Wednesday, December 30, 2009

LAB LOVERS... BLACKJACK NEEDS YOUR HELP!




Meet adorable Blackjack! This poor baby just can't catch a break. He was dropped off at the local shelter (they said he was a stray, but we know he belonged to someone...) in October. On Nov 11th, 2 male dogs at the shelter attacked him- the gates between the dogs in the kennel runs were accidently opened by a small dog. The vet thinks one of the things that saved him was the collar the shelter staff put on him. Blackjack has completely healed from his injuries except he needs one more thing...

Blackjack has what is called a salivary mucocele. Basically, the dog(s) damaged his salivary gland(s) on the right side. Saliva leaks into the tissues surrounding the damaged gland and pools (in this case in his neck)- for lack of a better explanation. The condition is not thought to be painful, however, the damaged salivary gland(s) need to be removed (they can leave him susceptible to infections and can become very large if untreated). The bad news is the surgery will cost $500!


We were so excited to find out that Blackjack is heartworm negative (which rarely happens around here-another indication that he likely belonged to someone in the past), only to find out he has to have surgery. Blackjack is an incredible boy who already knows how to sit. He will put his paws on you and roll over for belly rubs! Blackjack jumps right into his foster's SUV too and rides very well in the car. The sad part is, his foster home is too full right now and he is having to stay in a kennel/exercise pen for most of the day. It's not the worst thing, but this boy seems to have lived in a home and wants to be with you. Blackjack would love to be part of a family (no cats please) where he can lie on the floor and chew on a bone. Everyone at the vet clinic could not believe how sweet he is. We hope to get new pictures soon (the foster's camera is currently broken- these were taken several weeks ago). He is about 2-3 years old and weighs 85 pounds. He gets along well with the female dogs in his foster home (and didn't seem to have any problem with the male dog he encountered at the vet clinic).

If you can donate even a small amount we would appreciate it so much. This boy is worth it! Please call Allison at 901-240-9848 if you have questions about him!

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