I got Nikki from an elderly friend that had a stroke and ended up in a nursing home until her recent passing. She got Nikki as a rescue 3 years ago. He came from a yorkie rescue. When I had his vet records transferred to my vet, they gave me his adoption paper. On there it mentioned he had Lp in his right rear leg, Nuclear sclerosis in both eyes (age related) and dental loss. When I first met Nikki about 16 month ago his breath was so bad you couldn't get near him. His owner was not able to afford his vet care so I took it over. He needed all his teeth pulled as they were rotted to the bone. He also needed extensive gum work. I was really surprised that he was let out for adoption with those terrible teeth. Poor Nikki suffered for 2 years that we know of before getting his teeth all taken out. He is a tough little guy who is estimated to be 16 years old now and other than his teeth and has no other major issues.
As far as shelters, the one I volunteer at goes the extra mile as far as vet care for every cat and dog. I do all the data entry for the Animal Health dept so I see everything they do. These dogs and cats are taken to the specialists when needed and are vetted for minor things like sneezing and runny noses. The staff is a very dedicated loving group and they know each animal and their needs. This may be the exception but I have been very impressed with this shelter. |