Who’s rescuing whom? Agapi saves the day… or at least the night

'Need my help?'

For a bunch of reasons I’m under a fair amount of stress these days, 8,000 miles away from my husband, my dogs, and my “real” life in California, so it’s not surprising that one side effect might be nightmares during which I scream out loud.

What did surprise me, though, last night, was that my recently rescued, now foster pooch Agapi, whose care and uncertain future are two of the chief reasons for my stress, and for whom existence itself was more or less a living nightmare until a couple of months ago, and who is still frightened of many if not most things—it was a giant surprise that this dog gulped down all his own fears to come to my rescue.

When I say fears, here’s an example. After leaving his harsh life on the streets of one Greek village to come live with me in a different Greek village, Agapi needed hours of just hanging around near the car, with me liberally doling out cookies and belting out show tunes like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” (you’d think the torment of hearing my singing voice would have motivated him to comply sooner) before finally overcoming his trembling terror enough yesterday to jump into the backseat. Of course he just wanted to jump right back out again, but still, quite a milestone. 

'Is this car thing absolutely necessary?'

My nightmare was silly. I think it involved wild, voracious rats swarming the kitchen, which thank all the house restoration gods is one thing that has not yet happened at our decrepit old place here on the island of Kefalonia. (I love rats but if they’re going to be in the kitchen would prefer them to be domesticated, well-fed, and in smaller numbers.) 

Silly though the nightmare may have been, my reaction to it was rather serious, with a lot of hollering at the top of my lungs.  

Logically, you’d expect many animals, especially severely traumatized ones, to run the other way. But while waking from the bad dream, I heard commotion and clatter, and opened my eyes to find someone standing over me. A large, furry, and worried someone.

My shrieks had apparently inspired Agapi to fly off his bed a few feet away from the sofa where I’ve been sleeping lately, and leap with all fours up onto the coffee table next to me. The living room is a mess and there was too much junk around for him to quickly find a floor route, so he had taken that shortcut to get to my side as fast as he could.

Scene of a rescue

Through the dim dawn light I saw him above me blinking in surprise, but with every muscle in his body tensed and ready for action.

Those eyes seemed to be asking, “Hey, what happened? Need help?  Is there somebody I should bite?”

He looked even more puzzled when I laughed, sat up, and hugged him. “My hero!” I cooed over and over.

In the confusion, one of his hind paws slipped off the coffee table, so I had to reach out and stabilize it to keep him from falling.

He took advantage of the situation to wash my neck and an ear, something dogs tend to do when they want to reassure themselves and their pack mates.

That’s what this animal rescue thing is about, I realized. It’s not just me rescuing and reassuring him all the time. We’re taking turns.

'Do you think you can pipe down with the nightmares now so I can get some shut-eye?'

More on why I'm in Greece:

How I got stranded in an old, cold, leaky house all winter 

More on Agapi:

A bloody dog standing in the road: What do you do?

Safety versus guilt: The animal rescuer’s dilemma  

Dog rescue styles: Ms. Savvy-and-Sensible versus the Wahoooo Cowgirl

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog  

A matter of hope: lab results tomorrow to determine ill street dog’s fate 

Curing a street dog of two deadly diseases might be easier than finding him a home 

Vet’s instructions for curing rescued dog’s wicked disease 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Anxiety attacks? Blame the dog

Our girl Kisses  (Photo courtesy The Saint)

When you’re a writer, you try to look at any misfortune in your life as a type of blessing, because once you know how it feels to go through whatever it is, you can write about it with more authenticity.

The operative word there is try. Succeeding at viewing misfortune as a blessing is quite another matter. Right now I’m failing at it. There are some things I’d just really rather not go through, no matter how great a blessing they may be in disguise.

As one example, let’s take anxiety attacks. Definitely not on the list of things about which I’d say, “Sure! Lemme go through some of those so I can see how they feel then write about them with more authenticity. Yeah!”

To tell you the truth, being blessed with nerves more or less of steel, or at least pretty solid aluminum, I never understood the whole anxiety attack thing. I even thought they sounded silly. When friends cried on my shoulder about being plagued by this ailment, I was sympathetic and genuinely felt awful for them, but on the inside, I admit I was secretly rolling my eyes. “Oh, for criminy’s sake, grow up already,” it was tempting to instruct. “Don’t let life get the better of you. Chin up and forge ahead.”

In my heart, I was mean. I was judgmental. And boy, was I was stupid.

Blame it on a dog

As usual, there’s a dog to blame for this life lesson. She’s one of our large herd of rescued ex-street pooches at home with The Saint (hubsy) in San Diego. Her name is Kisses. I can’t even type it without crying. Last week a veterinarian said she might have only a year or less.

