Sweet Brutus turned 11 years young in April, and today, his giant breed body said it was time to leave us.
RIP you amazing boy. You have been such a joy, and it was an honour being blessed with your incredible spirit, heart, and soul.
Brutus
Our 4th Annual ‘Won’t You Be My Valentine’ Fundraiser is live!
LAST CALL!
Our Annual ‘Won’t You Be My Valentine’ Fundraiser is live!
Running through until the end of the day tomorrow, February 15!
Please help us give each doggie a special Valentine!
Thank you to everyone that has become a Valentine Angel to date, and to those asking, here is our email transfer address to send the vet bill part of your generous donation: contactbhrr@gmail.com
Please let us know if you would like to be a Secret Valentine!
Thanks in advance for any consideration!
THE ONLINE FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER FOR BHRR IS NOW LIVE!
Over 200 items!
HERE IS THE LINK TO JOIN!
Post from the wonderful organizers!
“Welcome to the online Fundraiser for Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation.
A HUGE thank you to all of the local businesses and individuals who donated to make this auction possible.
100% of the proceeds raised will go to the rescue.
All the donated businesses have been linked in each item, if you are interested in an item, please consider clicking on their Facebook page and Like/Follow them.
Please read through all of the auction guidelines below.
Auction Guidelines:
1) There is a starting bid on all items
2) Please bid in a minimum $1 increment (just to clarify, you can bid any amount as long as it is a minimum $1 increase, it can be $2, $3, $4, $5 etc.)
3) The auction closes Sunday, October 9th, at 8 PM.
4) The winner will be contacted via Messenger with a pickup location, there are pick-up locations in Brockville (North End), Oxford Station, and Kanata.
5) Payment is due immediately following the end of the auction once notification has been received that you are the successful bidder
6) Payment is due via eTransfer to carol_bruck@hotmail.com
No password is required.
Happy Bidding, and thank you for your support!
Please see the album below to bid, thank you for your support and generosity for those currently in the rescue and those to come.”
BHRR’s Brutus was back at the vet yesterday.
He now weighs 125.85 pounds.
He is no longer emaciated.
AND now we monitor his weight closely as we do not want him to gain more. We may do further bloodwork to test his thyroid if necessary as since December despite a strict food/treat/exercise regime his weight went up more than we expected.
Unfortunately, he is still battling skin issues around his neck area plus eye and ear issues.
The rest of his body has healed beautifully yet his neck has not.
It begins to heal and then flares up again.
He has been on special shampoo – ProHex, Apoquel, Cytopoint, special food, constant antibiotics for skin, eyes, and ears.
We have done tape tests, skin scrapings, cytologies and we repeated everything again yesterday plus discussed submitting samples for culture & sensitivity.
We did another tear test on his right eye and the low normal is 18 and he is 13.
Until we can get his healthy stabilised, he cannot be placed up for adoption.
He had rampant issues coming into rescue and his rehabilitation journey is a slow one.
Any donations to his mounting vet bills can be sent via PayPal gwen@birchhaven.org or via email transfer to contactbhrr@gmail.com
BETTY WHITE CHALLENGE: January 17th, 2022!
TO DONATE TO BHRR IN HONOUR OF A TRUE ANIMAL HERO: PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org OR Email Transfer contactbhrr@gmail.com
Even $5 would mean the world to the animals AND us!
Thank you in advance for any consideration to help us in 2022 to continue to help those in need of our highly specialised programs!
Happy Boxing Day!
BHRR’s Brutus! (~8.5 year old American Bulldog).
He was back at the Vet on December 24th as we are still battling all of his skin, eye, ear issues.
Poor boy.
He came to us in such terrible shape, and we have made incredible progress yet he is still a long way from being ready to be considered healthy.
Great news his weight is now 55.9 kgs(122.98 pounds). He has put on just over 10 kgs (22 pounds) since he arrived.
He is a powerhouse of a happy friendly boy!
He loves people, cats, dogs and it saddens me to think how many are scared of him.
He does not hear or see well and he is so social plus affectionate.
He was placed on yet more Apoquel(1.5 tablets daily), more antibiotics for his skin plus ears/eyes, and a new shampoo. He remains on his fish-based diet and gets only specific treats.
We have learned that he has a contact allergy so are very careful about collar wearing – no metal ‘o’ or ‘d’ rings etc., what his blankets and dog coat are washed in etc. We do not have carpets in our home so that is excellent and all dirty pawprint rugs are washed regularly.
BHRR does not place up for adoption unhealthy dogs. We are patient!
Thank you to all of the Christmas Eve/Day Santa helper angels who donated funds to help us pay off – ~$750 – what we owe by end of the year.
We still owe almost $250….yet we are so close now thanks to your caring hearts!!!
PS: yes, Mr. Brutus is wearing a feminine collar – borrowed from one of the other BHRR dogs – as we do not have one for him. He still looks so Uber handsome!
BHRR Doggie News Update!
The picture is of Mr. Maxwell sunbathing! So freakin’ handsome.
1) Mr. Maxwell had a repeat urinalysis on Wednesday, October 13th has he had begun to have some inappropriate urination episodes. Nothing alarming was noted, yet his vet elected to put him on Zeniquin in case he has bacteria in his prostate(he was neutered late in age) that is causing issues. Additionally, with how brutal his past has been with UTI’s, his vet wanted to be cautious.
The home is working to ensure that he is in a SA free enabling environment too to assist in dealing with any behavioural causes of the urination accidents.
2) Mr. Brutus had his own recheck the same day – He remains on Apoquel 16 mg SID, his antibiotics have been switched to Amox-clav from the cephalexin he had been on for a month as his skin had stopped responding.
