Jeremy was found in a ditch at the side of the road by animal control officers who took him to a local shelter.  Needless to say, he was never claimed. Jeremy was a senior and he was in rough shape. He was emaciated, almost hairless and his teeth were so rotten and infected that they were literally falling out.  He was also suffering from a condition called "dry eye", which is quite painful when left untreated.  Jeremy was not neutered and we wonder if he had been used for breeding purposes.

Due to Jeremy's health concerns, the shelter staff requested rescue assistance.  As soon as he came into our care, he was taken to the vet and his blood work revealed that he was in severe liver failure.  He was too sick to undergo a general anesthetic to remove his abscessed teeth, so he was started on a healthy diet, antibiotics and liver support supplements while we continued to watch his blood work closely for several months.  Jeremy's "dry eye" responded well to prescription eye drops and his tear production returned to normal within a few weeks.  Once he was healthy enough to tolerate an anesthetic, Jeremy's extensive dental work was completed, he was neutered and some skin biopsies were taken to help determine why his hair was not growing back.  Cushing's Disease and Hypothyroidism were ruled out, so we decided to wait and see if his hair would start to grow back after he was neutered. 

As it turns out, Jeremy's hair loss was related to an overproduction of testosterone, so once he was neutered, his hair slowly began to grow back. Jeremy is still very thin and frail, but he eats like a horse and he is very happy. Jeremy has now been adopted by his foster parents who are committed to providing him with all the care that he requires for the rest of his life. 

...and two years later...

August 2008

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