December 2015 |
January 2016 |
January 2016 |
February 2016 |
This is Elvis, who came to Riverside Bloodhound Rescue's attention by Sue (Colling) Young. Sue and I graduated together decades ago and now are friends on facebook. On December 15, 2015 as Elvis was at a local shelter to her in South Carolina. "Ann can you share this with your bloodhound friends. this is so sad. This is here at our shelter. SO SAD:( " . I then "tagged" Dr. Marybeth Cline of Riverside Vet Hospital - Riverside Bloodhound Rescue in Elizabeth, PA who immediately offered to take him.
Elvis was severely neglected, starved, heartworm positive, heart murmur and dumped behind the local shelter. The owner left the dog for three weeks in a crate with no food. As one can see in the pictures the neglect and starvation started long before he has stated. The owner was finally located after an investigation and charged with abandonment. Abandonment is the highest charge in South Carolina, still a slap on the hands of around a $500 fine. It will take thousands to rehab Elvis. Elvis was weighing in at less than 1/3 (40 pounds) of his expected body weight for an adult male bloodhound. He had both types of mange, thus the reason for this skin condition along with starvation. He was intact and suffering from being heartworm positive in a guarded condition.
Elvi's story is how two rescues can work together to save a bloodhound.. Pawmetto Lifeline in Columbia, South Carolina pulled Elvis from the local shelter. They started treating the scabies, mange, weight, etc. and got him into a foster home until we had the Health Certificate to get him a ride on Pilots N Paws. Martin Greenlee a Pilots N Paw volunteer stepped up from Orangeburg, South Carolina to fly Elvis to Beckley, West Virginia. This was initially set up for December 24, 2015, but was canceled due to poor weather with it being completed successfully on December 27, 2015.
On December 27, 2015 when Libba Ulery from Pawmetto Lifeline was so gracious to take Elvis to Orangeburg, SC airport to catch her ride with Martin. Melissa Bryd was on ground transport crew when it was scheduled for December 24, 2015, but couldn't do it on the 27th due to a family emergency. Then Lisa Lepsch from West Virginia picked up Elvis at Beckley, West Virginia airport and drove him to meet Dr. Marybeth Cline and Lynn Terbey in Morgantown, West Virginia and taken back to Riverside Vet Hospital.
Elvis weighed in at 40 pounds initially when at the shelter, from the 15th of December to December 28, he had gained 12 pounds. On January 15, 2016, Elvis tipped the scales at almost 71 pounds. So, in one month he has put on over 30 pounds. Most adult male bloodhounds weigh in around 120 pounds, so he still has considerable weight to gain slowly. He is eating 9.5 cups of high quality food per day. This is almost 5 times the amount my bloodhound is fed per day to give a comparison.
Bloodhounds are either red, black and tan or liver and tan. By the black nose we could tell he was not a liver and tan. Due to lack of hair, one could not tell until finally the hair started coming in.. with in two weeks, Dr. Marybeth confirmed he was a black and tan bloodhound. And a month later the boy is growing a fine body of hair. He is not thrilled with his weekly baths, but is doing it with no other choice. He is also wearing a winter coat to help preserve his body heat. Elvis is also heartworm positive, but will not be treated for such until he is healthy (skin cleared up, etc.) and of a healthy weight. Elvis will also be neutered, but again it is not safe in this poor condition and weight.
Dr. Cline is doing weekly updates with pictures. Elvis continues with his heavy tail wagging, sweet, gentle soul.
I will continue to update Elvis's page as progress is made and donations contributed to his care.
ELVIS FANS Thursday update... instead of a Friday update.
Marybeth Cline, DVM
February 4 at 8:51am
Good Morning to all the Elvis fans!! No,
it's not Friday, but our boy has started the most critical part of his
recovery today. He has been on monthly ivermectin to control his heartworm
load until he was strong enough for the treatment. We did very well with
that, and his heart size was markedly decreased on his xrays this week.
His EKG also shows no serious abnormalities, so it was a green light for
his heartworm treatment. He was 78# this morning, and had his first injection
of the heartworm medication in his back muscles. We are electing to do
a "slow kill" treatment, meaning he will have 1 injection now, and two
more in a month, in an attempt to minimize his risk. When the worms in
his heart die, they are swept into his lungs, walled off by his immune
system and over time, absorbed. There is no way for us to "remove" his
worms, he has to do that. Therefore, he will have an instant pneumonia
when the worms die, so I am expecting him to be a sick guy for a while.
He will be closely monitored and exercise restricted, to help him recover
from these effects as soon as he can. Keep him in your healing prayers
today. He has come so far, and this is the last big hurdle to his complete
recovery.
12/31/15 |
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1/9/16 |
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1/9/16
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1/15/16 |
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Thank
you to everyone who has donated, for the prayers and well wishes. We are
the Elvis Team.. or ET Village.
Updated
donation list on Elvis -
Thank
you to everyone who has donated, for the prayers and well wishes. We are
the Elvis Team.. or ET Village.
$200 Mary Beth Moran
$200 Joe McLaughlin
$50 Kathy and Chuck Kieb
$50 Roxanne and Carl Chandler
$10 Karen Nadeau
$250 Pam Herranz
$100 Lisa Martinchalk (plus orthopedic bed)
$150 Gail Mickley
$300 Toni Castellano- Kelly plus toys, treats, etc.
$300 Amy Binder
$30 Deb Akin
$25 Julie Olsen lots of love from Ryker!
$20 Carey Kennedy
$100 Marie Riva Sending money in Bears name because he wants for nothing
$100
Eileen and Robin Peers in memory of Hedge Peers who crossed the Rainbow
bridge. yesterday at 10.5.Years of age.
He
never knew a bad day in his life and he wanted for nothing. Poor Elvis..
$50 Bridget Didsbury