Astro

This picture was sent to us this morning. The message with it read he was considered rescue only due to his skin condition and he HAD to be rescued today from Devore otherwise he was on the euthanasia list. We can not turn our back on this dog. Letting him die in the shelter just wasn't an option so now we need your help. We need to find out what is wrong with him which means diagnostics and treatment, ie blood tests, skin scrapings, medication and who knows what else. We just couldn't let him die, so now we face the challenge of raising the funds to get him the medical treatment that his owner obviously denied him. We need your donations so we can get him help!

Update 10/12/11
We rescued Astro yesterday and were horrofied at how bad his skin and overall health is. He has lost the hair over 50% of his body and is suffering from terribly itchy skin covering his entire body.

Today, Astro went to our vet partner for a full work up. We are running a plethora of tests and skin cytology to find out exactly what is plagueing Astro. He likely has a yeast infection and secondary bacterial infection over his entire body. He will be able to leave the hospital today with a medicated bath and oral meds until we get the test results back.

Astro's story is very sad, he is a handsome 8 - 9 month old, pure bred puppy who likely had a very treatable condition that someone let get out of control, then he was dumped when he was in deplorable condition.

Update 10/13/11
We thought we'd give you an update on Mr Astro's vet visit. He mostly has a bacterial infection (pretty bad - you should see the meds he gets to take!!!) but happily no mites were found through multiple scrapings and only a little yeast - whew we could have sworn (the smell!)

The good news is he doesn't have giardia - he is however, coming down with a nasty cold so we want to get the jump on that. Astro is comfortable tonight with a clean coat and is soundly sleeping on the couch in his foster family's home.

Update 11/22/11 from Astro's foster family:
We've recently posted new photos of this beauty now that he is well on his way to recovery from all the icky skin problems he had a mere month ago. He's been on a reasonable course of antibiotics, he's eating a healthy grain free diet and he gets fish oil, Vitamin D & C as part of his daily regimen.

Astro will make a great friend for nearly any family. He gets along very well w/male dogs as well as dogs of all sizes. He's really about having a good time but he has a medium energy level. He is somewhat typical of a German Shepherd in that he does tend to talk to you - he likes to have a rousing debate once in awhile.

Astro is housebroken, can be left alone in the house uncrated and walks nicely on a leash with a proper collar.

If you are interested in meeting Astro, please contact us via email at ocdogs@coastalgsr.org. Don't forget to fill out our online application.

The minimum adoption donation ranges from $300 to $400. This amount only partially covers the cost of veterinary care, boarding fees, and other miscellaneous expenses involved in the temporary care and adoption of our dogs and is tax deductible.

Prior to placement, all dogs will be spayed or neutered, receive current vaccinations, and are usually microchipped. If not, arrangements will be made on an individual basis. Special consideration may be given to those willing to adopt older dogs or dogs with physical problems.

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