Spike's story

I stole my own post but wanted to share this. Even when he drives me insane (he's a ****), it never ceases to amaze me what a living being can recover from. I do think had he been any breed but a terrier he wouldn't have made it.

I can still recall almost every detail.
In June 2013 my mum passed a 'dead puppy' next to the road, when taking our workers home. It was night, raining and mid-winter here. Poor pup was lying in front of a shop with people coming and going. As she passed, fate would have him try and lift his head.
She got the shop owner to put him on some newspapers in the back, covered him with a dishtowel I had (luckily) left and phoned me that I should meet her. She thought the pups legs were broken as he couldn't stand up.

Anyhoo I meet her and she puts this teeny filthy, flea, tick, lice infested baby on the grass. He looked like a seal when he tried to move.
His legs weren't broken, he was just so frozen that he couldn't move. He was disgusting. His eyes were glued shut by discharge from having a high fever and infection.
I raced him home and the whole time I'm thinking " OMG! there is not a way on this earth I'm going to pull him through". He was so dehydrated his skin was stuck to his skeleton. You couldn't pinch any of it.

I got him in the kitchen zink with warmish water and it was like putting a block of ice in there. The water was cold in a few minutes. It took 3 basins full of water to get him warmed up enough so that he started kicking his legs. I remember bathing him with flea shampoo and turning him on his back to get his tummy' it was like turning a wood carving of a puppy.
His skin was so damaged from all the lice and flea bites it was like a layer of bubblegum was stuck to his hair follicles.

We got him cleaned up, full of flea powder and snuggled on a warm water bottle and started pumping electrolytes. Of course I never slept and willed him to stay alive. He picked up through the night but the next morning he was very, very poorly. I remember stopping 5/6 times driving to work to check up on him. Finally got him to my vet and as I put him on the table, she put her hands down, leaned forward and gave me this - how do I tell her to put him down look. Luckily Spike chose that moment to stand up, very wobbly and shaky, for only a few seconds but it made her decide to also keep fighting for him.

We gave him pour on for the pests and started him on 3ml electrolytes every half hour for 6 hours then 6ml every hour for 10 hours. He weighed 785grams. He slept all through the friday, well tried as I kept waking him and forcing fluids into him.

Saturday morning he was up and walking on shaky legs. Sunday he was running after me, still a bit wobbly. Monday morning the vet couldn't believe it was the same puppy and he had picked up over 100grams.

He still has some digestive troubles (needs enzyme supplements) and is a spoiled, earless brat (yup my fault!) but he's a miracle. He has a will for life and is such a happy hound.

AND after 3 nights of no sleep, all the effort and emotional ups and downs, I couldn't rehome him...

.........................
He basically lived in that crate for 2 weeks as I kept him in isolation.









Cleaned up, warm and resting.



Saturday morning (see how thin he is)



Already a manipulating little sh*te - look at that face!



Monday morning



First and second 'degumming' of his skin.
I pulled out so much hair my vet was convinced he had scabies. He was my little furry white potbelly piggy here.





Happy pupsicle



Little brat



We iz tyred

Poor little boy!   How could anybody leave him there?

Good on you, for saving him and giving him a lovely, comfortable life. He's a beautiful little sweetie!

OMG I wanted to pick him up & cuddle him, reading that! Poor little lad.

But what a fantastic job you've done with him - and he deserves to be a bit spoilt!

Amazing to read his story and see pictures of him progressing. I don't know how anyone can just leave an animal.

     

How could anybody want to hurt such a sweetie as this.....

Shisa wrote:

He's from the townships and the coloured people here think differently about animals than we do. A dog is a dog, it's for security and has to survive on what it's fed.
There are some that look after their dogs as well as anyone on here but they're 1%.

Most of my rescue's come from the townships and some of the things I've seen done to animals will make you vomit.
I've had: cat that was stabbed, dog thrown with boiling oil, dog shot, kitten stabbed through feet, many cases of distemper, biliary left to late, starving dogs, kittens and puppies. Neglect, mange, fleas, allergies, eye gouged out, Alex my kitten was kicked in the head and the eye burst.
Makes me feel so jaded and depressed.

Yes, I'd heard about that sort of attitude. Shame really, as it probably reflects badly on others who genuinely care for animals.

You've done such a great job, by the sound of it! Well done you! A lot of people would have given the poor things up as lost causes, but you stuck by them. You should be really proud of yourself!

Theresa, you have done a brilliant job in rescuing Spike from death and I admire more than I can say   

As for the conditions that you encounter in the townships it must be heartbreaking. I can just about understand (although not condone) neglect when people are struggling to survive themselves, but I cannot understand deliberate cruelty and sadism. You have my admiration for the work you are doing   

Thank you but as I've said you've got to do what you've got to do.
My conscience rules me.

Hi Theresa,

Check out your avatar.   WHAT A PIC!!! Loving it.

It was a very lucky shot

It is a good pic!

& by the way...

  spike. You know I love him too & he was so lucky your mum found him!!!!
I just got side winded by your avatar.

Spike is the luckiest boy in the world. He's gorgeous too.

He's a shite and a terrorist too!

Surely not!