You may have seen photos of Hawkeye on SHAMROQ's main page, or caught his story on 7 Local News Mackay. Hawkeye was unclaimed in Mackay pound, in terrible condition and was very shut down. SHAMROQ stepped forward to bust him out and with the help of his amazing temporary carers in Mackay, North QLD, Hawkeye began his long journey from sickness and neglect to his eventual furrytail ending, which we
are determined to give him. The extent of his condition is incomprehensible. We have to ask...how does someone allow their dog to get in this state? This is not a recent thing...this boy's condition is a result of long term neglect. The pound initially thought that Hawkeye was very elderly, but upon examination, vets believe that he's actually just 4-5 years old. Although he's quite small (we think he's Malamute x Husky) - he weighs in at around only 20kgs. His skin is smelly, mangy, ye**ty and raw, his body covered in crusty scabs and pus and the tufts of hair that he still has are matted. The vets were initially unable to perform a scrape test for demodex mites because Hawkeye's skin was so sore and sensitive that he could barely be touched. They suspected either mites or a skin allergy, but the secondary infection made him extremely sick. His condition also suggests that he may have issues with his thyroid and he has conjunctivitis. After almost two weeks of intensive care, some eyedrops, pain meds, a course of antibiotics, a grain free diet and daily Malaseb baths, Hawkeye was able to undergo skin scraping and we are pleased to confirm he is not suffering from mange. He unfortunately had to have the remainder of his coat shaved - but there was so little of it left and it was in such poor and matted condition that it was actually causing him pain, so as much as we advocate against shaving double coated breeds unless medically necessary, we are positive that in Hawkeye's case it was necessary. Despite his ordeal, and the agony and discomfort, Hawkeye is just the sweetest boy. He gave Bec a grateful wooooo-woooo and a kiss when she collected him from the pound. He gets on well with Bec's dog and has also met a female Malamute who he is absolutely smitten with. Much gratitude goes out to the wonderful Better Pet Vets, who have been providing Hawkeye with the care he needs whilst he is in Mackay. And to his wonderful carer, Bec, who has been just amazing and a huge part of his journey. Very soon Hawkeye will begin his journey to SHAMROQ headquarters in Brisbane, QLD, where his ongoing care and monitoring will be handed over to the wonderful Boondall Vet Surgery, along with the SHAMROQ team. We will keep you updated with his progress on this page, as well as on the SHAMROQ main page.
