Thursday, October 27, 2011

Diamond Dachshund to the RESCUE

Diamond Dachshund Rescue of Texas  has taken in around 50 dachshunds and a few dachshund mixes since we started pulling from Town Lake Animal Center in 2010. While each one has a story to share there are a few that touched our hearts a little more than the others.
First is little Black and Tan boy Crash. He was taken by a Good Samaritan to an Austin Emergency Vet after being found apparently having been hit by a car. Stabilized, he was moved to TLAC and was placed under the care of their vet staff. Poor little Crash was unable to stand, weak, and it seemed like humane euthanasia may be the kindest option for him. DDRTX initially declined because of his initial outlook, but Crash and the TLAC veterinary staff refused to give up. He rallied and a couple of days later Dr Ciszny emailed DDRTX with his updated, much more positive outlook. Knowing in her heart that Crash was special, our Austin Area Volunteer Coordinator Debbie made room in her home for him. X-rays and tests at the DDRTX vet showed that Crash had escaped broken bones and was suffering from severe bruising and a broken tooth. Unfortunately tests also showed that he was suffering from heartworms; so Debbie and Crash set about getting him better so he could go through heartworm treatment.



A couple of weeks later an Austin couple was looking on the DDRTX website for a new companion for themselves and their black and tan doxie boy after losing their beloved other doxie companion, and they spied Crash and fell in love. Debbie took him along to the home visit and Crash instantly bonded not only with the couple but with their doxie! After they were approved as adopters they begged to be allowed to foster Crash until his heartworm treatment… of course DDRTX said yes! But this story does not end there… When they brought Crash down to San Antonio to an adoption event so that he could start his heartworm treatment they met Rex, another dashingly handsome black and tan DDRTX dachshund and offered to foster him while Crash went through treatment. A month later Crash was finished with his treatment and came home to Austin. Rex however did not come back to DDRTX and now there are three handsome black and tan doxie boys happily sharing their lives.


Clockwise from bottom: Crash, Rex, and Tracker!
9 yr old Rusty came to TLAC in a very sad situation. He and his 15 yr old female companion were surrendered after their owner passed away. Rusty was overweight, with terrible dental issues (the only thing holding his teeth in his mouth was the inches thick tartar) and his companion was blind and in pain from arthritis. In talking with TLAC staff we agreed that the kindest thing was for her to be allowed to pass over the rainbow bridge and be free from her pain, and that we would take Rusty and get his teeth treated.  Unfortunately, just days after being pulled from the shelter Rusty came down with a serious case of kennel cough. After an initial round of antibiotics, he continued to go downhill and was diagnosed with pneumonia; X-rays revealed a large amount of fluid on his lungs and an enlarged heart, and the vet also diagnosed a heart murmur. But his fighting spirit never died and with a combination of nebulizer breathing treatments 5 times a day, diuretics, and more antibiotics Rusty rallied and was deemed healthy enough to go to the DDRTX kennels at the home of our Executive Director to get a dental. But just one day after arriving at the kennels the difficulty in breathing returned and he was rushed to the vet. This time we feared congestive heart failure which, combined with an infection in his mouth from his rotting teeth, may be too much for him to fight. But again Rusty rallied and got better enough to have his teeth cleaned, some removed, and the infection cleared!



Feeling much better Rusty decided that he would much prefer a couch to a kennel and made his feelings clear! However, luckily for Rusty a spot had just opened up with the DDRTX coordinator in San Angelo whose home we lovingly call the West Texas Dachshund Retirement Home. Rusty settled right in rearranging the blinds, killing stuffed toys, and sunbathing on the deck. But this was not the end of the drama in Rusty’s life… this summer he was evacuated with several other Diamond Dachshunds when his home was threatened by wildfire! But Rusty took it all in his stride with the fighting, loving attitude that won us over when we first met him and TLAC.



Dachshunds are awesome little dogs with the spirit to make it through ANYTHING as these two stories prove!

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