Zeus Was Rescued Severely Malnourished, Needs Help UPDATE
UPDATE MARCH 13, 2018
We received an update from the animal rescue who is helping Zeus, and he is making some progress, but isn't "out of the woods", so-to-speak.
When Zeus came into our rescue about two weeks ago he had literally been starved for months. He weighed 42 pounds, was severely dehydrated, severely emaciated and was fighting for his life. He IS STILL fighting for his life. The picture at the bottom is of Zeus today at the vet. He weighs 52 pounds now and is gaining a healthy 5 pounds per week. He is on the right track weight-wise but has some serious underlying issues because of his severe heartworms. He has blood clots in his lungs, and the right side of his heart is enlarged. They are recommending a echocardiogram; however we don’t have the funds right this second to get that done. Zeus is taking it day by day. We HAVE to get our vet bill down so we can continue to take him in weekly and get him the care he truly needs right now. We are in DESPERATE NEED of donations. You can call the vet directly with donations towards our bill at 337-269-4031 or donate directly to our PayPal account which is:
https://www.paypal.me/SHARErescueNo donation is too small. Please help us help Zeus fight for his life.
If you can spare a few dollars, please contact Safe Haven Animal Rescue.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Zeus, a Pit mix, was found emaciated, and the rescue organization could use some help in getting him back to health.
According to Safe Haven Animal Rescue's Facebook post, Zeus was tied up and abandoned by his previous owners and was found to be too weak to even walk without falling. A local police department called Safe Haven to ask them to rescue Zeus and, as you can see, he will need lots of TLC. No arrests have been made in the case. A $1,000 goal "You Caring" account has been set up in his name to help with vet bills.
Zeus was examined by a veterinarian and was found to have hookworms, whipworms, and heartworms. As evidenced by the photos, he is also very malnourished and he is dehydrated.
According to the story forwarded to us by the rescue, it appears that Zeus was a victim of a domestic dispute, and was used as a tool of revenge.
Zeus is 4 years old. He lived his entire life on a chain. About 10 months ago someone donated a 10x10 kennel for him. Then the man and woman spilt (up). The man left. And the woman stopped feeding "his dog". A lady called police when they saw condition of dog. The police contacted us asking if we could take the dog into our rescue. Animal control was called and a report was made. The dog was released to us the next day, and we immediately took him to vet. He had to be picked up and put in the car. He was so weak his legs would give out as he walked. We did a full panel blood work. He has hook worms, whip worms, advanced heart worm positive , and severely dehydrated. Vet put him on IV fluids and his body absorbed it in less than 10 mins. Normally should be slowly absorbed within 12 to 24 hours. He is also very anemic. He has been improving these last 5 days . He is now able to walk without falling. However he is still very anemic. At tomorrow's visit to the vet, he will need a blood transfusion. But, we now see a spark in his eyes. He is a fighter. We are confident he will survive. It will be a very long and expensive journey but we are not giving up on him. We have him on a special diet and vitamins. - Safe Haven Animal RescuE
If you would like to make a donation to help Zeus on his road to recovery and, hopefully, into a foster or forever home, call St. Francis Veterinary at 337-269-6075 to donate directly to his vet bill. Also, the You Caring account is a great place to donate as well as PayPal.