Truly Disgraceful

[gja1000]

My husband spent the weekend at his hunting lease which is out in the country in south Texas. When they (hubby, son-in-law, and granddaughter) got there, they were greeted by a little benji-looking dog. There is a rental house up the road, but they didn't think the dog belonged to them because he stayed down at the camp house with hubby, et. al. all weekend.

My husband called me last night and with a choking, tears in his eyes voice asked me if it was OK to bring the little benji-looking dog home. He said that his long hair was matted to the skin, he had sand burs (stickers) matted in his hair everywhere and was covered with fleas and ticks. But with all this, he was the sweetest, happiest, best behaved little dog he had ever seen. He followed them all over the pastures, he ran and ran and ran with them. He layed on the porch till they went inside for the night and then he was waiting for them on the porch in the morning. He seems to be in good health. His teeth look perfect, they don't have any tarter, so I don't think he is very old.

They did discover that he indeed did belong to the renters in the house down the road. The people asked if he was bothering them and if he was, they would tie him up - outside 98 degrees. Hubby said that he was no bother at all.

So, today when they came home, they just loaded him up in the pickup and brought him home. I have never seen a dog is such a horrible state. Fortunately, we have some professional grade clippers and I was able to get one giant mat on his back started with scissors and then was able to get it shaved off. All the hair on his back came off in one gigantic mat. Fortunately, he wasn't matted on his belly. He had some mats on his legs, but they came off very easily. But he had stickers all up and down his legs - the poor thing, I don't know how he could lay down, they had to hurt him. We didn't even know he had a tail - his hair was matted down to and including his tail - but when we got the giant mat off his back, he had a great little stub tail that sticks straight up!!! Also, he had poop matted to his butt hole - I have no idea how he managed to go to the bathroom.

What you need to know is that for the hour or so it took to shave him, he never moved a muscle. No one had to hold him, he never tried to get away. He sat patiently and let me pull and shave and shave and pull. He never cried, I think he knew we were trying desperately to help him.

Then I put him in the bathtub and he just stood there and let me wash him. I used the sprayer on him, he wasn't scared, he just stood patiently for me to finish. Then we picked off no less than 25 ticks. We treated him with advantage plus.

He will stay with my daughter. My granddaughter is totally in love with him. We will take him to our vet tomorrow. I pray he doesn't have heart worms - if he does we will have him treated.

Guess what! After we shaved him, he doesn't look like Benji anymore. I think he is part schnauzer, maybe some jack russel, but his hair looked kinda like a poodle. Anyway, he looks mostly schnauzer. He is so calm though, it is just a miracle.

My son-in-law took pictures - before and after. I'll post them when he sends them.