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

World Animal Day 2021

It's World Animal Day! Grab your fur friends and give them a kiss to show your appreciation for them. Held annually, World Animal Day is an international day celebrated for our animal friends. On this day, we acknowledge both the diverse roles and enrichment that animals play in our lives. It is also where we call to action the welfare and rights of animals. 

We couldn't agree more with this celebration of animal-human relationships here at HOPE Dog Rescue. True to the spirit of enhancing animal welfare, we love helping (and have a particular soft spot for) senior and special needs dogs. We are firm believers of giving rescues a second chance at life and are always there to love and care for our rescues, allowing them to be loved and cherished. Our rescue dogs never fail to inspire us with their resilience and determination despite living a life on the streets, to live their lives to the fullest. 

We are always on the lookout, 24/7 for our rescues. It is our greatest wish for them to find and settle in loving homes to live out their lives with a family to call their own. Here's a spotlight of our amazing rescues still waiting to be adopted!

Matilda

Mathilda is still waiting for a home after 6 years 

Our brindle coat beauty is a playful one. Rescued from a vacated factory, she has come a long way to where she is today. However, due to her past trauma, she is rather skittish and gets easily spooked outside. Nevertheless, her gentle nature never fails to put a smile on your face.

Read about Matilda here. 

Adora

In a boarding facility, Adora is still waiting for her forever home

From being abused, abandoned, and neglected, Adora has seen the negative. Coming to us emaciated, Adora has since healed and become her true self. However, her anxiety and distrust still take centre stage due to her previous experiences. With enough love and care, she will soon find her way to how every dog should be: happy, and loving life.  

Read about Adora here.  

Harper

Harper has taught us so much about positivity, living in the moment and dogs with special needs

Our poster girl. What more can be said about her? Born with a severe handicap, she now takes life's little blessings and has become so much happier. Sweet natured, affectionate, and loving, what's there not to love! Our precious Harper puts a smile on anyone who meets her. 

Read about Harper here. 

Sharpei

Sharpei is still waiting for his forever home 

This gentle natured boy melts even the coldest of hearts. A previous victim of bullying by other strays, he tends to defend himself as a first instinct whenever he meets other dogs (he needs to be slowly introduced). He is however, great with humans! A very friendly companion to humans, he now waits in his boarding facility for a new home.

Read about Sharpei here. 

Chloe

Chloe the small grandma is waiting for her forever home

Affectionately called 'ajumma' here at HOPE, she remains jovial despite being blind and deaf. Living in the moment, she loves playing with other dogs and spends most of the day catching her well-deserved beauty sleep. 

Read about Chloe here. 

Zeus

Zeus, the miracle dog, is waiting for his forever home

Usually seen with his trusty wagon, this gentleman underwent a spinal surgery to treat multiple slipped disks. His sweet nature would charm anyone who meets him. The dearest dog anyone could lay their eyes on. He could even be a motivational speaker if he wanted to! 

Read about Zeus here.

Chelsea

Chelsea is waiting for her forever home

Starry eyed Chelsea is a true sweetheart. Despite making very regular trips to the vet for various concerns, she takes them like a champ! Getting all the love and care she needs is our utmost priority, and it is surely appreciated by her as she returns our affections.

Read about Chelsea here. 

Mantou 

Our resident trooper. Also, a frequent face at the vet, he doesn't let that affect his quality of life. He lives every day to the fullest surrounded by love. The epitome of putting his best paw forward, Mantou will definitely find his way into your heart. 

Our exemplary eight, our pride and joy, our family, are in our hearts this World Animal Day. We call for everyone to demonstrate what you can do to stand up for animals.

Read about Mantou here. 

"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man."

-Charles Darwin

Written by: Gabrielle

Darling Milo

HOPE not only cares for our street dogs, but we also provide assistance to low income seniors with their pets. Milo came to us through one such case. On 16 July, the uncle who was looking after Milo for a friend texted us that Milo was bleeding profusely from the mouth. With that text came horrifying pictures that looked like it came from a crime scene! We immediately arranged for Milo to be brought to the vet. 

We received this photo from an old uncle, asking for help

At 12 years of age, Milo had a whole host of issues that were partly due to age, and partly due to negligence. His bleeding was due to teeth that were so rotten they had become infected. His teeth even had fur and food stuck in them and when the vet tried removing some of the fur, a tooth came out with it. He had pancreatitis that seemed to come and go. His testicles were enlarged and lumpy and he had a wart in his eye. He was also overweight and could not walk or stand on his own. At that time though, we thought that his most pressing issue was the state of his dental health and booked him for dental surgery to have his rotten teeth extracted.

