As it so often happens, when it rains, it pours—and right now it is raining tiny puppies who were brutally attacked by larger animals. Two critically injured puppies arrived at Beaufort County Animal Care Services at the same time, and I made the decision to take both of them. We have named them Arlo and Guthrie. Because they came in together and are both critical, they are being shared on one page for now until we get through the initial medical crises.
Both pups have been critical since the moment we took them in, and honestly, I wasn’t sure either would survive. That is why I waited until now to post about them. My focus was on getting them the very best care at CVRC in Charleston, where their surgeons and ICU Criticalists are among the best in the country.
Arlo, a 5-week-old, 5-pound chocolate Lab puppy, was part of a bottle-fed litter after their mother died shortly after birth. He was thriving until a much larger dog accidentally grabbed his head with a chew toy and crushed it. Arlo’s nasal passages, eye sockets, and frontal sinuses are crushed, with bone fragments now communicating with his brain, putting him at serious risk for infection, including bacterial meningitis. He also has significant eye trauma and a pseudomonas infection that we are treating very carefully due to his age. Despite everything, Arlo has the sweetest personality and just wants to be loved, but there are still many unknowns, which is why he remains hospitalized at CVRC.
Guthrie, an 8-week-old Golden Retriever mix, was found on the side of the road in Jasper County after being attacked by a dog or coyote on the coldest night of the year. He was severely underweight and barely hanging on. Although he was initially thought to be stable, something didn’t feel right, and I insisted he be taken to CVRC with Arlo. Thank goodness we did—Guthrie was actually worse off and required immediate surgery. He had multiple bite wounds to his neck and face, an abscess beneath his jaw, and extensive internal damage. His surgeon had to remove a damaged salivary gland and lymph node and place a drain. He remains on heavy antibiotics and under close care.
One puppy in ICU with surgery is costly. Two puppies in ICU is overwhelming. Their medical bills are already significant and ongoing. Please remember when you DONATE that this is for two puppies, not one. Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean the animals in our care stop needing help.
We wish everyone a very blessed Holiday Season filled with much Joy and Happiness.
