Little puppy Snoopy was left outside in the cold and rain overnight, and was in such poor condition afterwards he needed medical attention. The Mdzananda Animal Clinic treated Snoopy, giving him the best care possible, and managed to save the little dog’s life.
“He was in a state of hypothermia,” the clinic said. “Dr Joy rushed the tiny, furry ice block to our theatre. While rubbing his body to activate blood movement, she turned on our bair hugger – a warming device and temperature management system used during surgery to maintain a patient’s body temperature. She wrapped the barely breathing puppy in a blanket and placed him in the bair hugger along with a warm water bottle.”
After a few hours, the black pup finally gathered enough strength to lift his head, and was given soft, warm food specifically formulated to help puppies recover.
“Two days later Snoopy was running around the theatre ward, his tail wagging and eyes sparkling. He had survived,” the clinic said. “Sadly, this story is common in our and other communities and usually doesn’t have a happy ending. There are many backyard breeders. Puppies are ripped away from their mothers at a premature age so that they can be sold for cash. These breeders often do not know the needs of a puppy and sell them when they are too young.”
A puppy needs to be with their mother for a minimum of six weeks, as they need her milk to grow strong during this time. “Since they cannot generate enough heat, they also need their moms to keep them warm. Puppies have different needs to older dogs but, due to a lack of understanding, they are treated like older dogs. In winter many of them die.”
“Snoopy’s journey isn’t over yet. As our clinic isn’t staffed overnight, evenings are high-risk for him. Luckily we have a team of heroes and our bookkeeper, Tashmin, has taken him home where she will be caring for him for the next two weeks until he picks up his strength,” the clinic added.
The little dog’s owners have been extremely worried about him, and have expressed their deep gratitude for the help. Mdzananda has also emphasised that this incident is not due to abuse, but rather as a result of lack of knowledge.
“Snoopy’s owners are currently undergoing an education intervention to help them understand the needs of a dog, especially a small puppy,” the clinic added. “Once Snoopy is ready he will return home along with a blanket, warm water bottle and a kennel (for when he is older). We will do regular checkups on him to make sure that his owners are implementing the educational information and to check that he stays healthy and strong.”
“This winter we would like to ask you to make a donation to a puppy like Snoopy. Your donation will allow our veterinary team to nurse hypothermic puppies back to health, treat and operate on sick and injured animals, distribute blankets and kennels to pets without shelter and educate community pet owners.”
Bank Details
Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Account number: 075595710, Branch: Rondebosch, Branch Code: 025009, Reference: Winter +Your Name
Other donation Portals
Snapscan:
https://www.mdzananda.co.za/donate-ctzx
Payfast:
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/mdzanandaanimalclinic
BackABuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/…/profile/mdzanandaanimalclinic
Picture: Mdzananda Animal Clinic
