in certain situations and can get destructive if left alone. What we thought was separation anxiety may be claustrophobia, probably due to being left confined alone without light, food and water for so long, as he seems to be ok when left alone in open spaces. He also gets stressed and anxious around other dogs since he has not been well socialized with them as a puppy. Yet, for all his fears and insecurities, and despite all he has been through with humans, he is very sweet towards humans. He loves the attention and is a people pleaser, which, coupled with him being very food motivated and being smart to boot, means it will make it easy to teach him tricks.

Toby, like many of our rescues, did not have it easy early in life. And, like all of our rescues, we are determined to make sure that life can only go up for him from here. Toby needs a patient and understanding owner who can work with him through his fears and insecurities. Toby is estimated to be 5 years old, and is HDB-approved! Toby already has the makings of the perfect dog, what with his sweet demeanor. We believe that with time and the right guidance, he can overcome his bad habits to become the best dog that anyone can have. If you think you have what it takes to provide Toby with the love he deserves and the patience it will require to help Toby face and overcome his challenges, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg.

Toby loves human affection

Daisy Just Had a Scope and CT Scan

 Daisy went for a scope and CT scan at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital; it didn’t look good.

Daisy on the way for her scope

There is a huge mass in her esophagus. 

A huge mass was seen in Daisy's esophagus

The vet found a bone stuck inside, and that was removed. It was probably eaten during her stray days living in the cemetery. 

A bone was found stuck in Daisy's esophagus

Most of her esophagus is blocked, which some parts as much as 80% blockage, which explains why she vomits and regurgitates. Daisy has been doing well on puree food and tiny meatballs and we will continue with this diet. Her weight has been stagnant at 14.8kg but at least she hasn’t lost weight. 

Foster Papa fetching Daisy home after her scan

A sample of the mass has been sent for biopsy and we will update when the results are out in a week or so.

Doing a scope and CT scan is not cheap but we needed to know if what Daisy has is something curable and if we were on the right track with our treatment plan. 

To help with Daisy’s vet bills, please email us and we will give you details to help with her bill at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital. Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg Thank you.

Daisy has a diagnosis! (The cemetery dog)

Daisy finally has a diagnosis – spirocerca lupi. It’s as rare as it sounds!  In fact, it’s so rare that we too, are hearing it for the first time. 

Daisy was found in a cemetery and caretakers told us she has been in this condition for the last 3 to 4 months and expected her to die two weeks ago. They were surprised she was still hanging on.

Daisy, the cemetery dog

Daisy has been at the vet since Monday night, huddled in a corner. She is rather feral and terrified of humans. She trembles in fear when you approach and the vet had commented, poor Daisy, so much fear, she doesn’t know we are trying to help her.

With this new diagnosis, she will be starting treatment as soon as they source for the medication. She will also be doing a faecal check.

Daisy :

• Severe emaciation, severe anaemia likely caused by severe inflammation and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, lack of iron
• Highly stressed, painful when touched – slightly better with pain medication
• No vomiting / no regurgitation yet – which is actually part of the symptoms but she might have some difficulty swallowing. Vet says she is a very tough dog
• Left kidney degenerated and abnormal looking – could be cancer or born that way, no way to confirm
• 4 legs stiff, swollen and painful
• Spondylitis – typically seen in dogs above 8 years old. Daisy is estimated to be 4 to 5 years old
• Multiple fractures on left and right ribs. I asked the vet how long her multiple fractures had been there and vet said few days. Which made me really sad because it was me who chased to catch her and she fell, causing the fractures on her ribs. Vet said not to feel bad because Daisy’s bones are very soft, possibly from malnutrition. Normal dogs would not fracture their ribs just by rolling on the grass ☹️ Poor poor Daisy
• Blood smear – to check if she has leukaemia or a severe infection. Results pending.
• Granuloma in her oesophagus may become cancerous over a long period of time. If we had found out in in the early stages, her future would have been less bleak. At this stage, it is way too advanced. 
• A lot of extra bone growth in her 4 legs – it is too late to reverse it but if we can get the right treatment, we may be able to retard the growth and hopefully she will be in lesser pain.

Chest / lungs x-ray; lots of infection

Leg x-ray; lots of extra bone growth in her limbs 

Daisy's blood report

Treatment :

• Pain management, antibiotics, low dose steroid
• Blood transfusion – on hold for now with close monitoring. Daisy is stable now and there is a concern that the new blood may trigger a reaction and her body starts rejecting it, causing further complications
• Treatment for spirocera lupi – generally treatments last for 4 months. X-rays every 3 to 4 weeks to check for changes in her chest / lungs. 

