American Cocker Spaniel for Adoption

This little girl was rescued from a neglectful home and is receiving medical care; she’ll be looking for a loving home once she’s squared away. She’s round like a watermelon from lack of exercise, and her jelly belly shakes when she plays, so that’s what I call her, Jelly. Since we’re both working on a diet, she’ll be slimmed down when she’s ready for adoption and her new family may want to name her something more suitable.

Jelly was covered in fleas when she was rescued and taken to Canine Corner for grooming. The staff said the fleas were actually embedded in her skin and it took 3 hours to scrub, clip, and fuss over her. Then, Jelly was taken to a vet clinic where she received rabies vaccine, a dewormer, and topical flea treatment. She had a blood test, and we’re waiting for results.

Because Jelly’s abdomen sags, she was likely used to breed a few litters of Cocker Spaniel puppies. We’re not sure if she is still intact or if she has been spayed. We asked the lab who’s testing her blood to look for the presence of leutenizing hormone, which will indicate whether she still has ovaries and is an intact female. If leutenizing hormone is high, Jelly will have been spayed. If leutenizing hormone is low, Jellie will be an intact dog so a spay surgery (ovariohysterectomy) will be scheduled. If Jelly requires surgery, we’ll see to it that she receives laser therapy and excellent pain control after.

Jelly is scheduled for dental treatment tomorrow. We’ll start her on the antibiotic Clavamox tonight and she’ll receive it twice a day for a week or two -- depending upon how infected her mouth is. Jelly will also be given probiotics. Probiotics prevent Clavamox from wiping out the good bacteria in her gut while it kills the bad bacteria in her mouth.

In the last two days, Jelly’s life has completely changed and she’s been an angel through the whole exercise. She walks politely on leash, enjoys being petted but doesn’t demand affection, and rests quietly on her bed chewing a pizzle stick. Her favourite spot is the dog bed at the front window so she can watch outside, resting with her chin on the bumper and staring out at the birds. Last night, Jelly chose to sleep on the dog bed in the bedroom, and she didn’t make a peep.

Jelly may have gotten chubby because she was never taken on walks or she may have gotten chubby because she has arthritis and doesn’t like to walk. To help her lose weight and have comfortable joints, we’ll start her on a raw food diet along with small amounts of sardines, liver &, veggies. She’ll receive Missing Link and we’ll see if she needs joint supplement like Sasha’s Blend or Recovery. We’d like to have her feel like skipping when she’s ready for adoption.

If you’re interested in meeting Jelly, call us at WaterWorkz (604 435 0002) to arrange a play date with Jelly. Jelly’ll be part of the WaterWorkz staff, coming into the clinic with Dr Pollen, until she finds the perfect forever home.