On a cold rainy evening at the end of April, an emaciated elderly daschund appeared out of nowhere in someone’s front yard in a sparsely populated area of rural Schuyler County, NY. Dragging a 6-foot cable cord, he was barely able to move. He was immediately brought to the Humane Society of Schuyler County (HSSC) in Montrose by animal control, where he was treated for dehydration and started on a feeding regimen to help him gain weight safely.
During the initial consultation with Cornell’s Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program (MSMP) as part of routine outreach services there, “Oz” was diagnosed as being severely emaciated (weighing only 6 pounds) and chronic sever dental disease. Bloodwork was surprisingly normal: the reason for his weight loss was lack of access to food. Oz’s teeth were infected, caked in tartar, missing here and there, with many so loose that some literally fell out. It was difficult for him to eat more than canned food and chicken broth, which made gaining the weight necessary before surgery quite challenging.
MSMP faculty and trainees evaluated Oz regularly for two months until he reached 10 lbs and was deemed healthy enough for surgery. Through the generous funding of the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, Oz was admitted to the MSMP Creating Accomplished Veterinarians and Access to Veterinary Care (CAVS) program and received all of his surgical care at no cost to the HSSC.
Cornell University fourth year student, Emily Bono, helped perform the neuter and the dental surgery, under the supervision of Dr. Lena DeTar, interim director of Cornell’s MSMP. It was Emily’s first time sectioning and extracting multi-rooted teeth. “Ozzie had several missing teeth and severe periodontitis. There was severe inflammation, pocketing, and discharge. Several teeth were mobile. There was also an oronasal fistula in the socket of a missing tooth,” she said. “I learned how extract diseased teeth and preform local anesthetic blocks that help aid in patient pain management.” She also said she would love to participate in another case enrolled in this grant program if she were able. Thanks to Emily’s care, Oz recovered quickly and was soon adopted.
Despite his small size, Oz is now living life large, a real spark plug amongst a pack of several other small, elderly dogs. He is constantly on the go and coming up with new antics to entertain his “mom,” Lynda Pruski, who directs the Humane Society Serving Allegheny County. “I feel so lucky to have adopted him. I met him at his worst, and I knew with some TLC and time this little old guy would be perfect…and he most certainly is,” Lynda says. Georgie Taylor, Director of Schuyler County Humane Society, is very pleased with the whole deal. “The experienced staff of Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program and the funding from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation have truly given him a new ‘leash’ on life.”
