Mack

This is the story of Mack. Mack was born on 9/12/13 as part of a litter of 6. His Mom was a Vizsla/Hound mix and we have no idea who Dad was. He was the largest pup of the litter at birth. As the litter grew and was nursing on Mom, we quickly learned that she was giardia positive (an intestinal parasite). It was an unfortunate circumstance since we were certain she was passing it on to the pups. Since they were so young when they started showing signs of suffering from this parasite, there wasn't much we could do other than wait for them to get to an age when we could treat it. One by one, they fell ill and then re-cooperated once treatment started. Mack on the other hand, did not seem to bounce back like the others. In fact, he fell ill with this parasite more than once in his puppyhood. We treated him each time and suffered with him during his periods of dehydration, not eating, and just feeling yucky. More than once, we had to force feed him for more than a week. He had no energy. We were giving him fluids three times a day just to keep him alive. There was a point where we did not think he would make it for certain. But we weren't giving up on him. I think he knew that, and this caused him to hang in there with us no matter how bad he felt. At 10wks, he weighed only 4.8lbs when his siblings were in the 10-12lb range. Because the parasite took every bit of nutrition we were force feeding him, he was way behind in growth & development. When he finally turned the corner and started eating on his own, he was unstoppable. He would eat every 2 hrs and simply couldn't get enough. We were elated! At 15wks, he was only about 2/3rds the size of his siblings, but he'd eat like a horse and we'd pump him up with vitamins every day. As you can see from his pictures, he is certainly 1 happy pup to be alive! UPDATE: We have now found it necessary to list Mack as a "Special Needs" adopt. After an oral exam, the vet determined that since he was sick for so long during puppyhood, he will need a yearly dental examination. The enamel on his teeth is not as strong as it should be and is chipping off. We've been told that there is nothing to do about it at this time other than give him soaked kibble as meals. He also cannot have any hard treats or toys as that will only promote the chipping of the enamel. He seems very happy and spoiled about this and is healthy as can be at about 55lbs now as an adult :) Our adoption fee is $325 and all of our pets come with full vet records. All animals are up to date on vaccinations & dewormed. Unless otherwise indicated, puppies are NOT spayed or neutered since our vet recommends waiting until 6mos of age to do so. Please keep in mind we are a Rescue Group and most of our pups come to us with little or no background info regarding breed, eventual size, age or prior health issues. We rely on the expertise of our veterinarians and make estimates based on past experience. Also, when you're adopting from a Rescue, you should ask questions! You should always get shot/medication records and the rescue should have had the dog for a bit of time to check for disease. Take the time to educate yourself before adopting. A reputable rescue will have nothing to hide and will answer ALL your questions!!! Please visit our Web Site to see all of the pets we have for adoption. Our site contains information about our adoption process and fees, our application, and answers to frequently asked questions. Please read it carefully before contacting us. If you are interested in adopting THIS wonderful pet, we strongly encourage you to complete our adoption application now. Once we receive and approve your application, we will notify you of approval. The first application to be received and approved will get 1st choice - be sure that your references are available and willing to speak with us. Thank You Visit us at one of our next adoption days. Details are on our site under the "How to Adopt" tab. Hope to see you there!