Community dog needs urgent kidney treatment
Published on: Saturday, June 12, 2021
By: Dr Roslee bin Haji Abbas
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THERE are many adorable, harmless stray or homeless animals in every corner of Kota Kinabalu. All they look for is some love and patting but sadly, all they get is a pretty rough life.
Animals have as much right to live as human beings. They deserve to live their lives free from suffering and exploitation. All life is precious.
Dogs are a creation of the Almighty and thus should be protected and not be mistreated. They are creatures with feelings of pain, hunger and sadness. So these animals should receive a helping hand when they are in dire need. It would be good if people were able to see the animals as another living creature rather than a nuisance.
Animals cannot speak for themselves and for that reason we need to protect them. It should be something that we should take pride in and responsibility.
Most of the dogs live in a miserable condition and don’t even die a natural death. The condition of these stray animals is devastating.
They are so common, many of us barely stop to give them a second thought, rather a second look.
However, if we could take out few minutes from our busy schedules, we could do so much for them because these innocent souls have taught us to love unconditionally and that life is beautiful when you share and care.
They accompany us wherever we go. They are like free bodyguards and companion when walking alone.
For them, every single day is about survival. They are ill treated, shooed away and beaten up.
And all they need at the end of the day is a pat and TLC!
This is the story of our friend whom we met many years ago while feeding another homeless dog in the area. We have become fond of her and later named her Jolly. The friend is a stray/homeless dog abandoned, unloved and unwanted by her despicable and callous owners when they moved.
Instead of chasing her away, a coffee shop in the area opens its doors to Jolly each day. Jolly sleeps, eats, rests in the coffee shop and she is the community dog of the area. Pampered, protected, loved and cared. Jolly is grateful for all the love she gets from the Heart team and the shop’s customers.
While the world drives us crazy there is always someone like Jolly and other homeless animals waiting impatiently to heal us and make us happy.
We feed Jolly and other street /community dogs in the area daily. Jolly and other dogs are well fed and they are well behaved. Jolly recognizes our car from a distance. Almost as if she can read the number plate. Observant, hopeful eyes light up at its sight. Jolly knows her name well and respond with respect and affection. Jolly touches everyone’s hearts and she is loved unconditionally by all.
Jolly doesn’t sneak her way in, but rather is invited by open doors after the shop opens for business every single day. This is a very disciplined dog. You can see her by the coffee shop door, greeting you. She’s very calm, social, and everyone loves her and takes care of her. Jolly is treated like a queen.
Every day when we come to feed her, she would run to us with her tail wagging and jump all over us in joy. It is unadulterated love. She becomes a part of our life and a part of the neighbourhood families as well. She would go to one neighbour for lunch, take a nap on another’s porch and have dinner at Heart’s designated spot. She lives a quasi-street-dog.
She’s one of our permanent street/community dogs.
Sadly on May 21, we were contacted by good Samaritans Chelsea and Parissa about Jolly laying under a car quite obviously struggling to stand. She was eating and drinking less and had very little energy. She was laying there for quite a bit leaving her severely dehydrated. She became very weak and developed a fever.
When homeless animals like Jolly fall ill, we take them to the vets and do everything in our power to help. We immediately took her to the clinic and during consultation were told that Jolly most likely is suffering from kidney failure due to old age. True enough, her blood tests and ultrasound revealed the worst - she was experiencing kidney failure. Jolly had lost up to 70 per cent of her kidney function. She was also diagnosed with a laundry list of health issues, including giardia, a parasitic infection and a tick-borne illness.
She was put on drips and given steroids, kidney supplements and antibiotic injections. The vet suggested we continue her treatment at home in a more comfortable environment.
We had to give her subcutaneous fluids twice a day. We could see she was getting increasingly better and less sleeping. The right diet is the most important and successful piece of Jolly’s chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment plan. Since kidney disease often responds to dietary solutions, the food and treats we feed Jolly can make a big difference.
We are now feeding Jolly a specially formulated kidney-friendly food to help improve her quality and quantity of life.
According to the vet a dog like Jolly with kidney disease should be fed a pet food that contains less phosphorus, protein and sodium compared to regular adult maintenance dog foods. The kidney diet should also include omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.
After days of intensive treatment Jolly is feeling strong and healthier, even her bark is back! Her eyes are shimmering with joy and gratitude. Happy endings are the best endings! We are grateful to everyone who in the community who takes good care of Jolly especially Chelsea Aurora, a true heroine who selflessly helped to administer medication treatments and taking such loving care of our community dog Jolly and for being her shining light in the middle of feeling so sick and so weak.
We are currently trying to raise funds for Jolly’s expensive treatments and dietary solutions. Like humans, kidney failure in dogs can be quite a costly affair. Please help us raise the rest of the money needed to continue Jolly’s treatment. (RM3,000)
We receive no government funding and rely on the support and kindness from our community, private donations and charity bazaar to complete our mission.
Heart does not euthanise to make space to house others. We are a no-kill animal welfare group and work to preserve life whenever possible.
We rely on donations from people like you who are willing to spend their hard-earned money to help animals in dire needs.
If you would like to help to pay for Jolly’s medical and dietary expenses please send your money to:
CIMB BANK BERHAD
Account no.
70 3762569 4
ROSLI @ ROSLEE BIN ABBAS
DONATE - JOLLY
And every ringgit helps! Thank you in advance for your generous, big and small (and no donation is too small).!
Have. Heart. Donate.
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