Meet Roxy Rascal our 2013 winner
Hello,
This is Roxy Rascal, a 12 year old rescue and former Pets as Therapy dog.....
Not only has Roxy overcome adversity from a being neglected stray, she’s had two major surgeries to remove cancerous tumours.
The first operation in February 2012 in her rear, right leg, required a skin flap to cover the defect left by the tumour removal, she had almost 20 stitches. Sadly, she developed another tumour in her front, left shoulder, this time the tumour was deeper.
The second operation was in February this year. This time she had to have a skin graft due to the location, size and deepness of the tumour. She had around 80 staples and stitches and was in the Glasgow Vet School for almost a week on a drip as she wasn’t eating or drinking and was quite ill. I went to visit her during this time and she looked desolate.
Unfortunately, part of the wound became necrotic and had to be cut away, dressed daily and treated with high strength anti-biotics. It took 5 weeks for the wound to fully healed.
Amazingly, both times, tests proved that the cancer had not spread to anywhere else which was a huge relief. The wonderful vets, nurses and support staff at the GUVS looked after Roxy incredibly well and are amazed and how well she is doing and that she has beaten cancer not once, but twice. She is a very brave dog indeed.
Thank you for reading Roxy's story, I hope she is considered for the competition as she is an amazing dog and an inspiration to everyone she meets.
Nicola and Roxy.
Nicola and Roxy receive a lovely donated luxuery hamper from Lilys Kitchen
We also have 2 runners up
Meet Sage
Sage fell ill on Christmas day 2011.
she deteriorated quickly...
By New years eve sage was intensive care 50 miles away from home.
Sage was barely conscious when I got her there – trembling
Auto immune disease, but her little body rejected the drugs– couldn’t even lift her head & wouldn’t eat – anyone who knows sage knows she loves her dinner.
I had to question myself whether I was keeping her alive for all the wrong reasons – i.e. myself.
Sage began to improve but still couldn’t stand up.
it was discovered through pure coincidence sage had 2 damaged discs on her spine...
This was going to be a long slow process – but at least now we had hope & I could see in Sage’s eyes that she wanted to get well & she wanted to walk – she had her little spark back.
Months of tablets, physio, hydrotherapy paid off
On July 26th of that year sage & I carried the Olympic torch through central London – what an honour.
I was so proud of her & still am – she has raised thousands for charities & is my best friend
Alyson Fitzgerald
Meet Macy
Our Macy had to have knee surgery due to a torn ligament. Because she was so big (about 110 pounds) and the size of the incision, it would not stay closed, even after a second set of stitches. So the vet had to wrap it and keep her in a confined space to limit her movement. About the second week, she developed MRSA. After 2-3 rounds of antibiotics, 17 weeks at the vet, daily cleaning of the wound and her bedding, and lots of TLC (tender loving care), the wound finally started closing up. (It was approximately 6 months after the surgery before it was closed completely.) When she developed the MRSA, we thought it was going to be the end. But Macy was a strong girl. You see, Macy was a rescue dog. My son found her when he was duck hunting, and apparently had been thrown from a car and had cigarette burns on her. She barely weighed 5 pounds. Now, almost 5 years later, she’s still over 100 pounds and just a fun doggie. She loves her daily rubs and especially getting brushed. The wound left a huge scar and she still favors that leg from time to time. But after all she went through, she’s a keeper! We love our Macy Dog!
Karen Potter
United States
The attached collage shows her journey from puppy, to surgery, to riding in the car, to laying in the sun, and being a generally pampered 100% mutt! I will be glad to furnish a better picture if Macy is chosen. I found the Bella Moss Foundation while doing research on dogs with MRSA.
We would also like to give a special mention to
Buster
My boy Busta a Norwegian Elkhound who we rescued at 8 years old had finally settled & changed from a vicious bear that you would never go near to the sweetest most loving teddy bear that you can roll around the floor with. We noticed Busta looked older? Lost weight?
He had a huge lump right on the top of his head? He started to fall over?
His legs got really skinny & straighten? We went to the vets & over a 6 month period with symptoms just getting worse! We would put his lead on and get to the front door to have him sit down and refuse to move! If we had a good day we got him in the car we defiantly couldn't get him out again. He would just lie there!
Finally we had a diagnosis!!! NEOSPOROSIS! He was immediately put on 6 weeks of hard hitting antibiotics and steroids. He wasn't in so much pain! Each day he did a little more! Walks were back in the picture. A year on we still have our Busta! He's not a young playful dog anymore and the illness defiantly aged him! But he is healthy, happy and alive!! He still bounces around with caution!
The main thing is he's here happy!
Icey
The story of ICEY…..
