Rescued dog with a disfigured face, is recovering satisfactorily thanks to the love of his rescuers.
Phoenix is a rescue dog who has a different face than other dogs. Skiatook Paws & Claws Animal Rescue said the dog was found on the streets of Collinsville, Oklahoma, trying to find food. Apparently, Phoenix was in the care of someone at some point, but this person failed him and left him to his fate.
The dog was taken to Family Animal Medicine (FAM) in Owasso, Oklahoma, who took care of him. The organization quickly made an assessment to Phoenix, to give an update on the dog’s health status.
“We are investigating all possible causes of Phoenix’s condition and performing laboratory tests to identify the causes of his skin condition. He is bathed frequently and takes medication to improve the health of his skin and provide comfort.”
Dog with disfigured face recovers
At first glance, it seems that Phoenix had suffered a series of abuses, but the veterinarians do not contemplate that hypothesis, because they believe that his condition is due to an illness.
“They provided us with evidence from a previous Good Samaritan who has photos of a progression of Phoenix’s facial deterioration. It is possible that there is a medical illness causing her disfigurement. It is important that we do not automatically assume malicious acts.”
“Animals without homes and proper care, without shelter, food, and water face so many obstacles; especially if they have an underlying medical problem.”
The most recent update on the Phoenix situation shows that he was flown to Kansas to see two veterinarians specializing in skin conditions.
Dr. Karen Trainor and Dr. David Senter are highly-skilled skin disease veterinarians based in Kansas.
These vets were already familiar with Phoenix’s problem when he was rescued. The FAM organization took skin biopsies from him and sent them to Dr. Trainor, who is a veterinary pathologist.
Phoenix was then taken to the Veterinary Dermatology and Allergy clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, where he met Dr. David Senter.
With the insight of these two experts and the work done by the FAM vets, Phoenix is slowly getting better. You can see that she has put on weight, her skin is healing, and she runs, barks, and plays around the shelter, she even sleeps on her own dog couch.
His sweet, shy smile will remain, but the muscles in his head will not return. Sunlight will make her skin swell, but Phoenix’s spirit is strong.
The dog was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), this disease was reached after ruling out the others. As it is an autoimmune disease, Phoenix’s body attacks itself, which makes treatment very complicated.
But the disease is being successfully controlled thanks to the love of everyone involved in his recovery.
Now, Phoenix appears to be recovering remarkably well. Skiatook Paws & Claws Animal Rescue, report on the evolution of the dog and publish photos and videos of his recovery.
