A Humane Officer with Providence Animal Center received a call about a dog in a Pennsylvania park that seemed to be having trouble breathing. When Officer Ron arrived, he was shocked to see a large dog that was nothing but skin and bones.
Now, this sweet dog is recovering and fighting for his life.
“When Officer Ron arrived to our Center with this sweet soul, and rushed him into the medical suite, he asked just one thing of Doctors Croce and Boudwin: ‘I want you to save his life.’ And right now, we’re doing everything in our power to do just that,” Providence Animal Center said on their Facebook page.
The animal center staff endearingly named the lucky dog ‘Sly,’ named after the famous Philly fighter Rocky, portrayed in the movie with Sylvester ‘Sly’ Stallone. And although his name is light-hearted, Sly was certainly in for the fight of his life.
He was in absolutely terrible condition, weighing just 50-pounds, half of what his weight should be.
The veterinary team noticed that Sly’s stomach was shaved, indicative of a previous vet visit. When PAC conducted an x-ray, they saw that the poor dog had a rope toy lodged in his intestines.
They rushed Sly into emergency surgery and removed the blockage, he came out of the surgery with strong vitals and his organs look healthy, but there would be a long road to recovery. Humane Officers are now trying to figure out where Sly was previously treated to find out who abandoned him.
https://www.facebook.com/ProvidenceAnimalCenter/posts/10156130170096257
Sly survived the night and the veterinary team was excited to see that he was even starting to wag his tail. They transferred him from the emergency unit back to the Providence Animal Center so he could rest and receive fluids and medication.
The next day after having emergency surgery, Sly was able to finally eat something for the first time.
“Look who is eating! Can you spot the tail wag?” PAC said in a Facebook post with a heartwarming video of Sly eating a piece of meatball.
That night, he went to a medical foster home with Dr. Gia Croce, one of the doctors that helped save Sly’s life. Helping Sly walk with the use of towels, Dr. Croce family set him up with a plush bed and even took him for a short walk on some soft grass.
Although Sly was safe, it was determined that the intestinal blockage wasn’t his only health concern. After taking a closer look at the sweet dog’s right eye, they discovered that he had a painful corneal ulcer that had ruptured, which means he’ll most likely need to have it removed.
Spending the night with Dr. Croce was a success, but since then, Sly has had his ups and downs.
“SLY had a peaceful night with the ever-attentive Dr. Croce, but he’s struggling today. He’s not interested in his hourly “meatball,” and he’s just not himself. Thanks to your support, we’re doing everything we can to tend to him, treat him and make him comfortable.”
Sly is a fighter, that is for certain – his mood and health seem to change by the hour, but he has a great support team who are watching him around the clock. They are all certain that he will recover and live a long, happy, healthy life.
“Your endless positivity and prayers are working. Sly’s not out of the woods yet, but each moment, he’s closer to a healthier future thanks to our amazing medical team and your support!” Providence Animal Center posted.
If you’d like to keep up with Sly and his progress, be sure to follow the Providence Animal Center’s Facebook page. If you’d like to make a donation to the center for his care, you can do so here.
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