Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network
Faces of Rescue 2004
Edwin - July 2004
WARNING: DO NOT LOOK AT THIS PICTURE IF YOU HAVE A SENSITIVE TUMMY.
Dear Friends:
Judy hardly got back from her marathon transport, and she now has a new and very injured baby as a foster.
FIRST OFF, special thanks go to the shelter that made contact, saying they had an injured cairn. TRUTHFULLY, being called by a shelter in a case such as this is very unique . . . most due to their inability to even take in a dog with this type of injury would have immediately put them down. SO, say a special thanks in your heart, because they not only cared enough to go through this effort, they gave initial antibiotics as well. Below are clipped notes from Judy's email.
I'm taking the liberty of telling you all about Edwin, since this little guy needs all of your love also right now. He's a CUTIE, and he will be fine.
Danielle
Edwin
The wound is such that I can't put a collar on him...so I'm going to quarantine him in the yard off the living room and put crate in the living room near that door. No need for leash right now if I do it that way. Eventually I'll need a bellyband, but the way he's hurt, I don't want to put that on him now, either. Wow...this is one lucky kid that the humane society saved him and got him on antibiotics. The wounds could have come from a dog fight, or barb wire, or being brushed by a car...but then they abscessed. (See picture attached) Yuck. I'll fill out an initial report later today...getting ready for work now. I'll need to take him to Dr. Andrews here...for heartworm test...need to call the OK vet today and make sure if he got that (don't think so) and also if he got Bordatella and DHLPP.
Going to be a long hot day in Texas...
P.S. Good news is that he's cheerful, cute (although shaved so that they could see and work on the wound) and friendly so far.
Judy
His wound (wounds really) is VERY ugly! Worst skin lacerations I've ever personally seen on an animal. Not inflamed looking, I don't mean that. Just two or three of them are gouged out deep and missing flesh. I know that missing flesh will fill back in eventually...
I called the vet in OK to ask what to do about the oozing from the deepest wounds. He said UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES get them wet or use peroxide or even mild soapy water. He wants me to just gently clean up the ooze and then put vaseline (?) over the wound edges, if things seem too oozy. He repeated several times, "DO NOT GET THOSE HOLES WET IN ANY WAY...let them dry out naturally and scab over."
He had given several antibiotic shots up there and I have amoxycillin that Edwin receives twice a day (1 ml each time). It looks like it will last another 5-7 days.
Now...that vet gave a rabies shot, DHLPP, neutered him, sewed up the torn leg, removed the dead skin and abscessed areas and flushed out the torn areas. Yuck. But I have to tell you what I'm seeing. Very sorry to disgust you.
Edwin and I drove a long distance yesterday...6 hours in the car approx. for him coming down here due to a traffic jam in Dallas (ai yi yi! you know)...so anyway...I'm not anxious to put him in a car and go 30 miles to my vet this afternoon...for bortadella shot and hw test. I'd like to let him rest and destress here till next week and do it then.
Danielle, this little boy just RENEWS your faith in people....and in the cairn's spirit and will to overcome !!! He is friendly, VERY cute, young (they think approx 2 years old)...wheaten with grey in it...but his coat is shaved...so you know how funny it is when you can see down to the skin...don't know what his grown-out coat would be. He has bright, expressive eyes...wants to make friends with me....is said to be good with other dogs while at the shelter....just one heck of a nice young man! (big smile)
ANYONE who was interested in Bowie (TX) (also a VERY handsome boy, but a probably 3 years older than Edwin)...will absolutely fall in love with Edwin! I have! (big smile) I know I'm in the mandatory 2-week evaluation period for him...but should I let the matchmakers know that? This one is a sweet soul.
Hugs... Judy
7/4/2004 8:44:21 PM
Edwin came into CPCRN on 7/1/04...pretty beaten up, but with that indomitable cairn spirit! He was wandering stray when rescued by a humane society in Oklahoma who turned him over to us as breed rescue. They discovered that he had badly abscessed wounds on his side...maybe from a brush with a car or barbed wire fencing or a dog fight...and began his initial treatment which involved cutting away dead skin and flushing out the wounds, etc. (See first picture) Through the miracles of youth and antibiotics, Edwin is fighting back and healing well! The second and third pictures show how much healing has happened in just one week. Some of the wounds are still open though and will need more time to fully heal.
Young Edwin is thought to be approximately 2 years old, is up-to-date on shots, and neutered. Once we get over this initial trauma, we'll test for heartworm. We're just getting to know Edwin, but we can tell you this: He's cheerful, playful, very frisky, might be potty-trained (no accidents yet but it's only been a few days), and he pulls on leash. He seems starved for affection, but we're trying to help with that! (smile) He definitely seems like a former house dog who got lost some way or other...and who very nearly lost his life. Huge thanks! to the Oklahoma humane society for saving him...and for turning him over to CPCRN because we specialize in helping cairn terriers. We'll finish the job of getting him better and find him a wonderful "forever home" that's well-suited to the terrier spirit!
7/18/2004 Hello again! Here I am with one picture from the side to show the major healing that has taken place in just two weeks! And also one of me looking up at Foster Mom from my "funny frog" position. You can call me "Edwin" cuz that's my name! or you can call me any of these names, too, because Foster Mom does: "Sugarpie", "Friskybutt", "Lovebug", or "Wiggleworm". I like to be with people...I don't mind mild-mannered dogs but I will stand my ground if the other dog is pushy...but I REALLY like to be with my people! Did I mention that? Foster Dad says I MUST be feeling better now because I sure am a funny little wiggleworm! I arch my back like a cat when they pet me and I just like to hang around them in general. I'm good in my crate, haven't marked or gone potty in the house yet (so maybe I'm pottytrained), but am pretty bad on a regular leash (I pull). But when I'm put on a Gentle Leader harness and lead, I am very, very good. So whoever adopts me needs to know to walk me on a Gentle Leader and then I will just be PERFECT! (smile) I'm going to the vet this coming week for another check-up and also to be tested for heartworms. Sure do hope I test negative for them cuz I'm ready to find my very own family. Do you think I might fit into yours? If so, please apply to the Colonel Potter folks and put "Edwin of Texas" in the place where it asks you who you like. Thank you!
8/15/2004 Edwin's horrible cuts have healed up now and he even has fur growing back over the naked spots! That part is just so wonderful and I'm so grateful that no further infection set in there.
Now we just need to get him a little further down the road in his heartworm treatment and he'll be ready to be adopted. This is one happy, sweet-tempered little guy...through the horrible cut stage and now through the occasional tummy upsets and/or coughing fits that come with a heartworm fight.
8/23/2004
Here are some shots of my Edwin (TX) that show him healed up AND fattened up! He was sure a skinny, beat-up kid when he arrived...it just broke your heart (and made me queasy too when I looked at his wounds). But now, he's a fatter little baby (beam!) and the fur is growing in across the former damaged area on his shoulder and side.
Eddie went to spend the day at the vet's this past Friday to receive his final dose of ivermectin (the oral one, he's already had the two shots) and to be observed for any reaction (none)...so now we are 5 weeks through his heartworm treatment as of tomorrow. The vet also said Edwin's "good to go" as far as being adopted now...the new family would just need to know to help him take it easy on exercise till Edwin crosses the full 8-week point of recovery after the initial poison shots on 7/20 and 7/21.