It was a hot, humid July day when I brought him home. As he lay there curled up in a ball I thought there was no way he could make it more than a few days. My plan was to keep him comfortable and show him the love he so desperately needed until it was time for him to cross the rainbow bridge.
No telling how long he had lay there in that hot, stinking house with hair so matted he couldn’t move. Once all the knots and mats were shaved all that was left was a tiny, frail body of skin and bones.
Part of his right hind foot is missing and had an open wound that was terribly infected. There was a piece of string tied tightly around it to the point of cutting off any blood supply to the area. WHY would anyone do that to him? What were they trying to accomplish with that string? He had a huge tumor on his abdomen and several front toes that appear to have been broken at some point and never healed correctly. The poor baby must have been in so much pain.
First thing I did when I got him home was give him Nutrical and sips of water with a syringe. With only 1 tooth and no bottom jaw I wondered whether he would be able to eat solid food. Upon closer inspection of his mouth I discovered he has a fistula along his upper gumline leading to his sinus cavity. I have never seen anything like this.
With the overwhelming odor there was no choice but to immediately bathe him. He was not crazy about being handled at first, but was cooperative. After a nice warm bath I wrapped him in the softest, fluffiest towel I could find. I cuddled him and told him what a good boy he is. Then I put a t-shirt on him to keep him warm. I put him down on a little dog bed to let him rest.
He had the worst case of tape worms I have ever seen. They were literally falling out of him. I had some worm medicine on hand so I administered the first dose. At that time I remember wondering whether I was doing the right thing. Was it too much for his weak little body to be wormed? I just wanted his last days to be comfortable.
I stayed up late with him that night cuddling him and periodically giving him little dabs of nutrical on his tongue and sips of water with the syringe. Finally at around midnight I put him in his little bed and decided to call it a night. As soon as I got out of his sight he began to cry. After several trips back and forth to the living room to turn the light on, turn the tv on, and put soft music on to try to soothe him, I decided to lay on the sofa so that he could see me from his bed. That’s all he wanted. He was content as long as I was with him. We both went to sleep.
I spent the next several days nurturing him. I decided to name him Peanut. The name fits him and his personality. Peanut soon began to eat solid food and drink from the bowl without help. I continued his daily nutrical supplement. As days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months Peanut became stronger and healthier. Three rounds of worm medicine took care of all the worms. Several rounds of antibiotics and his foot finally healed. Twice a week baths and coconut oil skin treatments healed his skin nicely. His fur came in thick and soft. He went to the vet and had all his vaccines, was neutered, and had the abdominal tumor removed (which was benign; thankfully).
Nowadays Peanut spends his days hanging out with his brothers, Romi and Cocoa. They enjoy napping on the sofa, sunbathing at the back door, barking at birds that land in their yard, getting their favorite treats, and going bye-bye with mommy and daddy every chance they get. Oh, and Peanut’s MOST favorite thing is his lap time with mommy, which he gets lots of.
Update: After several months of physical and neurological decline Peanut went to the Rainbow Bridge on 6/21/2021. This sweet boy was a blessing to our family and was loved by all who knew him. We feel blessed and grateful to have made his last days on earth peaceful, comfortable, and filled with love.