A dog found abandoned and near to death on a remote lane in Fife has been give a new lease of life after nine months of specialist care.
Scottish SPCA officers found Red, a saluki cross breed, in a severe state abandoned on a single track road in Dunfermline.
Officers say the dog was very skinny and lethargic when he was found due to a lack of food over a prolonged period.
Abandoned and hungry
An examination by a vet revealed that Red was suffering from painful, swollen joints, dental disease and a fever which was initially believed to be caused by an infection.
Despite the dog’s poor state of heath, those at the animal charity immediately set about saving Red’s life.
However, the initial outlook for Red looked bleak when he didn’t respond well to treatment and failed to gain weight.
Not giving up hope of saving the rescued dog, specialists undertook many more diagnostic tests in order to find the correct treatment.
Nine months of specialist care
That effort, involving veterinary care over a nine-month period, would have cost in excess of £5,000 at a private veterinary clinic.
Scottish SPCA senior vet, Jo Neilson, said: “Red was in our care for nine months while we investigated and then treated his various medical problems.
“This included him having a relapse when we thought we might lose him.
“Our teams get very emotionally invested in the animals we care for and it’s times like these that are the hardest.
“He was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and needed a long course of treatment and regular blood tests but thankfully he pulled through.”
And such was the impression Red had on staff at the animal charity, he has already found a permanent home with one of the charity’s employees.
New lease of life
“Such is the bond we build up with the animals we care for, one of our veterinary care assistants, Lynsey, fell in love with him and couldn’t bear to be parted with him,” said Jo.
“Red went home with Lynsey and now has all the love he could ask for.
“Sadly however, Red’s story is not an isolated case.
“Many animals arrive with us when they are literally broken.
“Some have suffered for a long time, carrying physical and emotional scars.
“Animals can’t tell us where it hurts, why they’re sick or why they’re scared.
“It’s our job to uncover what has happened to the animals and what treatment they need.
“Red’s happy ending is the best possible outcome for us.
“To see the broken animals who arrive with us go on to loving forever homes, it’s the reason we do what we do.
“We don’t just fix broken bones we fix broken hearts too.”
The animal charity, which relies solely on public donations to exist, currently has 11 vets who provide round the clock specialist care for the animals.
No matter the cause of the injury, albeit accidental wounds, disease or intentional injury the charity is there to nurture those animals back to heath.
