Case Study: Rescue Dog Midnight

• Posted on 14 January 2014
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in 90 day dog makeover, health issues in rescued dogs, How to feed an adopted dog, Older dogs make good pets too
• 0

Midnight was adopted on September 14, 2013. This is his journey to being healthy and happy.

Beverly and Robert walked into Pet Smart for adoption day looking to take home a new addition to their family. They were finally ready to bring a new pet into their home after grieving for a few months after their 14.5 year old Sheltie Sebastian passed away in June.

Midnight was adopted on September 14, 2013. This is his journey to being healthy and happy.

Beverly and Robert walked into Pet Smart for adoption day looking to take home a new addition to their family. They were finally ready to bring a new pet into their home after grieving for a few months after their 14.5 year old Sheltie Sebastian passed away in June.

There were so many puppies, barking dogs and lots of commotion, as is common for Pet Adoptoin events. But in the midst of it all, they saw a six year old lab mix laying peacefully in his crate. He didn't seem bothered by all the kids running by and poking their fingers at him. When they walked by he stood up and wagged his tail calmly. They ask for him to be put on a leash so they could see how he did outside of his crate. He walked easily and was very gentle. A good sign that he would be calm and good with kids at home.

His paperwork said he was good with other dogs and had lived with children. The family was moving and couldn't take him.

As with any newly adopted pet he had some issues they were concerned about.

Health Concerns:

1. He had skin issues on his nose, tail  and top of his rump. Looked like allergies.
2. He smelled. Bad.
3. His coat and eyes looked dull.
4. He was overweight.
5. And he had several teeth missing in the front.

Beverly knew she could fix him with a raw diet, essential oils, supplements and lots of love and a little bit of time to trust them.

After two very muddy baths, his coat was softer. But still dull. And he was not pleased. He didn't do much for the first couple of weeks or so. He just slept a lot. Like all the time.

First Vet Visit:

1. As indicated, he needed to lose 7-10 lbs. He was clearly given carb laden kibble food and very little exercise and was very uncomfortable in the beginning with the added weight.
2. The teeth concerns were explained as boredom from being crated for far too much. He would chew on the bars and slowly over time he wore down his teeth. Because it was done over time they shouldn't be a problem if we keep them healthy.
3. Coat/Skin issues were explained as bad nutrition, previous case of fleas and maybe allergies. They put him on an antibiotic for one week to make sure it wasn't an infection that needed to be treated.
4. Body appearance was good with the exception of a broken rib at some point, which led the vet to think he was abused.

Overall, vet said she gave him an A+ for temperament as he was charming everyone with kisses and wags of his tail during his visit.

Introduced Raw Diet

They started him out on Sojos original and Dr. Harvey's veggies every morning and alternated between raw organic meat with bone and a raw meaty bone every couple of days or so to clean up the tarter on his teeth so she could really look at what was going on in there. At first he wanted nothing to do with the Sojos/veggie mixture. But after a couple of days and buying a bigger bowl he started to eat up. He was really into the raw meat/bones. Loved them. He definitely enjoyed the chewing.

At first when offered fresh fruits or veggies he snubbed them.

He even learned how to counter surf for other raw meats defrosting and cookies for the humans. He trained the humans quickly to not leave food easily reachable for this bigger dog.

He was also feed an oil supplement and the 12 cell salts.

Behavior

1. He was very scared of Robert, which leads to more signs of abuse from a man potentially. After some time of him feeding the dog more, he associated food with Robert and he spent lots of time on the floor with dog to not seem so opposing he began to build trust.
2. He didn't know how to play. Probably because he was crated all the time. The first time they threw the ball he just watched it roll away with zero interest. Squeky toys and the their other dog Minna the Miniature Schnauzer rescue tried with all her might to engage in play and he simply stared at her like she was crazy.

90 day results

1. Within the 1st month his skin and coat were completely cleared up and less dull. Smell reduced greatly. Over the next couple of months the coat became shiny and smell is gone.

2. Life was back in his eyes and he has perfected the best puppy dog face ever.

3. He chases and retrieves the ball a few times now.

4. His idea of play is still more petting and scratches but he will at least engage a little with Minna in a little play and his energy level is much higher. He has taken up the practice of chasing squirrels with Minna in the back yard.

5. He has lost about 8 lbs and his build is much leaner and more defined. He is simply healthier and happier. His vet is thrilled with the results.

Conclusion:

Rescue animals can come with many health and behavior challenges but with the proper diet, vet care, love and play/training time you can help just about any animal.