DOG HEALTH

[jonna179]

A stray dog appeared at my door...he was great a few weeks ago....after posting signs and ads to avail, he must find a new home. However, last night i noticed his testicles are turning black and crusty. then i noticed one side of his neck under his ear is larger than the other side....he started off eating great, now he only eats out of my hand. He feels like skin and bones. I also found a hard knot on his rib as though it had been broken at some point? He still plays, and judging by his teeth i would say under a year old. I can't afford to take him to the vet, which is why i never considered keeeping him :( but now its hard to find him a home with all these issues i've found. Does any of this sound normal?

[lindapalm]

Can you contact a No Kill rescue shelter and maybe get him in there?  They would be able to get him the medical help he desperately needs.  Good Luck.

[jonna179]

I'm trying, but most have said they are full :( I have contacted another and said I would make a donation as well. I am just afraid to give him away to some random person in case he has something major going on and they can't afford the care....I can afford a check up and a neuter, but if he has cancer, there is no way :( I spent 3000$ on my dogs hip and another $1000 on tumor removals this year....My animals are my children, and I would love nothing more than to keep this sweetheart, but financially all I can do is the bare minimum to send him to a rescue. Now to find one with an opening :( Strays always show up at my friend and I's doors :0

[Ghilly]

At this point, the best thing to do would be to surrender him to your county's SPCA.  If he's a young dog, as you seem to feel he is, then they will evaluate him and if what he has is treatable, they will treat him and place him in a home.  On the other hand, unfortunately, if it is untreatable, they will euthanize him, but it's better than having him suffer with a painful illness that goes untreated because there are no funds to pay a vet.  

While it IS very sad to think of the worst case scenario, all of us who do rescue have to realize that we cannot possibly save them all, and that sometimes things happen that are just beyond our control or beyond our capabilities to help.  We can only do what we can do, and should NOT consider the cases that end in euthanasia to be failures, but to be successes of a different kind, because our goal in rescue is to prevent animals from being mistreated and/or living in pain or with the pain of disease, and sometimes having a vet help them from this world in the face of an incurable disease can also be considered a victory, albeit a small, much sadder one.

What breed is he?  Is he a recognizable breed or mix where it is possible to tell for sure what part of him is?  If so, contact the breed rescue organizations for that breed.  For example, if a dog is obviously a great dane mix, then oftentimes Great Dane Rescue will take him in and try to find him a home.  If he is purely a mix and no one breed jumps out at you, then unfortunately breed rescues will not be a help.

Where are you located, jonna179?  If you will just give me a general area I can provide you with some numbers to call for people or organizations who might be able to help you.

Ghilly