Rescue Puppy Willow

Willow has melted some hearts here at White Cross Vets with her loving character and determination to survive. We’d like to share her heartwarming story with you in the hope of raising awareness of what to look out for when buying a new puppy or kitten. Not all puppies are lucky enough to have a saviour like Willows new owner.

Willow's Story

Willow was rescued by her current owner, along with her litter mates from very poor conditions. All of the puppies have now been taken to safety and re-homed.

We met Willow for the first time at our Coulby Newham practice when she was about 10-weeks-old. She came to us in a sorry state with mange and skin lesions covering her legs and face. Her skin condition was so severe that she couldn’t open her eyes. Willow was also extremely underweight and had suspected demodex, a deep skin mite.

Juvenile Scabies is Highly Infectious

When we broke the news to her new owner, maybe the faint-hearted would have given up on poor Willow. It would not be an easy journey to restore her to full health. Juvenile scabies is highly infectious to both humans and other animals so Willow would need to be kept segregated in a separate room of the house at all times. But Willows new owner was determined.

The Road To Recovery

The first step Willow’s new owner took was to join the Complete Wellness Plan. With Willow in such poor health, we knew we would be seeing her every week and joining the plan meant unlimited free consultations. She endured weeks of medicated baths every three days, a course of antibiotics and treatment for almost every parasite known. The flea treatments were included in the Complete Wellness Plan and others were discounted, saving lots of money. 

Did all this treatment and segregation make Willow shy and retiring? Quite the opposite! After just a couple of weeks, Willow was wagging her tail and wanting to play like a normal puppy. She craves human attention and affection.

Getting the Diet Right

Once Willow’s new owner fed her the correct puppy diet, she started to gain weight rapidly. Every puppy deserves the best start in life and it’s so important to feed them a good quality puppy formula – we recommend Hills Vet Essentials. If you are considering getting a new pet, ensure you purchase the right formula for their growing needs. Check out our blog on caring for your new puppy. Once Willow was on her new diet, the change in her was remarkable.

A Transformation

The Willow you see today is a totally different puppy to the one that came into our vets in Middlesbrough a few weeks ago. Her fur has grown back, all signs of the skin condition have disappeared and she’s bouncing with life. Thankfully, she bears no signs of emotional scars from her ordeal. She’s loving and playful as a puppy should be! It just goes to show how resilient a puppy can be when shown tender care and love.

We’re not 100% sure what breeds Willow is crossed with, but judging by the size of her paws now, she’s going to be huge.