Buster is a sweetheart of a guy, despite all that he has been through.  He came to ACT on March 8, 2010, an emaciated bag of bones.  He enjoys sleeping with his foster mom, curled up in a ball, having his ears rubbed, having his back scratched in the spot between where his bones stick out, rolling in the grass on a sunny day, and eating.  He gets along with his canine foster brothers and sisters and has even learned to ignore his feline foster sister.  

 

Buster was abandoned by his previous owner at a veterinary clinic, and he remained at the clinic for 5 weeks before he was rescued.

 

Buster is a purebred Boston Terrier.  How do we know?  When he came to ACT, Buster was so skinny you could SEE his microchip under his skin.  The microchip was never registered, but HomeAgain was able to tell us that it was implanted by a puppy broker based out of Missouri.  When we called the puppy broker, they gave us his birthday (7/24/2004) and ID number, and informed us that Buster had been shipped to a pet store in Los Angeles as a puppy and that we would need to contact the pet store for purchase records.  When we contacted the pet store, they did not want to look up the records and didn't care if Buster lived or died.   Unfortunately, it seems that Buster was born in a puppy mill, shipped across the country, purchased, and then dumped - a story that is all too familiar and has caused countless animals to suffer.  But thanks to a joint effort between the Selma Animal Shelter and ACT, Buster has a shot at life - and a good one at that!

 

BUSTER'S TIMELINE

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3/8/2010: Buster entered foster care with ACT and weighed just 13 pounds.  He was eating, but had really bad diarrhea and was not properly digesting his food.

3/10/2010: Preliminary test results came in from samples sent out on 3/9 and aside from the testosterone test that indicated he was already neutered, they were consistent with a dog that was starving to death and did not lead to any particular diagnosis.

3/12/2010: Buster stopped eating and made another trip the vet.  More tests were performed to rule out certain diseases such as Heartworm and EPI.  All were negative.

3/15/2010: Buster went back in for a check-up and was found to be jaundiced (yellow) and dehydrated.  A blood draw revealed that Buster's body was killing his own red blood cells, and he had VERY FEW left.  So few, in fact, that his blood was mostly clear and pale pink instead of the deep red it should have been.

3/16/2010: Buster had a blood transfusion, which seemed to have helped.  A simple blood test 12 hours post-transfusion revealed that he was not killing the new red blood cells.

3/17/2010: The same simple blood test revealed that not only was Buster not killing the new red blood cells, he was also making more on his own!

3/18/2010: Buster's blood continues to improve.

3/22/2010: Buster is up to 14.6 pounds and his blood is finally back to a normal level!

3/28/2010: Buster continues improve and is on several different medications, vitamins and supplements to help him digest food, fight off infection and parasites and become a happy, healthy dog.  But his condition remains undiagnosed.  His vets believe that once he puts on some more weight, new tests will help to point them in the right direction.

4/8/2010: We are still battling Buster's diarrhea, but he's now up to 16.4 pounds as of this afternoon!  PLUS, his red blood cells are holding strong with a PCV of 37!  Buster is also eating a special prescription diet that is quite expensive.  If you would like to contribute to his care, please click on the PayPal button on the left-hand side of the screen.

4/15/2010: Buster had a relapse at the beginning of the week, with undigested diarrhea and projective vomiting, but by Thursday the 15th, he was back to his old self and up to 16.7 pounds.  Also, the sores on his pelvic bones are completely scabbed over and nearly healed, and the hair is growing back where his front legs were shaved for his blood draws, etc.  

4/29/2010: Buster is up to 17.3 pounds as of this afternoon and has been holding strong with solid stool for the last 2 weeks or so!  Rebuilding muscle is a slow process, but Buster is now able to jump up on his foster mom's bed without the help of doggy steps!  Buster is still eating his special homemade diet and gets 4 meals a day.  We are so happy that he is progresing well, and hopefully someday soon, he will make it up to a "normal" body weight!

5/20/2010: Buster just hit the 19.0 pound mark this afternoon!!!  His "points" on his spine and hips are ALMOST covered, and although he still looks thin, he now has some muscle mass, more energy, and since he's feeling better, his personality is starting to shine through!  Buster is totally a people dog.  He loves to be with people and will follow just about anyone around all day.  He does have some separation anxiety issues, and if he can't go with a human, he makes some "interesting" noises!  We are one pound away from reaching our goal of 20 pounds before we re-run his tests.  New pictures will be up today!

6/2/2010: Good news/bad news...Good news: Buster is 21.5 pounds today!!!  His newest picture is of him on the scale and includes the actual digial reading.  Today is a MONUMENTAL day for Buster AND his foster mom!  Bad news: Buster has had diarrhea for the last 3 days.  Since he's up over 20 pounds, Buster is having blood drawn today to send out for testing.  We should have some results sometime tomorrow.  Let's keep our paws and fingers crossed that his doctors will be able to tell us what is wrong and thus how he should be treated!  More to come tomorrow...

