Rescuing a Dog from the streets of Venezuela

We were recently contacted by a fan of DogPack in Venezuela, a Surgery Specialist Resident, Josebeth Risquez, who has one of the most incredible rescue stories we have ever heard. Along with her finacé, they rescued Sasha from the streets and helped heal her back to a healthy life. We hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as we did.

"The first time I saw this little beauty, she was on the streets. She was alone, grubby, full of ticks and seemed very sad. I fell in love immediately, so I decided to take her to my place for some basic care. I started by trimming her furry coat and giving her a warm shower with medicated zinc oxide shampoo to stop that ugly dermatitis under her belly. She had ticks all over her body, even close to her eyes. There were more than 100 ticks. Don't worry, Bravecto (a standard treatment for ticks) did the job. After a big bowl of fresh, clean water and a portion of delicious food, she was ready to take her first nap. A few hours later, I noticed some parasites in her stool (very typical in rescue dogs), so I gave her an all-purpose dewormer. She didn't have much of an appetite, but I assumed it was expected because of being surrounded by strangers. Everything else seemed under control. 

On the morning of the third day, she started bleeding everywhere. She was a mess, and I had a panic attack and took her immediately to the vet, only to find out she was under an episode of "thrombocytopenia" due to an advanced stage of ehrlichiosis. For those who are dog owners, we all know how dangerous and fatal hemoparasites can be. A blood test revealed a platelet count of 80 mu, far below the minimum 200 mu, and of course, an overall anemic condition caused by the disease. I got deeply depressed with the prognosis, and the medical vet (who is my friend) suggested I euthanize her.

Due to my experience with dogs, giving up was never an option. I can't explain why, but I decided to fight that disease with her and stay by her side. My fiancé and I decided to name our new pup Sasha. After the visit to the vet, I took Sasha, went home, and started applying intensive care, consisting of a daily dose of Vitamin K to stop the bleeding condition, iron-folic acid syrup to treat the anemia, a 28 days doxycycline recipe and my patented super golden chicken soup for sick dogs (which is really just regular chicken-carrot-potato soup but super concentrated and full of love!) She couldn't eat independently, so I fed her with a 20 ml syringe. It was hard, and I was really worried, but we continued believing it would work.

But my Sasha never gave up. Three days later, she stopped bleeding (that felt like a miracle!), and by the end of the fifth day, she was eating directly from my hand. From that moment, everything began to improve. After completing the 28-day doxycycline period, she has a solid 160 mu platelets count, which is still low, but out of danger. She is still taking vitamins to overcome the anemia. She loves chicken, exercises regularly, plays with us, and, most importantly, has a warm home that will love her forever.

Now, I know what you must be thinking, something like "what a good person for saving that poor dog etc. etc." Well, let me tell you what I believe. That poor dog… my girl… Sasha... saved me."

We can all agree that Josebeth is an amazing human being with a heart so big. Sasha's story is inspiring and beautiful, and she couldn't have stumbled upon a better person to welcome her into a loving home.