Lad My Story
Lad, aka OL's Tender Lad, is a dark brindle 5-year-old male greyhound, born August 8, 1999. His sire is Molotov and his dam is Jr's Tender Beth. A call was made to the Ft. Worth Animal Care & Control Center about 4 greyhounds that had been dumped. The dispatcher radioed back to the shelter and said greyhound rescue should be contacted immediately as one of the greys was in horrible condition and needed immediate medical care. Kristin Fields, GALT's Volunteer and Stray Coordinator, received the call, picked him up on July 24, and off he went to Preston Park Animal Hospital.
Dr. Jeff Ellis and his staff were on alert and waiting to evaluate Lad. He was extremely malnourished, all bones showing, swollen and enlarged testicles - clearly infected and rubbing between his infected legs - welts and sores on his rear end, legs and ankles swollen, his left front elbow is exposed to the bone, open sores on all pressure points of his body, green puss in eyes, tips of ears crusted from tick and flea bites, and his gums were extremely white indicating he is severely anemic.
His PCV was 13, so a blood transfusion was immediately ordered. Dr. Ellis asked us to locate a clean (no tick diseases), healthy foster dog and Walt was chosen. Walt's foster dad, John, had him at PPAH within 15 minutes, and the donation process began. Lad was placed in a hospital kennel run and the transfusion took approximately 1½ hours. Kristin sat in the kennel with Lad, and he slept through the entire process. Walt was given food and had to rest also. Dr. Ellis released Walt and Lad just before closing on Saturday, July 24.
Lad then went home with his foster mom, Kristin, and spent the rest of the day sleeping and eating small amounts of food every few hours.
Amazingly, Lad is heartworm negative at this time; his tick panel test is still pending. He needs TONS of rehab time and lots of groceries! Dr. Ellis is monitoring his progress closely.
Please check back here periodically for Lad's updates.
On Saturday, July 24th, I saw Lad for the first time… Once I picked him up, I took him immediately to Preston Park. This was the worst case of animal neglect I had ever seen. From the first moment I saw Lad, he had a real spirit in his eyes, despite the condition he was in…. I believe he knew he had been saved. Lad was originally covered in fleas and ticks - the tips of his ears were completely scabbed over from all the bites. His ears were so dirty, I could hardly tell if he had a tattoo. Although his teeth were in decent shape, his gums were completely white. Huge gashes covered his body - one on just about every pressure point - raw skin with his bone showing in most cases. Three of his legs/ankles were extremely swollen. The backs of his legs and stomach were completely full of scabs. His rear end was so full of sores, I couldn't imagine how he would be able to relieve himself. Lad was extremely underweight, approx. 25 lbs. less than his race weight - basically, every bone on his body was showing. But the worst part was his extremely swollen testicles - they were probably the size of a grapefruit. They rubbed in-between his legs so much it was raw and full of welts. Lad could barely walk, he was so sore... but his tail was still able to wag with happiness. I brought Lad home after his transfusion and he rested most of the afternoon - happy to be in a cool home with a soft bed. Of course he has a great appetite and eats small amounts every few hours.
By Sunday, he was already starting to show improvement. The swelling of his testicles had been reduced and areas that were previously pussing were now showing signs of scabbing over.
Lad spent Monday, July 26, at Dr. Ellis'. When I picked him up, he actually had a spring in his step and his tail was wagging. He was so happy to see his foster mommy.
Every day I see improvement and every day I am amazed such a neglected dog could have so much love to offer, especially after being treated so inhumanly. Lad has the gentlest eyes - I feel I can almost see directly into his soul. I know he is so thankful for everyone's efforts - especially Dr. Ellis' - and for all the love he has received. I would guess Lad has never felt this kind of love in his life… and now he is getting very good at asking for it.
Lad's Foster Mom
UPDATE 8/13/04
It's been 3 weeks now and Lad continues to become healthier and healthier each day. Although Lad only gained about 1 pound his first week, he has now gained approximately 10 more pounds! His fur is becoming thick and shiny with the help of a good diet and vitamins. The pink in his gums has returned indicating his anemic state has definitely improved.
Most of the sores on his hind quarters, elbows and ears have begun to heal nicely - if not totally, however, Lad still has 2 huge pressure points on each shoulder. These sores have yet to heal. In fact, they appear to be in a similar state as when Lad came to us 3 weeks ago, even with the help of oral antibiotics and twice-daily sponge baths with antibiotic soap. Dr. Ellis feels these sores will have to be stitched in order to heal properly, due to being open down to the bone.
Lad came to us with a little wag to his tail and a spark in his eyes, but now... his tail wags in a huge way with happiness and his eyes sparkle with so much love and forgiveness. Lad is a very happy boy! I was concerned during the first few weeks of how withdrawn Lad had become in my home around myself and the other greyhounds. Obviously Lad needed a couple weeks of rest. But now... Lad knows he's a member of our family and wants to be wherever the dogs and I are. He has learned not only to climb the stairs, but to race up the steps alongside the other two greyhounds. Lad sleeps in the bedroom with the rest of us on his own little dog bed - he even sleeps through the night without a peep. He has learned our routine of when it's time to go in the crate, bedtime, etc. Lad is a very smart boy. Recently, he has even had a few "sit" lessons and seems to be catching on fairly quickly. He doesn't sit for a treat, rather, he sits for a shower of kisses and praises from his mommy (me!).
I am thrilled with Lad's progress so far and look forward to seeing much of the same type of improvement over the upcoming weeks.
Lad's Foster Mom
UPDATE 8/16/04
Lad's PCV is now at 28 and his blood work looks very good. Dr. Ellis, along with Dr. Amanda Florsheim, has scheduled his neuter and dental for Thursday, August 19. At this time his two large, deep wounds on each shoulder will be closed up, which will hopefully promote rapid healing. He continues to be on antibiotics for awhile longer.
UPDATE 9/1/04
Lad's neuter and dental were postponed a week and performed on August 26. The two large and deep shoulder wounds were closed up, and are healing very well. He has gained weight and is now at 68 pounds, which is a huge improvement.
It is obvious he is feeling much, much better, as you can tell by his playfulness with stuffed toys.