Two little girls nine and ten years old banged on a rescuer’s door asking for help for their dog who was injured. His right eye was bulging (prolapsed) from its orbital socket. They had found him at home suffering from this injury. They were unable to give further details, except that their little pet had been left at home with an older sibling.
Due to some unfortunate circumstances the rescuer was not in a position to help the little chihuahua. A call was made to Animals Abused & Abandoned asking for our emergency assistance.
Little Muchacho was taken immediately to the veterinary clinic. After assessing the young pup, he was deemed a good candidate for surgery. That very same evening, under general anesthesia, he had the eyeball placed back in the orbit and sutured in place.
Severe prolapse of the eye, as in Muchacho’s case, was probably due to trauma to the head. Being been seen by a veterinarian quickly improved his chances for saving his eyeball. Return of eyesight occurs in about half the dogs with this type of injury depending what damage was sustained around the eye and how long it was displaced. Speed at which a pet is seen by a veterinarian is of utmost importance in retaining vision.
The little dog stayed at the clinic two nights for observation and pain control. His sutures were removed on the third day and released to a foster home with antibiotic drops, eye ointment, a cone to keep him from injuring his eye from scratching, and re-check appointments.
His foster mom reports that he is the best and sweetest little dog she has ever had in her home. If he could talk we would love to hear how he was injured so badly. His family relinquished him immediately upon hearing they would not be responsible for the medical bill, which they could not afford to pay. They never inquired about him. Innocent and abused, he deserved better!
Muchacho is one of so many pets turned in to rescues or shelters. They are the fortunate ones, because, helpless to help themselves, many are simply abandoned on city streets or out on a country lane.
Food and veterinary care are expensive, but there are financial and emotional responsibilities attached to adopting an animal. One does not “get rid of it” because it has become an inconvenience or has become a financial burden. There are solutions available in the community to help animals and low-income owners who cannot afford emergency care. An animal is a lifetime commitment. It is a family member. Please treat them with respect.
We depend on your donations to continue our work. So please click on our website animals-abused.org. Your generous donation will help save the next sick, injured, suffering dog, unable to help itself.