Even if she didn’t have an elevated calcium level, and even if that wasn’t possibly indicative of a tumor somewhere in her body, at her age, which is 12 or more, you can’t expect a long future.

Our boy Diogenes (Photo courtesy The Saint)

In addition to her there’s Diogenes, another senior, and none of the rest of our brood are young anymore either.

They’re in California. I’m in Greece. Between us lie 8,000 miles, and at the very least another month.

The freight train

While The Saint explained via Skype the results of all the vet’s tests on Kisses, including blood work, ultrasound, and x-rays, I listened calmly, rationally, thinking of important questions we should ask, and remembering to thank The Saint for taking such excellent care of everybody during my ridiculously extended absence.

Of course I had a good cry after we hung up—a normal, healthy response. Then I had to pull my chin up and forge ahead with feeding/medicating/walking Agapi, the ill street dog I rescued in September. That’s also a normal and healthy response.

It wasn’t until I’d come back inside and was innocently washing a pot that the first one hit. Like a freight train. No, let me rephrase that: slammed like a freight train, right into my chest.

Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. Felt I was locked inside a box with several tons weighing down on me. Sweaty and freezing at the same time. Like I needed to scream and cry for about the next twenty years, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

The best tranquilizer

In the week since we got the news about Kisses, the freight train has slammed through here about a dozen more times. I want it to stop. Toward that end there are relaxation exercises, focused breathing, and yoga-type things going on.

My foster boy Agapi (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

But no amount of yoga and whatnot will erase the fact that I can’t go home till Agapi finds his home—a loving, patient adopter. Given his health and behavior issues, this could take a while.

In an upcoming post, I’ll write about Kisses, and how she found her home—namely, ours. For sure it will make me cry to remember the first time I saw her, in a ditch in Houston. But it will also make me calm, as I think about the feel of her fur, as soft as a mink's, and her compulsion to bathe everybody with slurps (guess why the name), and her silly puppy yips when she wants to be pet, which is nearly always.

All the relaxation exercises, special breathing, and yoga in the world can’t top the calm you get from the presence—or even the imagined presence—of a dog you love.

That’s a life lesson I learned a long time ago.

More on why I'm in Greece:

How I got stranded in an old, cold, leaky house all winter 

More on Agapi:

A bloody dog standing in the road: What do you do?

Safety versus guilt: The animal rescuer’s dilemma  

Dog rescue styles: Ms. Savvy-and-Sensible versus the Wahoooo Cowgirl

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog  

A matter of hope: lab results tomorrow to determine ill street dog’s fate 

Curing a street dog of two deadly diseases might be easier than finding him a home 

Vet’s instructions for curing rescued dog’s wicked disease 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Who ‘murdered’ Meli? Blame for the death of a dumped kitten

~ MELI ~ July to November, 2012

On Sunday I dug a grave and buried a friend.

She was no more than a baby, and she was ill, but that didn’t stop her from dispensing more acceptance and affection than most of us have a clue on how to give. I named her Meli, meaning “honey” in Greek, because of her sweetness.

It was last week while gathering oranges in our garden that I noticed the brown tabby kitten out of the corner of my eye, lying in a sunny spot on the back patio. Surprisingly loud purring greeted me on approach. How could such a tiny thing produce so much noise?

She tried to get up and come to me, but her emaciated body was weak, hunched, and stiff. She lay down again.

Not sure if she’d bite or scratch, I grabbed a towel off the drying line, dropped it over her, and eased her into a dog kennel on the veranda. She never struggled—just kept purring.

The vet couldn’t see us immediately, so we made an appointment for the evening.

The first time I saw her

Beyond capacity

During the next hour the kitten perked up. She set up quite a ruckus of meowing. I fed her a bit and placed her back in the kennel with a cushion, a bowl of water, and a makeshift litter box consisting of a plastic pan and a few shovelfuls of dirt. As she settled down for a nap, the purring intensified. Maybe she wasn’t so ill after all.

Lots of meowing

The miserable question on my mind was whether or not to use the vet’s appointment to have the little girl euthanized.  Practically everyone on this Greek island who cares about animals is already severely overwhelmed with rescues and fosters—me included. The local shelter, Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) is beyond capacity, struggling valiantly just to maintain those they already have.

I don’t even live here on the Greek island of Kefalonia—just came to try to salvage our dilapidated old family home. But add that to my “real” work, which is writing articles about animal issues, along with rescuing/fostering several critters while I’m here, and it amounts to being away from my husband and our own pack of rescued pooches back home in California for way too long.