Blood clots that came out of Milo's mouth

Even that vets had never seen such atrocious teeth

Alas, we quickly found out that he had other serious issues that needed attention. We realized that Milo was dripping pee and could not pee on his own. We also could not express his bladder so he had to be fitted with an urinary catheter. X-rays showed that he had several slipped discs and a compressed spine, which most likely were causing the paralysis in his hind legs as well as his inability to pee. Spinal surgery was the only option that may help him regain bladder function. So despite the risks of surgery due to his age as well as the prolonged condition of his spinal issue, we scheduled him for the spinal surgery that may be his only hope. 

Milo fresh out of dental surgery

Milo required an MRI prior to the surgery to assess the severity of his spinal issue. The wait for an MRI is 10 days long as there are not many vet clinics with an MRI machine. Thanks to the resourcefulness of our vet, we got a call in the middle of the night to say that a slot had opened up at one of the clinics the very next morning. So it was a mad rush overnight as our volunteers sacrificed sleep to coordinate transport, volunteers and payment to ensure Milo gets his MRI the next day.

Milo was at the MRI clinic the whole day and was only returned to his regular vet at 9.30pm that night. He was still groggy from the GA then and did not appear well. Our hearts sank when the vet informed us the next morning that Milo was not doing well. He refused food and his breathing rate had increased and he seemed to be in pain. He was given more pain meds and gradually started to improve.

Milo back from his MRI scan

The MRI results came back after 48hrs and showed that he had severe compression of his spine and slipped discs in L2 to L4. Our main priority was to regain function in his bladder, or at least soften it so that it can be expressed. Our vets worked tirelessly to explore the various treatments to help Milo. The senior vet said that there was a sliver of hope that the spinal surgery would work Milo still had some feeling in the area which meant the nerves were still working. Even though, by this time, we had received many messages suggesting we put Milo down, given this sliver of hope, we were determined to do all we can to try and save his life. We also do not believe in prolonging his suffering, but if there even was a chance that he might recover from this and live out the rest of his days pain-free, we were going to take it. We owed him that much to try. 

Teeth before and after dental 

So we booked him for both dental and spinal surgery, both of which had to be postponed twice due to his fluctuating conditions. He started deteriorating over the next few days and we made the decision to go ahead with the dental surgery as it was likely the bacterial infection in his mouth that was causing his condition to deteriorate. Again, the senior vet saved the day by agreeing to do the surgery the very next day even though it was his day off. Not only did the senior vet work on his day off, he also managed to save all but 5 of Milo's teeth. Post dental surgery, Milo started to improve and could eat, drink and sleep on his own. He had a hole in his gum which needed to be flushed with water after every meal to make sure no food gets stuck, but all in all, he seemed to be on the mend.

Unfortunately, that did not last very long. His health readings started to deteriorate soon after again and his testicles became inflamed. The vet suggested we proceed with the spinal surgery quickly even though his health readings were not ideal. By this time, Milo had been warded in the vet for a month.

Extremely hard & swollen testicles 

Aug 17 was a day we are not soon to forget as this was the day of Milo's spinal surgery. Our volunteers took time off their busy lives to transport Milo from his regular vet to the hospital where the spinal surgery would take place. The surgery took 4 hours in total, in which his eye wart and swollen testicles were also removed. Our volunteers spent all 4 hours around the vet vicinity, waiting with bated breath. We were all so relieved when Milo woke up after surgery from general anesthesia.

The 2 days after his surgery were rough. His blood pressure increased and he was in pain. His hind leg was swollen from the IV solution and poor circulation. However, that is now in the past and while Milo still has ways to go given the many issues he has from years of neglect, he is slowly but surely recovering. 

The scar from his spinal surgery

We often say we can't take any more dogs in. Zeus left us with a hefty bill due to his spinal surgery. But Milo dinosaur came into our life and we just could not say no to this old sweetheart. He may never be able to prance around like a puppy again, he is a senior dog after all, but we look forward to the day we can take Milo out to the park in Harper's wagon.

A happy Milo <3 

We would like to take this time to thank the vets and vet staff who did not give up on Milo, even when so many others were telling us to just put him down without trying. We would also like to thank our volunteers for their time and dedication in caring for Milo. And we would also like to thank our supporters, who have supported and contributed to our efforts so that we may continue to help Milo and dogs like him.

Update : Milo passed away peacefully in his sleep on 12 September 2021.

Volunteer Chris from Team Milo, spending the final moments with Milo, on the way to cremation

Farewell Milo, you fought a brave fight

Sweet child <3 

Written by: Samantha