His eye medications have also been switched up again as his eye infections have also stopped responding to his previous meds.
His ear infections seem to be responding ‘ok’ at this time to the medications.
He has been putting on the weight plus muscle and WOW, what a gorgeous boy in temperament plus behaviour. We see no reason once he is healthy, why he could not be placed up for adoption.
3) Miss Jamila – she went into heat October 2nd – so unfortunate that she was so ill when she arrived as she would have been spayed that first week of September. This puts her at continued high risk of pyo and mammary cancers.
Her ears and eye infections continue to be treated, and thanks again to Carol Bruck for her donation to have Miss Jamila be Miss August in the 2021 Calendar being so generously put together by Katherine Bruck!
Last I heard there were still two calendars available for sale – Katherine will have to confirm this though.
4) Gwen is also working hard on Miss Rosie, the special needs redbone/black/tan houndx – Gwen has been in touch with the O., and working on getting her into our rescue on Thursday.
5) Mr. Rocket’s big announcement has been delayed as he had a seizure episode the night of Saturday, October 16th. He had not had anything prior nor has he had anything since.
6) Mr. Romeo remains soon to be making his own special announcement.
This past week saw over $2,100 in vet bills accumulated, and may this next week not be as expensive.
Mr. Brutus was at the Vet today for a recheck.
He weighed 49 kgs(107.8 pounds). He is eating three meals a day – fish-based food due to his allergies. Still quite thin.
The Vet did a tear test on his right eye, and he does have dry eye. He changed up his eye medication to Maxitrol. It contains a steroid, dexamethasone plus two antibiotics, neomycin sulphate, and polymyxin B sulphate. The Tobramycin he came with sadly, was not working.
He is also now on an eye lubricant. Lubrithal Eye Gel.
The medication will be used on both eyes.
His right eye has more entropion than the left, and we will revisit once the inflammation goes down plus when the cloudiness clears up re: if he requires surgery.
We did an ear cytology plus thoroughly cleaned his ears. He has yeast plus bacteria in both ears, and KT treatment was used.
The antibiotics for his skin – Cephalexin 500 mg BID will be extended another week for his hot spots, especially on his neck.
He was such a GREAT patient!!! So many admirers he had today! So many amazing compliments on his fantastic temperament.
Despite, him looked like a ‘hot mess’, everyone could see just how gorgeous this boy is!
We are working on his flaky, dandruff-filled dull coat too…..he is beginning to have some tiny areas of new hair growth coming in, so progress!
He will also remain on 2 tablets of the Apoquel 16 mg daily and re-visit once this round is finished.
The shelter had given him Cytopoint injections and that is good for a month.
He was so sad in this picture – a bit blurry, I know! – as we left all of his newfound friends behind! He liked being the centre of attention, AND he is super nosey! LOL Wherever there was action, he wanted to know what it was all about. He has such a delightful personality.
Quiet and calm yet a bull in a china shop with those lack of leash manners! That is a work in progress!
We are STILL ISO: a foster for this outstanding senior.
Got him!!!
We see zero Dane in his physical traits, just 100% stunning American Bully….it also always makes us giggle when people say a dog is huge and when we see them, we are like ‘what a nice wee giant!’ The weight on his paperwork is 56 kgs(123.20 pound), AND he is skinny.
We will be at the Vet for a visit ASAP, and we will post an update on his medical conditions. He is booked for September 27th. He is on Apoquel, Cephalexin and has eye drops. He was given cytopoint injections this week – 130 mg at the shelter. The shelter also generously neutered him on Tuesday, September 14th, and sent us a kind message afterward that they did so! What a lovely surprise! How unbeliveably kind is that of them to save our rescue funds from having to neuter him ourselves.
This transport was very heartwarming today!
So many wonderful souls came together to make this rescue happen….I remain humbled by the big kind caring hearts of so many!
Sean should have him in less than five minutes!
The pics sent today of the transport and the words re: how much of a gentleman and old soul he is, has been so touching.
We see American Bully ALL the way.
This pic cracks me up!
You can for sure see that he is an American Bulldog in this pic too…the shelter said he was an American Bully/DaneX.
Not much Dane noted in this pic….cannot wait to meet him!
Skinny boy….the shelter did tell us he was skinny…
Traveling great per the Volunteers!
He is proving to be an excellent companion to his fellow traveling companions – all heading to their own rescues – ferrets, newborn kittens, turtles, and a small dog.
He is on his way!!!
Mr. Brutus!
The senior 8.5-year-old special needs American Bully/DaneX.
The next in need!
This is ‘Brutus’, an 8.5 year old DaneX, special needs that was slated for medical euthanasia as the O. cannot afford his care.
The wonderful shelter posted hoping for a rescue spot to be found for him and thought it would be a long shot….yet, Sean tagged Gwendilin Boers and we immediately stepped up!
He is said to be a sweet senior, utd on vaccines, hw and flea prevention, microchipped, heartworm/tickborne disease tested
Said to be good with dogs – lived with another dog, good with kids(children in the prior home), has been great with all shelter staff, no resource issues, housebroken.
Listed medical conditions from the shelter:
‘Skinny. Chronic skin and ear issues (ongoing for years) that had never been treated. We started him on antibiotics, Apoquel, medicated baths, and ear meds. He was also given a dose of steroids and preventatives that cover mange and we have ordered Cytopoint injections for him. No sugar coating it – his skin and ears are really an absolute disaster.’
This will be our fourth rescue for 2021, and look at that face…..precious.
We are presently working on the details of his transport.
We will post more as we can…..
