Update 6/9/11:
Van Winkle reached a major milestone in his recovery today – he had ear canal ablation surgery on both ears. Dr. Tim Sellmeyer peformed this lengthy surgery on Van Winkle to remove the vertical and horizontal ear canal, the ear drum and part of the middle ear. His ears had become so severely infected from the horrible neglect he endured that his ears needed to be removed. Dr. Sellmeyer said that both ears were in horrible condition but that his left ear was the worst he’d ever seen. It is likely that this was the cause of his head tilt to the left. We thank Dr. Sellmeyer for performing the surgery at a discount and for Friends of Oakland Animal Services’ for covering this cost.
Van Winkle is looking like a whole new dog! His hair is almost completely grown back and is soft and healthy looking. It started to grow back after he started being treated for his thyroid condition. He’s able to run with no problem because his feet have healed and are no longer swollen and red. And, he’s gained a lot of weight and is even getting a little pudgy!
Video: Van Winkle looking for food before his surgery. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting fed before his surgery!
Video: Van Winkle snoring after his over 3.5 hour surgery today – the dog in the last few frames is another OAS dog “Rudy” who had the same surgery today – also performed by Dr. Sellmeyer.
Update 5/2/11:
Here are some new photos of Van Winkle with his foster family! He’s being fostered by Oakland Police Officer Jose and his wife and daughter and their labrador.
New AFTER Photos of Van Winkle – He’s learning to play and wag his tail! He loves exploring and he’s getting much steadier on his feet!
Van Winkle’s Story:
VanWinkle, a four to five year old cocker spaniel, was dropped off at OAS on Thursday by a citizen who stated he had found the dog on the side of the road. VanWinkle was unable to stand, his nails were curled around the huge clumps of fur and his ears were weighted down with huge dreds. He was literally mummified by mats! Megan Webb, Director of Oakland Animal Services, said, “It was a horrifying sight. He was basically encased in a shell of fur, unable to move or function normally. VanWinkle was one of the worst cases of neglect I’ve seen in 10 years of working in animal rescue.”
Click here for VIDEO.
Animal Control Officer Tanya Strong immediately drove Vanwinkle to PETS Emergency Clinic in Berkeley. They shaved him down to his skin. It took hours and was extremely difficult work. We want to thank all of the staff at PETS for their hard work to help Vanwinkle and Friends of Oakland Animal Services for covering the cost of his care.
VanWinkle is back at Oakland Animal Services. However, his ordeal is not over. He has very little muscle mass because he has gone so long without walking. His paws and legs have turned purple from lack of circulation. And, his ears are terribly infected.
VanWinkle after his incredible care at PETS Emergency in Berkeley.
VanWinkle is going to need physical therapy and ongoing care to recover. Please consider donating to his care here. If anyone knows who neglected VanWinkle, please call OAS at 510-535-5602 with any information.
See new VIDEO of Van Winkle.
Dogs with medium and long fur must be groomed regularly – not just to make them look and smell good but to keep them healthy. Falure to brush and clip these dogs can lead to their fur clumping and matting which can irritate their skin underneath. In serious cases, the dog’s entire fur can turn into a giant mat, retricting the dog’s movement, vision, hearing and even urination/defecation. Oakland Animal Services rescues dogs from all types of neglect, including grooming neglect.
Only one week before Vanwinkle’s rescue, we had another dog who was traumatized by not being groomed properly. This schnauzer was also brought to us as a “stray dog”.
Who could have guessed that a little schnauzer was hiding inside this huge mass of fur?
It was her lucky day when someone found this little girl on the street and brought her to us. Our animal care assistant and groomer set to work.
We named her Sinead. She’s young, about a year old, and she was very patient throughout the entire process!
Look at this pelt!
Grooming is so important. It is not just for good looks — ungroomed dogs can develop health problems such as yeast and fungal infections and are more likely to harbor fleas, ticks, and disease.
After her shave, Sinead got a bath (maybe her first?) She seemed to really enjoy it.
She is so much happier. All she needs now is a loving forever home — with regular grooming!
