Manzy!
Manzy's Awesome Story!
Written by Pet Parent Suzi
When we were working in Virginia a few years ago, we decided our collie 'Callie' was getting up in years, and we'd like to breed her and get one litter of puppies. So, I started looking for a stud dog just to breed her, and in the process of doing so we found a breeder close who didn't offer stud service, but had a few puppies and invited us to see them. So we went.
She brought out 3-4 puppies, and they were very cute. Then she said she had one who was 9 months old who she was going to keep but had decided not to. She proceeded to drag this dog out of a crate off the kitchen. He was scared to death and didn't want to be out of the crate or be touched. I had to physically restrain him to touch him, and as I was petting this big matted hair ball, I could feel how thin and frail he was. I looked at my husband Mark and wispered... 'he's in awful shape and so thin! We can't leave him here... I think he'll die.'
So we gave the lady $600.00 dollars, and loaded him in a crate for the ride home. Thank goodness we'd brought our two dogs with us to comfort him on the 2 hour ride home. I didn't know if he'd even make it that far with the stress it was causing him.
When we arrived back home, we called our vet to have him seen. He weighed in at 22 lbs. He was 9 months old! The vet didn't know if he would make it through, or if he would overcome what he'd been through even. So we started babying him, working with him, loving him. Britt and I took 6 hours one day and cleaned off all the mats, and balls of fur hanging off him. He looked and felt so much better. He still ran to the crate for security, as it's all he'd known.
It took a month and a half to break him from the crate, to where he'd come out and visit us without being petrified. Then we quit the job we were doing and moved to Ohio. There we were able to get a house with yard. He started coming round more. But the seizures began. If he was startled or got excited he had horrible seizures. So back to the vet we went, and learned that due to his neglect and abuse, he had developed epilepsy. And his kidneys were like a 15+ year old dog. They didn't expect him to live a full life. So they put him on Phenobarbitol for the seizures. He takes it 3 times daily. And the vet said to lower his protein intake for the kidneys. So we bought low protein dog food. He was to be checked every 6 months so they could make adjustments if necessary and check his kidneys. His kidney count was 58.
This last summer, we came back home to Montana to settle. When Manzy arrived with my husband, it was time right away for his 6 month check up. So I called a vet here, and had them request Manzys records from Ohio, so they could continue his care. We took him in and had him tested here.... his kidney panel dropped to 42! BIG improvement!! The lower protein was doing something. The doctor was surprised that it had dropped so much. Also, Manzy weighed in at 62 lbs.
Manzy's now 2 1/2 years old, and doing fantastic! He has adopted us as his family, and loves us so much. He has come out of his shell completely, and people who see him fall in love. He's beautiful! And he talks to us. If he could say words, we'd be in trouble. He moans, and makes the funniest noises moving his mouth at us like he's really saying something. Also, he's an excellent judge of character. He loves most people but for those he doesn't like... he lets us know in a big way. He's always right. LOL
Just a note extra: I did write the Humane Society, and Animal control in the town where we got Manzy, and reported the condition we received him under. I also reported that there were other dogs there in worse shape. I feel she was a puppy mill, even though she had a really nice website, and presented a good front. Nice house, out in the country... beautiful pictures on her website... We know the real story. ;)
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