Lilliput

One of the goals on my 101 in 1001 list was to donate to a needy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and while I would donate to all of them if I could, when I saw this little girl I knew she was the one I was meant to help.

Lilliput in Kernersville, NC

This past Fall, an emergency call came in, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needed to be rescued. When the foster couple arrived at the designated meeting place they were handed a blue bath towel with an emaciated Blenheim curled up inside. This tiny girl trembled in silence as the foster couple returned to their car. She was smeared with blood and excrement. The pale pink Cavalier skin was filthy, and her ears were matted with dirt, leaves and food particles that required most of the hair had to be cut off. She looked so sad with those big black eyes peering out of that blue towel. Her head was tilted against her front paws and she was so weak she could not hold her head up for more than a couple of minutes.

Lilliput was rushed straight away to an emergency veterinarian hospital. She was in shock; her blood sugar was 24 (normal for a canine is 74 to 150). She weighed 5.3 lbs. The veterinary team began working to save her life. First she was given straight Karo Syrup to raise her blood sugar, and an IV was started to hydrate her. This began a very long and expensive road to recovery. Tests revealed that Lilliput had heartworms, hook worms, whip worms and awful teeth. She was so malnourished that the hair on the back of her legs, her neck, and tail no longer grew in those areas. The first 48 hours the foster couple took turns getting up every two hours to force feed this tiny little dog pureed high calorie/protein food. On the third morning they were awakened to the sweet music of Lilliput gently barking. It was music to their ears and they knew she was going to survive this episode.

She was treated over a three month period for heartworms, treated for intestinal parasites, and had 22 teeth pulled. Her weight was problematical and her weight gain was two steps forward and two steps back. One day, the foster couple came home to find Lilliput wedged in a corner, shallow rapid breathing, and rigidly curled up in a fetal position. She was rushed to the emergency vet and once again was give iv fluids to rehydrate and glucose for a blood sugar of 21. After blood work she was diagnosed with EDP (a pancreatic enzyme deficiency that causes the dog to waste away). She was placed on a regiment of high protein, low glycemic veggies, and pancrezine. Lilliput has shown continual improvement, and has gained up to 2 pounds, but as they would say she is brittle, she has good days and bad days.

It is very difficult to explain to someone the horrible conditions of a Puppy Mill – these little dogs live in wire cages all their life, receive small portions of very cheap dog food, and rarely see a vet. The fact that there are only 12 States (North Carolina is not one of them) that have puppy mill laws is unconscionable. Lilliput and other dogs like her have done nothing to harm anyone and in no way deserve the horrid conditions that puppy mills ignore in an effort to turn a profit.

 

 

Due to the horrible environment in which Lilliput was raised and lived for the biggest part of her life, this beautiful 3 to 4 year old little Blenheim with the body of an 8 to 10 month old Cavalier desperately needs your help. The Cavalier rescue has spent thousands to save, diagnose, and treat sweet Lilliput. We are reaching out asking for donation to help off-set these expenses and replenish the funds so that other rescued Cavaliers can continue to receive the care they need.