CAMDEN, SC.....Sweet Blue is a five-year-old beautiful big blue Pitbull that was picked up after being shot in the head. The owners were contacted and never to get him and then quit taking the calls. For weeks, he waited for his Family to arrive but no one did. The Shelter was going to have to put him down if no one stepped up. I finally caved in when I realized he was not getting the x-rays or the Medical Care he required.
When Blue first arrived, we had him taken to Dr. Bergman at Carolina Vet. Specialists immediately. Based on how he looked, we knew he needed to be scanned to see where the bullet was and how much damage had been done. Drains had already been inserted into the hole he had on his forehead. Blue had some paralysis around his right eye area. He could blink but not like a normal blink. We also discovered he had a head tilt. A Cat Scan was done instead of an MRI because of the possibility of their being a bullet in his body. An MRI uses magnets, and it could cause the bullet to move and cause more damage. The Cat Scan did not show any significant damage to the head or spinal area. It appears the bullet entered and exited on the forehead. Blue has nerve damage around the eye, but it appears it is an old injury from being hit. The head tilt is also attributed to an old head injury.
We have had Blue for almost a month doing thorough Neurological Evaluations to make sure we are not missing anything. He appears to be stable and not getting worse which is what we needed to find out. Blue has several old large sores on his rear-end which appear to be pressure sores. He loves other dogs and cats but does not like an animal running up to him because his perspective is off from his head tilt. Once he realizes where you are, he is fine and wants to play.
While doing all of Blue's scans we discovered he has late stage Heartworm Disease. His heart is showing a small amount of change because of the Heartworms. His bloodwork is also indicative of an animal with the disease. We have already started him on his Heartworm Protocol, which will take approximately three months.
Blue is a big beefy boy that loves everyone. He will make an incredible companion. His Neurological Deficits do not hold him back in the least. We use a special eye gel for the eye that does not blink as often to keep the eye from drying out. We love this beautiful boy and are so glad his Family did not come and pick him up. Something terrible happened to him while he was in their care and we do not want anything bad ever to happen to him again.
Blue's Neurological Scans and Evaluations along with his Heartworm Treatment is quite expensive. Please, Donate whatever you can so we can help more animals like Blue. Blue is very lucky. If the bullet had come in any closer to his brain, he would be Dead. The good news is that it didn't, and he now has a chance at finding Unconditional Love.