Vet recommends we do a CT scan of her chest and abdomen, and also endoscopy next week. Main purpose for this would be to check for cancer. However, we have decided to put that on hold for now; for a couple of reasons. Firstly, knowing if she has cancer or not, will not change what we are doing for her. Secondly, she is very stressed with humans handling / touching her, and she has multiple fractures – we want to minimise movement for now. And she isn’t exactly the best candidate to undergo GA right now.

Daisy huddled at the vet

To help with Daisy’s journey, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg She is expected to stay at the vet for some weeks.

Written by: Fiona

Fostering Senior Dogs

As dogs age, like us humans, some things may not come as easy as they did before. Senior dogs may suffer from dementia -- like Chloe, who mistakes the time zone for the US. Other old dogs may face trouble controlling themselves and as a result, soil themselves often. 

At HOPE, we often come across these senior dogs who are in need of fostering. These gentle souls are usually found in poor condition, which, when taking into account their old age, means a lot of care and love is needed. 

For example, some senior dogs need constant care and may not be able to be left alone for more than two hours. As senior dogs may not have a lot of teeth or face trouble chewing, they might also require special diets and home-cooked meals. 

With age catching up, senior dogs are long past their hyper-active puppy days. This means that they might need help doing simple activities like standing up, or require massages to help with their circulation. In some cases, senior dogs may need to use a wheelchair to get around. It might not look the fanciest, but it sure does the job of letting them explore instead of being confined to a space. 

It also means that these senior dogs need a strong and patient human to care for them in their final days. Be it carrying them in and out of their wheelchairs or having to flip them every two hours to avoid bedsores, it definitely is not an easy task. 

But it is so rewarding to know that you’ve helped a sweet, loving soul in their final journey to experience warmth and love -- perhaps for the first time in their lives. 

Taking care of senior dogs is not a walk in the park. Yet it would mean the world to them. 

If you would like to foster a senior dog, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Written by: Erin

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance vs food allergy, are they same? The simple answer is no. With a food allergy, the immune system mistakenly recognises the food as a harmful substance and therefore launches an attack against the food when it enters the body. In severe cases, allergies may lead to death. It is not dissimilar to humans who are severely allergic to nuts. Food intolerance, on the other hand, doesn’t involve the immune system. Because of this, the symptoms tend to be milder and are usually limited to digestive problems. For example, alot of dogs (and some humans) are lactose intolerant because their body does not produce the enzyme lactase which is required to break down lactose into simpler forms for the body to process. 

That said, the symptoms from an intolerance and allergy are often rather similar. Common symptoms include: 

Digestive issues resulting in diarrhoea, vomiting, flatulence, 

Skin irritation resulting in hair loss, poor coat condition, inflamed or itchy skin. Though skin irritation from food intolerance tends to develop over time, compared to a rash due to a food allergy which develops within minutes or hours after ingesting the suspected food.

 

In the event that you suspect your dog has a food allergy or intolerance, you can try to identify the cause by adopting a food elimination diet, starting with the likely food ‘suspects’. Drop the food from your dog’s diet and observe the reaction over a few meals. Rotate around until you find the ‘culprit’. At times, you may be surprised that it’s not just one food item that’s causing the issue. Additionally, food intolerance can also build up over time. This is particularly so if your dog is being fed the same food day after day throughout his lifetime. Therefore, it is always good to switch around the food you feed your dog. It isn’t unlike us humans who desire some variety in our daily meals right? 

Do bear in mind that should the issues persist, it may be timely to bring your dog in to the vet for a check as many times, such symptoms could also be pointing towards underlying health conditions.

Written by: Sunny

Crucial Steps to Undertake Upon Adopting a Dog

So, you’ve taken the plunge and brought a furry friend home. Congratulations! This, however, begs the question: What comes next? There are a ton of factors to take into consideration, ranging from the seemingly mundane (picking out the perfect name) to monumental lifestyle adjustments (dog-proofing your home). Lucky for you, we’ve summed up the most important steps to take note of the second the adoption papers are signed. Here’s what you’ve got to do: 

1. Take the dog for a full medical check-up 

Ensure that your veterinarian conducts a thorough blood test so as you’ll be able to detect heartworms as well as tick fever. A blood test is also able to narrow down if your dog’s kidney and liver is functioning properly. For those who are able to go the extra mile, we recommend opting for cardiac and abdomen ultrasounds, too. This allows owners to find out if there any growths or masses in the aforementioned areas, so you’ll be able to identify illnesses at an earlier — and thus, more treatable — stage. 

2. Sterilize the dog

Unsterilized male dogs have a higher chance of acquiring prostate cancer, whereas female dogs might procure pyometra. Both conditions are quite lethal and may shorten a dog’s life-span significantly. 

3. Get some dental work done for your dog

This is particularly applicable if you’ve adopted an older dog. Unbeknownst to most, bad teeth can kill, where it could potentially lead to kidney and liver issues in the long-run. It is also known to cause blood poisoning, where a dog will go into shock and die should teeth not be regularly treated and brushed.

