A poorly puppy who was moments from death after suffering such severe infections he went BALD is on the road to recovery – highlighting the problems of buying designer dogs.
Little Elmo was on his last legs when he was saved by volunteers from the Shar-Pei Rescue of Great Britain.
The owner of the sweet-natured pup had called the charity because she could no longer care for him.
Elmo was suffering from mange, had a shattered immune system, was on the wrong diet and had been given incorrect medication which resulted in the puppy’s fur falling off.
To make matters worse, his owner gave him two coats and turned the heating up at her home to keep the six-month old Shar-Pei warm.
As a result, Elmo was overheating and dehydrating when the Shar-Pei Rescue of Great Britain came to pick him up.
On their drive back to Malvern, Worcs., volunteers Emma Steele and Lynne Parish had to keep putting him in a bucket of water to help him cool down.
Every 20 minutes for five hours Lynne had to give Elmo water to keep him hydrated – and it saved his life.
Following a number of visits to the vets, Elmo is on the road to recovery and being fostered by Lynne, 45.
She said: “When we picked Elmo up he had eye and ear infections, demodectic mange caused by a low immune system and he had lost all of his fur.
“We didn’t know if he would make it back. We were pulling over to put him in buckets of water and every 20 minutes I was giving him water to drink.
“It is amazing dogs like Elmo can find themselves in a condition like this through no fault of their own and still be your friend.
“I think with Elmo it was more to do with ignorance than mistreatment – people shouldn’t have a Shar-Pei unless they have good insurance or lots of money.
“We have just come back from the vets where Elmo has had his eyes tacked.
“The difference is enormous, he was looking around as if he had never seen before. He is a lovely little dog.
“His mange has now cleared up and fur is starting to grow back. The vets have been brilliant.
“He is on steroids for his skin and eye and ear medication and we are feeding him up. He may need an entropion operation at a later date.”
Elmo is being kept company by Lynne’s son, her Shih-Tzu poodle cross and the family’s giant rabbit which has cuddled up to the recovering patient.
He is frequently visiting Best Friends Veterinary Surgery in Malvern, which is allowing payment for treatment to be settled at a later date.
The Shar-Pei Rescue of Great Britain is now appealing for help to fund Elmo’s treatment.
He is currently on various types of medication, is being fed special £50-a-bag dog food and may have to have a costly entropion operation on his eyes at a later date.
Elmo is expected to stay with Lynne for a number of months before he is well enough to find a permanent home.
It is not thought Elmo was cruelly treated by his owner, but more of case of someone buying a particular breed of dog without doing the relevant research.
People fall in love with the Chinese breed because of their cute wrinkles but they are notoriously difficult animals to look after, with many suffering costly eye, ear and skin problems which have to be dealt with quickly.
He is one of dozens of Shar-Pei helped by the charity each year – some of which have been appallingly abused.
Paul Saxton, who runs the charity, believes potential Shar-Pei owners need to be aware of the breed before they buy them as fashion accessories or to try and make money from breeding them.
He said: “I would advise anyone interested in a Shar-Pei to speak to a breeder or Shar-Pei rescue beforehand.
“They aren’t like normal dogs and you will want a vet who is knowledgeable of the breed.”
To help with Elmo’s treatment, visit http://www.sharpeirescue.me.uk/help.htm or his vets http://www.best-friends.co.uk/