6/4/2010: Buster's bloodwork and urine were both normal.  His fecal was also negative for ova and parasites.  Although that seems like good news, it doesn't really help us to figure out what is causing his problems!  He still has diarrhea, and his vets suspect small bowel disease.  We started a new antibiotic today and we hope it will help!  

6/23/2010: Today, buster weighed in at a whopping 24.1 pounds!  Although he looks much more healthy, his diarrhea persists.  Today, he is at the vet once again for some additional tests.  Since the rest of his bloodwork was pretty normal last time, we are now testing for any tick-born diseases he might be carrying.  Again, it's a longshot since he hasn't had any ticks that we know of and diarrhea seems to be his only symptom, but he is TOTALLY worth the effort!  Results tomorrow...

 

UPDATE 6/26/2010: Buster's "tick panel" came back negative!  And now a word from Buster's foster mom:

 

I have been honored to have Buster in my care for nearly 5 months now, and I am hoping that this will be Buster's final update.  I should start by saying that beagles, not Boston Terriers, were my first "breed of choice" to rescue.  I still rescue beagles, but a little dog named Bosley entered my life in January of last year, and he changed everything.  He, too, is a purebred Boston Terrier, and was only 6 pounds and 3 years old all those months ago when I pulled him from a local kill shelter.  Although now a healthy 15 pounds, Bosley also remains undiagnosed today, but is still the center of my world.  Because of Bosley, I can honestly say I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to take in Buster.

 

I initially pulled Bosley assuming that he had some sort of parasite that could be easily treated and once eliminated, he would put on weight and move on to a new home.  That was not the case.  I love Bosley with all of my heart, and I love all of my fosters.  One of the main reasons I never placed Bosley is that I was afraid he would relapse and his new home would give up on him.  I could not bear the thought.  It would take the Jaws of Life to pry him from me now, but it was a very real concern for me. 

 

Buster went in to see the veterinarian again today to see if they would clear him for adoption.  We spent three hours at the hospital going over his records, symptoms, improvements, etc.  Finally, the doctor gave him the "Okay" for adoption, which is great news!  However, Buster will need a home that will be understanding of his condition and be fully prepared to treat and handle his care in the future.  This will likely include a bowel biopsy and/or exploratory surgery later on down the road.  Buster will also likely have chronic diarrhea, require 3-4 meals per day, and will likely be on and off of medication for the rest of his life.  At this point, his diet also needs to be a prescription food and/or homemade diet.

 

I am not posting this information because I don't want anyone to adopt Buster - I have no intention of keeping him as I did Bosley, but  Buster is near and dear to my heart nonetheless, and I want to make sure the rest of his life is secure.  Buster's illness is not something that we have cured over the last few months - it's merely something that we've made manageable, and he will likely have ups and downs for the rest of his life.  He is starting the interview process tomorrow.  

 

I would also like to add a few notes about Buster's personality.  Since he has been feeling better, and has more muscle and more energy, Buster's personality has grown and changed as well.  He is now sometimes a bit pushy with the other dogs, and has decided that very early morning (like daybreak) is the best time to jump on the bed and start a game with Bosley (on top of me!), which I don't particularly appreciate, especially on the weekends, but I can't help but be happy he feels good enough play!  Since the weather has warmed up and Bostons don't tolerate heat very well, Buster also like to go outside and he has a spot along the side of the garage where he dug himself a little hole to relax in.  When Buster gets really excited, like when someone new comes over, he tends to impulsively "grab" them in excitement.  This can be hands, shirts, pant legs, etc., but for this reason, we are not recommending Buster for a home with small children or where small children frequently visit.

 

I want to thank everyone who made Buster a "Favorite Animal" and is following his progress on our website.  I also want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who made contributions to his care over the last few months.  We always say that it takes a village to save a dog, and in Buster's case, that is especially true.  Buster's tests, medications and special foods have not been cheap, but thanks to everyone's support, we have been able to make it through.  Buster's progress has been amazing, and I am so excited that after his very sad start, he is ready to start the rest of his life where he will be loved and cherished!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,

~Whitney

 

Animal Compassion Team (ACT) is a non-profit animal welfare organization.  All ACT animals are spayed & neutered, given age-appropriate vaccinations, de-wormed, and microchipped prior to adoption.  Animal Adoption fees are as follows:

 

Adult Dog (more than 6 months of age): $125

Puppy (6 months of age or less): $150

Cats and Kittens $50

 

ACT operates primarily out of foster homes, and if you would like to meet a particular animal, please contact their foster parent(s) to make arrangements.  You can also fill out an adoption application on our website at www.animalcompassionteam.com.

 

Thank you for your interest!

A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Animal Rescue Organization

Tax ID # 27-0647770

Animal Compassion Team of California • PO Box 763 Squaw Valley, CA 93675 • 559-272-8696

info@animalcompassionteam.com