Back in January 2013 i were sent a picture of a poor old dog left to die in a dog pound in Romania. he was emaciated, frozen and had given up. the only way to get some warmth in him was under warm water.,? well that's what they decided to do...
i decided to help him, and fund raising started. our mission was to save this dog. during the weeks that followed Icey's release from the pounds he was put into a holding kennel and basically he was not looked after at all....eventually February 10th 2013 arrived and we went to Calais to collect him, we were horrified at his condition.
on arriving at valgrays we took him straight to the vets he weighed 9kgs he was just skin and bones and his coat condition was so appalling. he was cold, he was just bones and he needed love, tlc and food....over the weeks of Icey being in our care he slowly gained weight, he wore coats as he was so cold -, he was weak but he did have a very good appetite, during the days that followed Icey slowly gained more weight, he had lots of baths and a worming programme our vet was amazed at how well this poor ole dog was slowly getting better...many hours i sat up and spoon fed him and slowly but surely his eyes started to shine.....over weeks his weight climbed up and up and his strength got better and better...Icey was loved he had fans all around the world who had watched his progress, no one really believing that he would survive, he had had many bad experiences - his ears were all torn to shreds he screamed in his sleep - but i was their to protect him....weeks on he started to glow and we took him to a little show and he was the star, he won the best veteran and the judge never knew his story of his past....weeks went into months his coat grew his eyes shone, his little body which was so emaciated started to fill out, he walked with a bounce he walked to say hi i'm alive....we took him yet to another dog show local to us and again he won the hearts of the judge, he was loved by all....then of course the hard part was thinking that after all the love and care that i have given him he now has to find a home; every one who phoned was just not good enough, every one who emailed i always found something wrong with them....i sat and looked at him, we had cuddles he loved me and in his way he thanked me - a few weeks back we had a local charity event and i was sitting on the grass with Icey - he sat and looked at me and then sat on my lap to say mum i love you, i felt the love in this dog towards me, and then i knew that i could never ever let Icey go...he is my little man however long he gets on this life he is now loved.....from the little dog of 9kg to now a happy dog at 15kg and with fans all over the world the biggest fan is me...he survived all odds, he survived the streets of Romania, the beatings, the starvation, the dog pounds if any dog deserves any recognition is our boy ICEY.
Kodi
hello
I believe my beloved staffie Kodi deserves to win the title of most amazing recovery for many reasons. She went to the vet for routine dental extractions in feruary 2013. When she came home she had a large but new abdominal swelling. This ulcerated over the next week and became severly infected. It turned out Kodi was accidently burned with a heated wheat bag whilst at the vets. She was extremely distressed and suffering immensley. The infections got gradually worse and she was not responding to the synulox antibiotics she was prescribed. The infection gradually worsened affected her breathing, mood and prognosis,Kodi had major debridement surgery. we moved to a specialist vet shortly after where Kodi had 7 weeks of mini debrides, which involved scrapping skin with a scapel, sometimes for upto an hour whilst Kodi was awake. She remained happy and patient even kissing the vet after each treatment. she was in full body bandages for the whole 7 weeks and her recovery took 10 weeks in total. she nearly died twice and was told her outcome could be extensive skin grafts or even euthanasia. After taking it day by day kodi recovered amazingly with no psycological effects. we were heavily supported by ann harpwood of justice for dogs and many wonderful staffie clubs around the country. We are now working hard to promote burn risks and Justice for Dogs as a thank you. The RCVS will be publishing advice in their newsletter to highlight the risk of thermal burns to animals. Kodi is a strong, inspiring example of her breed and we are proud and thankful to have her.
kindest regards
angela paxton and kodi
Nanookes
This is Nanookes story, she is a chocolate Labrador aged 13 years.
Nanooke was taken to the vets in January 2011 to have some fatty lumps removed. During the operation they found two other lumps and took biopsies from both. The results showed that Nanooke had a Sarcoma tumour on her shoulder and a mast cell tumour under her front armpit.
A scan showed that the Sarcoma had surrounded her shoulder blade, we had two options, amputate the leg and shoulder or leave her and she would pass away by Christmas. We decided to operate and give her a chance. She came home after 9 nights and all was going well until we found out the mast cell had spread to her lymph node. We started her on a 6 month drug chemotherapy for mast cells.
After 5 months she became anaemic. She had more tests, made a miraculous recovery before becoming anaemic again in early 2012, more tests and scans showed that she had an inflamed bowel. She was put on a strict change of diet and within 6 weeks her blood count was the best ever, to our delight nearly 2.5 years later she is still with us. She has just had her 13th birthday and she is happy.
Sonia Reynard
Wetnose Animal Aid
Wetnose is a non-profit Limited Company and Trade Mark which started 13 years ago, we raise funds for sick, domestic and wild animals and for the smaller rescue centres worldwide. Set up by Andrea and Gavin Gamby-Boulger, who used to run their own centre for 12 years, and work with horses, now work tirelessly to raise awareness and funds to help and support the rescue centres, see us on Facebook or Twitter for more information. “I am very pleased indeed to be helping with this Competition with the Bella Moss Foundation to coincide with our Wetnose National Fun Raising Day on Friday the 13th September and look forward to many more projects of working together in the future”. Andrea Gamby-Boulger - Director/Founder Wetnose Animal Aid. www.wetnoseanimalaid.com
