Cathy Biersack, of ATRVA
(AIREDALE TERRIER RESCUE OF VIRGINIA), writes:
On Friday. 1 February, I checked Petfinder and saw
a listing for Rocky, an Airedale Terrier in rural Virginia.
I called the shelter and was told that Rocky
had been brought to the shelter just one hour earlier.
The shelter manager said he was a "nice" boy,
eight years old and brought to the shelter because
the elderly owners (in their 80's) could no longer care for him.
The manager mentioned that Rocky's hair was thin
and had to be shaved because he would scratch off the hair
when he tried to go under the fence.
I said no problem, we would care for him.
The manager also asked if I had gotten her email,
as she had just emailed ATRVA.com.
You see, this is a small shelter that must euthanize dogs.
When it can, this shelter works with breed and all-breed rescues.
I said, of course ATRVA would pick up the dog;
could we pick him up tomorrow? Yes!
I called ATRVA Coordinator Melinda Costa &
Charlottesville foster volunteer Martha Hill;
Martha said she would pick him up in the morning.
The shelter agreed to take Rocky to the vet the next morning for us.
Luckily he was not HW+ after all.
He tested positive for Ehrlichiosis,
a tick-borne illness carried by the common dog tick.
Good nutrition, antibiotics, supplements, love & time should help this boy.
Foster Mom Martha Hill writes:
Here are pictures; the best I could do with uncooperative subject.
Looks like he had an all-over body shave . . .
. . . which puts into relief several areas . . .
. . . where all the fur has been abraded . . .
. . . with uneven skin pigmentation and minor scabbiness.
A few hairs are coming back in these areas, but sparsely.
Hard to tell from the pictures,
but it looks like these areas were once raw . . .
. . . from injury or gradual wear, and are healing.
The worst is the area around his poor ratty, possum tail.
There are raw or pink areas on the elbows & hocks.
Signs of confinement?
Blackened nose and healing raw spots on ears.
The nose skin is hairless but smooth and soft.
Maybe from digging?
Then there are two areas,
symmetrically on the inside of each front paw.
One looks like a bunion; the other as well,
only cratered out and oozy.
He occasionally chews on these and licks.
What would cause this?
The teeth were the hardest to get an image of.
I think they need cleaning,
but his breath isn't that bad.
All and all it is surprising that,
except the spots on his front paws,
he does not seem to be bothered by his skin issues.
And then I added two pictures so you could see what
a nice boy he is, who bears all this very well.
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