Half a dozen German shepherd mix puppies recently surrendered to the BC SPCA Shuswap are slowly starting to regain their health.
The BC SPCA says the seven-month-old puppies were surrendered to animal protection officers from a property in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District on June 10.
Eileen Drever, senior officer protection and stakeholder relations for the BC SPCA, says the owner had been trying to rehome the puppies from an accidental litter.
When contacted by animal protection officers, the owner acknowledged they needed help and immediately surrendered the animals.
“We appreciate that the owner of these puppies did the right thing and surrendered them, however, there is no denying that these animals were suffering,” Drever explained.
According to Drever, the puppies were severely underweight and dehydrated, with three in particularly critical condition.
They were assessed by a veterinarian who noted that the most affected dogs were at 7% dehydration, which Drever calls “a dangerous level” as the body begins to shut down at 10%.
All of the puppies were prescribed five days of subcutaneous fluids to restore hydration and most of them are still receiving fluids.
They’ve also been put on a carefully-monitored refeeding plan designed to help them regain weight safely and prevent a life-threatening condition caused by introducing food too quickly to malnourished animals.
“They were extremely thin, yet their bloated stomachs indicated the presence of internal parasites, which we treated here at the animal centre,” said BC SPCA Shuswap manager Meranda Dussault.
She adds that the puppies, despite being only seven months old, have unusually poor dental health with severe tartar buildup and retained baby teeth.
Despite all they’ve been through and are currently facing, Dussault says the puppies’ sweet nature is evident.
“These young dogs have been through a lot, but it doesn’t show,” she explained. “They love people, love playing with each other and in the pool in the centre’s yard.”
In particular, the smallest, skinniest, most dehydrated and weakest of the puppies, Checkers, has stolen everyone’s heart.
“She is super shy, but has started to stroll up to staff, tail wagging and looking for a cuddle,” Dussault said. “She is still tired and weak, but she is getting stronger every day.”
In addition to the veterinary care that each puppy has already received, they’ll each require a spay or neuter surgery before being available for adoption in an estimated two to four weeks.
Click here if you’d like to contribute financially to the care of the puppies. Petsecure Pet Health Insurance has generously offered to match all medical donations up to $3,500.
Drever also has a message for people who find themselves in similar situations to the owner of these puppies before they were surrendered.
“We strongly recommend that anyone having difficulty caring for their animals calls the BC SPCA Animal Helpline well before their animals’ condition reaches this state to see what support is available to them,” she urged.
“Not reaching out for support and allowing the animals to suffer could mean facing charges.”
