Goodbye, Roc! 9/3/22
Yesterday was one of those bittersweet days in the world of foster & rescue...
Roc left South Carolina Friday morning and is headed to his furever home in Canada. He had been a Squad Foster since the day he was rescued on 4/3/22.
Roc's rescue journey has truly been a Cinderella story.
We love and miss you already, Roc!!
Squad Foster Roc
How It Started
Rescued: 4/3/22
Roc had been abandoned outside on a chain. He arrived with fresh wounds, healing wounds, and old scars all over his body. He was attacked by the owner’s two unrestrained female dogs when they were let outside to potty… not once… not twice… but on a daily basis. Roc remained chained, helplessly unable to defend himself from the animals.
Roc’s ears are both mutilated.
His left ear cannot be stitched back together due to the severity of the damage.
His right ear is shredded. His bandages are going to require daily changes while the ears heal.
He is malnourished, and his rib cage is visible through his skin.
Roc has a long road ahead, but fortunately he is in a safe place with the Dog Squad to recover. He will visit the vet again to change his bandages tomorrow.
Despite the cruelty, abuse, and neglect that Roc experienced, he is a LOVER! He has enjoyed sniffing out the front yard, and his tail wags constantly. His spirit is contagious! Roc is also intelligent, and knows basic commands like sit and stay.
Roc’s initial visit to the emergency vet Sunday night cost $750.
With continued veterinary care in the weeks to come, we anticipate additional high medical bills due to the nature of his injuries. We are waiting to learn more about the extent of damage to his ears. He will likely have his left ear surgically removed. Roc is also heartworm positive, and the average cost of treatment is $1,000.
Both Ears Are Mutilated
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Right Ear
Sadly, this is considered to be Roc's "good ear." The outer ear flap is shredded, but still intact to his head. Scar tissue surrounds the entire ear.
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Left Ear
Roc will likely have this outer ear flap surgically removed. The image does not even depict the amount of damage done to this sweet pup. He is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday 4/13/22.
Medical Issues
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Heartworm Disease
Roc has a severe case of heartworm, and will need to undergo treatment. However, treatment cannot begin until his other wounds are treated (ie, ears, surgery, etc.).
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Mutilated Ears
Refer to images above.
He is scheduled to meet with the vet again on Wednesday 4/13/22, and we will learn more about his condition and required treatment at that time.
Update 7/13/22: Photoshoot with Rob MacDonald
Foster Roc Update: 7/4/22
Squad Foster Roc remains on kennel rest while his body heals after heartworm treatment.
Check out the updated photos below- he is looking like a brand new pup!!
Roc Update 6/11/22
For the last month, Roc has been on kennel rest as he continues treatment for heartworm disease. He received his first injection of melarsomine on 5/9/22. Melarsomine kills adult heartworms. This treatment is very hard on dogs, and the effects have been described as being similar to the effects that chemotherapy has on the human body.
Roc received his final injections on 6/9/22 and 6/10/22. He will remain on kennel rest for the next few weeks while the treatment kills the adult heartworms in Roc's body.
He has survived an immense amount of trauma, and while Roc's recovery has not been easy, he is finally shining from the light at the end of the tunnel.
Foster Roc Update 5/9/22
Squad Foster Roc received his first round of heartworm treatment today!
He will receive his second round of injections in 30 days.
What Comes Next
👉🏼DID YOU KNOW? Heartworm treatment is time consuming and costly. On average, the cost of heartworm treatment is 15x more than the cost of 1 year supply of heartworm preventative medication. When a dog tests positive for heartworm, the costly treatment is divided into 3 phases:
Phase 1 (day 0-30): the dog takes an antibiotic for 30 days. This medication kills bacteria which live in the heartworms. These bacteria help the worms survive and reproduce. The dog also takes a heartworm preventative medication for 60 days to kill immature heartworms and prevent new infections from developing.
Phase 2 (day 60): the dog receives the first injection of melarsomine, the drug that kills adult heartworms. This treatment is hard on the dog’s body, and the effects have been described to be similar on the dog as chemotherapy is to a human. This is the treatment Squad Foster Roc received today. He was sent home with Prednisone and Trazadone.
Phase 3 (day 90): one month after the first injection, two additional injections of melarsomine must be given 24 hours apart.
Squad Foster Roc is a survivor. He still has a long road ahead of him, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. His wounds that once covered his face and body are finally healing, and his ear continues to heal following surgical reconstruction. (see images below) ❤️
Keep sending prayers and positive vibes to this guy! The next couple days will be rough.
Foster Roc Update
4/24/22
Roc's left ear was surgically pieced back together on 4/13/22. It is healing better than we expected! The vet previously told us that if Roc's sutures didn't hold, his ear would be surgically removed at the time of his neutering. He is scheduled to be neutered tomorrow 4/25/22. We are more hopeful about his ear prognosis today than we were two weeks ago!
“Roc”ing his new dog blanket donated by a generous supporter- 4/17/22
Roc Update 4/13/22
Roc's surgery today was successful!!
In his 30 year career, this was the worst case of abuse and cruelty the vet had ever seen. He described the surgery as being like “piecing a jigsaw puzzle back together.” Due to the severity of Roc’s heartworm disease, they were unable to neuter him today— the vet was mindful about not allowing Roc to be under anesthesia for too long. He will be neutered on 4/25/22.
Fortunately, Roc’s ear was sutured back together. Fingers crossed that the sutures hold… if they do not hold, Roc will have his ear removed when he goes in for his neuter surgery.
We will continue to post updates as they come!
