🗓️ 8/15/2017
We were made aware of this sweet boy needing our help. He was living behind a warehouse in South Memphis and in need of medical attention. Unfortunately, based on his condition and injuries, we suspect he was a bait dog. His left eye was swollen shut, his tail was possibly broken, he had bite marks all over his body and a gash on his face. His spirit was broken. Lucky for him, we are all about lovin' on some pups and showing them the good life. We've named him Liam, which means warrior.
Liam spent the evening at the emergency vet where he got exactly what he needed to start his road to wellness.
🗓️ 8/16/2017
Liam was treated overnight for puncture wounds, infection and dehydration. The vet told us that in the 28 years she's been practicing, she's never seen a dog with as many bite wounds and live. Liam is heartworm positive, his white blood cell count is high (infection) and we still have not seen him walk. Our boy was broken in so many ways and our hearts ached for him. He has been taken to our amazing friends at Grace Animal Hospital where his medical care will continue.
🗓️ 8/17/2017
Liam remained on fluids for the next few days. His IV gave giving him antibiotics and pain meds for the infection from the wounds. Our focus was keeping him comfortable. Pain management was a primary concern. Liam will remain at our vet until it is determined he's stable enough to leave - this will take awhile. He seemed to be resting comfortably and was meeting many of our volunteers. And volunteers = treat dispenser!😉
🗓️8/18/2017
We started seeing a slight bit of progress for Liam. His very swollen left eye started to open up a bit and he's began walking around in the yard at the vet clinic and kind of fast, too. We're happy to celebrate small victories! He's also got quite the appetite which we are so thankful for because his body desperately needs the nourishment. Liam will remain on his IV for several more days beyond this day. At this point he was still is on pain medication and antibiotics. Our goal was to keep him comfortable so he can gain strength and continue to heal.
For the first time, Liam got a bath to soothe his painful skin. He definitely wasn't a fan so we made sure to treat him to burgies.
🗓️ 8/19/2017
Not much to report on Liam today other than his overall mood is better. He wasn't too excited about his bath and new IV catheter the day before so today's burgie with a song was a great improvement!
🗓️ 8/20/2017
We were working on getting a smile from Liam! He even has had roommates the fox, giraffe and orange puppy on the job. He doesn't think any of them are funny - especially that fox!!
Liam had a pretty good day. He seemed to be in good spirits. When he was out in the yard, he was very eager to get back inside. We can only assume it's because he lived his life in unfavorable conditions outdoors and now knows that inside he gets love, burgies and a comfortable place to rest his head. We are so proud of our sweet Liam. His past has warranted him the right to be very hesitant of humans but he's learned to trust us quickly. What an incredible guy we have!
🗓️ 8/21/2017
And just like that...WE GOT A SMILE!
Liam had a good day! He was removed from his IV and began taking oral antibiotics and pain meds. We have no doubt that helped his mood (plus those visits from some favorite volunteers). He still was not fond of going outside - it scares him. So, we are getting him acclimated to time outside very slowly. We don't even want to begin to imagine why being outside is so terrifying for him.
Over the next few days we worked on trust, health and happiness. The progess was amazing and inspiring!
Visit from Momma Kitty.
What is a bait dog? Dog-baiting is the setting of game dogs against a chained or confined animal for sport. The dogs bite and tear to subdue the opposing animal by incapacitating or killing it. It is illegal in most countries with varying levels of enforcement.