4. Run further comprehensive tests

Think spinal X-rays. As mentioned earlier, this would be ideal for any owners who have decided to adopt an older dog who could be suffering from issues in the vein of spondylosis, which is a compressed spine. 

While it might sound as if there are a lot of tests and medical-related checkups required, it’s safe to say that prevention is the best cure. At Hope Dog Rescue, such tests have been conducted in exchange for a mere $350 fee — which sets us apart considering how certain rescue groups or individual rescuers charge an exorbitant fee with no health-testing provided. All we ask for is that you love your new companion with all your heart; to treat them with all the kindness and love it deserves. 

We hope this article has been insightful for first-time dog owners — and inspirational to any others looking to welcome a new family member into their home. For those looking to do so, head over to http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/p/adoption.html to check out a list of adoptable dogs.

Written By: Emily

Daisy, the cemetery dog

Taking time off from work to comb through tombstones is not what most people do. When we saw the video sent to us by fellow dog lover, Daryl, the urge to save the poor dog transformed us into Tomb Raiders out to save the world.

This was the video that started the search

The dog in the video has such swollen limbs, surely every step was excruciating for her. It pained us to see her ribs protruding from her body.

There were many dogs in the cemetery; everyone had their own place

Our volunteers spoke to the workers and cemetery caretakers, who told us that she has been in this state for 3 to 4 months and had given birth 4 months ago. They didn’t know who to ask for help. They had seen another rescue group there but because the dog tried to bite, they didn’t manage to catch her. Workers expected her to die 2 weeks back but was surprised she is still hanging on to life. 

This friendly one was sterilized 

And so we walked for hours, checking through rows and rows of tombstones, constantly apologizing to the dead, for stepping on their property, kicking into their food or imposing. We prayed to please let us find the dog before nightfall; we couldn’t imagine searching the cemetery in total darkness. 

We spotted Daisy resting 

After some hours, we found a bony bum sticking out from behind a tombstone. We walked around to the other side to check if it was the dog we wanted. We didn’t want to go near, lest we scared her away. It indeed was her.

We prepared her food and her sedation pills and placed it where she could see. She was not interested in food, probably suffering from too much pain. We were so sure she would eat her food, fall asleep and we could catch her. 

We didn’t have a Plan B.

Poor Daisy

Suddenly she got up and walked away. As she walked, she hobbled because her legs were so stiff and painful. She couldn’t really walk fast. We decided we could chase her and keep her on the move till she tired out. We ran after her, round and round the tombstones, for almost 10 mins before she fell. This was when we had to keep apologizing as we were stepping and climbing all over the tombs. I kept saying, "sorry sorry, please don’t be angry with me, I’m just trying to save a dog; please don’t follow me home!"

When she lost her balance and fell, we took a while to loop a leash around her neck. She was very fierce, salivating and kept showing us her teeth and pale gums! After a few minutes of battle, we managed to cover her with a bedsheet, put a leash around her neck and shoved her into a carrier. We rushed her to the vet. 

Watch her rescue here.

Thank you for letting us get her before nightfall! 

At the vet, the staff commented that they had never seen a dog with such swollen limbs. As she was very nervous and not used to human contact, the vet had to sedate her before they could take bloods and X-rays. Somehow, we felt her relief at being caught. 

Her name is Daisy and these are her results:

1. Blood test – severely anemic, very pale gums 
2. White blood cells – sky high readings, severe infection
3. Skin and bones, ribs protruding from her small frame
4. We had initially thought she was a puppy because of her small size but under sedation, the vet checked her teeth – adult teeth with many chipped teeth. So she is an adult dog.
5. X-ray of limbs – as you can see in the X-ray, she has a lot of extra bone growth, causing her bones to keep growing. Poor Daisy, her legs were so hard and infected, the vet could not stick a needle into her leg to put in an IV drip. Daisy has a very rare condition, although it is more common overseas. This is what she is suspected to have –  https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_dg_osteodystrophy
6. Severely dehydrated and malnourished
7. X-ray of lungs, chest infection, lungworms, very rare in Singapore, started treatment.  https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/respiratory/c_dg_lungworms 
8. Nails were very long as she could not walk properly and grind her nails – nails have been clipped.
9. Her condition is unstable. Daisy is on fluids as she is severely dehydrated. However, the fluids in her body may dilute her blood and cause further anaemia – which is why we need a donor dog on standby for blood transfusion.

We don’t know how old Daisy is. All we know is that she has had such a hard life and with your support, we will do our best to help her cope with her rare medical conditions.

Daisy and her very swollen legs

To help Daisy, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg 

Thank you.

Written by: Fiona