4/7/13
Capone is now available for adoption!!! Check out his webpage for more info about him.
3/22/13
Capone saw Dr. Dembinski Paradise Veterinary Hospital on Thursday and he is doing GREAT!!! He has gained 9 pounds in 2 weeks! He has a great appetite and wonderful attitude. He made friends with Chance, the j uvenile diabetes pit bull in Dr. Dembinski’s office (we adopted him out to her vet tech) and a corgi terrier mix puppy that came in while we were there. Happy tails wags and they shared treats too. Capone had his stitches removed, we did a blood test and we are cleared to start flea treatment. For all that has happened to Capone he is great with every doggie that he has met and of course he loves every person that he meets. What a fabulous little boy he is! We hope to have his coming out party in April, we'll post the day and time once it is finalized.
3/20/13
Capone's 1st real walk!
3/14/13
Capone has been through so much the past few weeks with us. He has been treated for the gash down his face with laser treatments and packing, obstruction surgery because he was left to eat sand and junk, neutered and
crystals in his urine.
The gash on his face is healing and now is stitched up, we are feeding him small meals and he is on meds to help him digest after obstruction surgery and he is on meds for crystals in his urine. Overall we are trying to keep him quiet but now that he is starting to feel better he wants to be out and about! We are so happy that he seems to be on the road to recovery! And despite all this is a happy boy! Thank you everyone for your warm wishes, thoughts and prayers for him ♥
3/7/13
Yesterday, 3/6/13 Capone went in for emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. Before he arrived at the shelter he was fighting to survive in the desert and ate plastic bags, small balloons, buttons, sand, etc. See the picture for a small amount of what was in his tummy. Of course, we were not aware of these issues in the beginning but rather concentrated on putting some weight on him and treating the gaping wound on his head. It wasn’t until he was at the ER getting treated for his head injury on Monday 3/4/13, that he threw up a small gray balloon. He continued to eat so we just kept an eye on him. But Tuesday night, 3/5/13 he was restless all night and the foster was up with him taking him out to potty and getting water but he just didn’t seem comfortable (of course we’re thinking it is due to the major hole in his head). On Wednesday, 3/6/13 he was restless and started to cry a small amount so the foster took him out and he vomited a piece of black plastic which looked like a Hefty Trash Bag so now we’re ALARMED. We called our FANTASTIC Vet, Dr. Kim Dembinski of Paradise Vet Hospital and she told us to rush him in. So off we go and sure enough after Radiographs we saw air pockets and possible small items that he had ingested. His colon, stomach and intestine were loaded with sand, plastic bags, buttons, etc. Poor Capone . . . while he was under, Dr. Jennipher Harris who is a Board Certified Surgeon who supports Dr. Dembinski’s patients on major surgeries, closed the gap in Capone’s head, and removed all the foreign bodies in Capone’s colon, stomach and intestine. Capone is receiving iv fluids and medications as we speak but he is not out of the woods yet. He is still very ill and fighting to survive with all that has happened to him. He would have died a horrible death had we not done emergency surgery when we did. Thank goodness that he was not in the shelter when this happened to him. All the food that he has been scarfing up (literally starving) has been pushing all the foreign items through his body until they became blocked. This was very painful yet he rarely made a sound and his tail still, even now in all the pain is still wagging. We LOVE this little boy! He is vomiting a bit now so we are taking him back into the hospital this morning. Also, upon further evaluation from Dr.Harris, she believes Capones head injury was cause by blunt force trauma, secondary to the dog attack mauling. This poor boy has seen it all...
3/6/13
So we know these pictures are a bit blurry but we wanted you all see how well Capone's head is healing. He saw the vet on Monday and he goes in again tomorrow 3/7. If the healing is still progressing as well as it was on monday, the vet thinks they will be able to close most or all of this large wound! You can see it here packed with antibacterial gauze to rid the infection. We will update again tomorrow after his vet visit! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers with this little guy!
3/2/13
Here is Capone coming home from the vet on 3.2.13. He goes to the vet every other day for his laser treatments and he's responding really well. He's still eating like a champ and getting better every day. He is wearing such a big cone so we can make sure he can't squish the front of his face against anything. It seems like his face is starting to itch, which is a good thing - it means he's ... healing! We are hoping there is enough tissue regrowth in his wound to be able to close it up in the next few days. Still, despite all his treatment and vet visits, he is just so happy and sweet. One of my favorite things about him is that he has this little pouty bottom lip that sticks out at you and makes him just that much cuter! Thank you so much to everyone who is following his story and who has donated to his care. We have had such an overwhelming outpouring of concern and generosity for this dog and it's quite an amazing thing to see. This little guy has no idea just how many people love him and are pulling for him. When he's healthier, stronger, and ready to have visitors, we will invite everyone to his coming out party. :)
3/1/13
Capone is hanging in there. The vet is treating the major wound on his head with a K Laser. Laser treatment is painless and it improves circulation and draws water, oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area. He is receiving laser
treatments every day to every couple of days. Given Capone's overall condition we opted for the laser treatment over major surgery. Everyday Capone's bandage needs to be changed because his wound is so infected. With each bandage change the wound is packed with antibiotics and covered. As you can see in his video he is still a happy guy, watch the video to see him exploring the yard!
Thank you everyone who has shared Capone's story and donated towards his care. Capone's treatment will be ongoing and costly but so worth it till his wound is healed. Tax deductible donations towards his ongoing care can be made using the button below.
2/27/13 - Update
Capone arrived at Animal Urgent Care Center & Specialty Group in Escondido this afternoon. Upon our vet, Dr. Siebold's examination, she believes that Capone was mauled by several dogs perhaps a bait dog and that the wound on his head/face is from that mauling. She believes the wound is 7 to 10 days old, it is infected and requires daily cleaning and packing. Beyond the wound on his head Capone came in with bite wounds all over the front part of his body and loaded with ticks. We still need to explore how this wound is effecting his sinus cavities. Capone is spending tonight and most likely several days in the hospital. He is still happy and loving.
Capone's medical is going to be costly with a several day stay in the hospital and at least daily wound cleaning. Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards his care.
2/27/13 - Your Support is Needed
Meet Capone...
We received a plea yesterday from a Coachella area shelter that they just picked up a dog who was tied to a tree in the desert and hit in the head with an ax. This dog, now Capone, is conscious, moving around, wagging his tail, giving kisses and eating. We immediately knew we had to help him. He has been seen by a vet in the Coachella area and we don't believe there are any major fractures however he does have a huge gash down the middl e of his head and he needs medical attention (click here to see his injury, warning they images graphic) . Today, 2/27/13 we are rushing Capone to our emergency vet clinic in San Diego so we can determine what kind of medical attention he needs.
What we do know is treating this handsome guy is going to be costly between x-rays, procedures and most likely surgery. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to help us help Capone.
