Graphic image: Guppy on the road to recovery

Guppy, a four-year-old Pekingese dog, is on the road to recovery after it was brought to Edenvale SPCA needing veterinary assistance.

On SeptDember 27 Guppy was brought to the SPCA by a family requesting assistance after he was bit and injured by another dog.

As Edenvale SPCA does not have a vet on its property, staff recommended the family take Guppy to a vet in Edenvale to receive treatment.

The SPCA branch stated, in a Facebook post on its page, the family could not afford a vet and asked if they could surrender Guppy to the SPCA.

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After agreeing to take Guppy into its care, Edenvale SPCA took the dog to Terrace Road Veterinary Hospital to receive medical attention.

Samantha Lubbe of Edenvale SPCA said it believed Guppy was injured by another dog that lives on the property where he came from.

Both the dogs were unsterilised males.

“We are led to believe the other dog bit Guppy. We, unfortunately, do not know what triggered this event.”

Samantha said the injuries were so severe that removing his eye was the only viable treatment.

She said the vets explained to the SPCA that by the time Guppy was seen to, his eye already had no moisture and was dry.

The operation to have his left eye removed and prevent any further damage or infection was done on September 28.

While at the veterinary hospital, the vet agreed to neuter Guppy at the same time.

In total, the procedures came to R4 500.

Following the operation, Edenvale SPCA appealed to the community for assistance to raise the necessary funds to cover the operation.

As of October 11, with the assistance of the community, the SPCA had raised R2 000 towards Guppy’s veterinary bills.

To prevent similar injuries among other animals, Edenvale SPCA recommended pet owners sterilise their dogs as a preventative measure.

Samantha said oftentimes altercations may be hormone-driven, and sterilisation reduces hormone levels.

She said some dogs may be predisposed to aggression if they are not well-socialised as a puppy or have not received any form of training.

“It is recommended that all dogs receive some form of socialisation and training.

“As the SPCA, we always recommend to our adopters that all puppies and dogs should go for training, even if it is only for three months,” explained Samantha.

She said if dogs display unusual aggressive behaviour, they should be examined by a vet to rule out any possible medical conditions which may be influencing or affecting the dog’s usual behaviour.

“Should the dog not have any medical conditions, we then recommend consulting with an animal behaviourist to try aid in identifying the possible causes.”

Samantha said when causes or triggers are identified it becomes easier for dog owners to avoid the situations that trigger the aggressive behaviour, and for the owner to re-train their dogs to learn that the aggressive behaviour is unwanted, and to re-train them the wanted behaviours.

Following his operations, Guppy is available for adoption from Edenvale SPCA.

Samantha said when Guppy first arrived at the SPCA he was a very sombre-looking little dog.

“Tail wags were not common, and he was rather wary of all the strange people suddenly surrounding him.”

She said after some time, Guppy climbed out of his shell.

“In no time he became a loveable boy that enjoyed being in close company; sitting on a lap was his top priority,” said Samantha.

She said although Guppy is a quiet dog, he will whine for attention if he thinks he has been left alone for too long.

The SPCA thanked Woofgang Doggy Day Spa for grooming Guppy once his stitches were removed.

Edenvale SPCA reminded those interested in adopting Guppy that meet-and-greets are compulsory and standard adoption procedures will be followed.

To assist Edenvale SPCA with donations towards Guppy’s veterinary bills, the following banking details can be used: First National Bank (FNB), account number 54 680 526 754, branch code 252 442, account name Edenvale SPCA and reference: Guppy.

Alternatively, phone Edenvale SPCA on 011 974 9268.

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