Jesse My Story
Jesse was picked up by Amarillo Animal Control on October 28 and we were notified on October 29. Because the shelter didn't think he would make it through the weekend without help due to his emaciated condition, we were allowed to take him to Animal Medical Center in Amarillo for the weekend for medical evaluation and treatment. The shelter has a mandatory 72 hours of hold time, so Jesse may have to return to the shelter on Monday and stay until Tuesday to satisfy that condition.
Jesse's bloodwork showed low platelets. He tested positive to ehrlichia and thankfully is negative to heartworm and intestinal parasites. We are waiting on his test results for other tick-borne diseases.
Jesse weighs 33 1/2 pounds and is approximate 3-4 years old. His appetite is good. He is very weak, but can still wag his beautifully curved tail.
Jesse is cat trainable, and has not yet been tested with small animals.
Update 11/3/10
From Jesse's foster mom: "Jesse seems to be in good spirits. He loves exploring the house. Poor thing - I have to tie the belly bands in knots, because they're all too big for him. My hands easily fit around his 'waist' with a little overlap. 14 inches is what we measured. Our smallest girl has a 19" waist for comparison. He's learning about house stuff like mirrors and other strange things."
Update 11/18/10
Jesse continues to gain weight and is more comfortable with his surroundings each day. He weighs 41 lbs as of today. His ribs are starting to protrude less, and while his hip bones are still quite prominent, they no longer look sharp enough to cut yourself on. He is a very affectionate boy!
Update 12/10/10
Jesse received his first injection of Imizol and weighs in at 48.7 pounds!!!!! This boy is gaining weight and feeling better!