Right now I’m already fostering one severely ill dog—Agapi, who suffers from a deadly illness called Leishmaniasis—and that is absorbing a great deal of time. As soon as I saw the kitten, I asked myself how I’d be able to manage schedule-wise and money-wise to care for yet another patient.

Agapi has Leishmaniasis, causing - among other things - lesions on legs and around eyes

Friends Julia and Keith, who are far more overwhelmed with needy animals than I am, nevertheless kindly offered to foster Meli for a while, depending on what the vet said. The two of them are working so hard to save dogs, cats, donkeys, and other creatures of Kefalonia that I hated to ask them to take in one more, but it was reassuring to have that as a safety net if it turned out I really couldn’t handle caring for the kitten myself.

Melted my heart

In the hours before our vet appointment I got pretty worried. Meli went through several episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. 

Meli after vomiting

But after visiting the vet, here’s what I emailed to Julia:

“Well, I drove to the vet’s office fully intending to request euthanasia for the kitten because she seemed so ill, and because I'm feeling totally overwhelmed and exhausted and didn't want to just fob this problem off onto you and Keith.

“But the vet opened the door of the kitty carrier and Meli proceeded to purr and mew and cuddle and follow the vet around the room and be the sweetest little creature I have ever seen.  Not the least bit scared or nervous, and incredibly affectionate.

“So all my resolve flew out the window."

Getting a thorough exam

“The vet said Meli just has a super bad case of worms," I continued in my email to Julia. "She gave her a pill for the worms, an ampule for fleas, and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic for the diarrhea. 

“Also she's terribly underweight. The vet says she’s at 800 grams, and should be about double that. I’ll go into town to get her a special diet food that helps cats with diarrhea.

“Oh and she really is only a baby—four and a half months old!

“I'm too tired to think about what to with her long-term but just wanted to update you for now. Thank you so much for caring.”

Not 24 hours after I sent that email, Meli passed away.

Who’s to blame?

Maybe some day when it’s not still so raw, I’ll describe more of what happened.  For now, I keep asking myself a question: who’s to blame for this innocent’s death?

First, I blame myself. It’s been decades since I rescued a kitten. Normally I do adult dogs. So even though I followed all the vet’s instructions, I feel that on Meli’s last day I missed some important clues, and should have taken stronger and swifter action. It’s true that I was desperately tired. But I wish I’d pushed past that and done some better, clearer thinking. Maybe that would have saved her.

Second, I blame the person who dumped her over our garden wall. Her friendliness and fearlessness meant that she must have belonged to somebody—this was no feral kitten. Why didn’t her owner get her treated for the worms?  It would have been so simple, with just one cheap little pill.

And whether it was her owner who brought her here or it was someone who found her on the street, in either case I wish they’d had the decency to drop her into our garden before her illness got so severe.

Then, why not ring my doorbell to ask for help? At least that way there could be some semblance of order and a plan. As it was, I had to scramble to gather the supplies and prepare to care for a sick kitten, while at the same time caring for a sick dog. Plus who knows how long she had malingered in our yard alone before I spotted her?

There’s another finger of blame pointing at the owner(s) of Meli’s mother and father for failing to get them spayed/neutered. Yes, these days a severe economic crisis holds Greece in its grip. Many people no longer have much disposable income, and some have virtually no income at all. But by now nearly everyone must have heard that there are two animal rescue groups on the island, Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs). The latter sometimes offers free or low-cost spay/neuter services. How about reaching out to them for help?

Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) uses donations to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter

Speaking of the economic crisis, many argue that while that’s raging, the government doesn’t have time or money to bother with animal issues. But by law now they have to. New legislation here in Greece, enacted last spring, requires municipalities to make humane plans to deal with stray animal populations, including spay/neuter, veterinary care, feeding programs, then returning them to the streets. (I’m not crazy about that last part, but the rest of it would be great.)

The real culprit

The biggest portion of the blame for the grievous and untimely death of this kitten belongs not to the government, nor to her previous owners, nor to whoever dumped her, nor to me. It’s hidden deep in a place that’s hard to reach, and hard to change.

Meli would still be alive today—she would still be the open-hearted, cheerful, purring little beauty who I had the privilege of knowing all too briefly; she would still be inquisitive and clever and making me laugh—if not for the one thing that’s as sneaky and sinister as cancer. 

Meli asking to be held, just a few hours before her passing

That cancerous thing is this: kittens don’t matter. Nor do puppies. Nor cats nor dogs. Nor goats nor chickens nor cheetahs nor fish.

All are either disposable or edible, one way or the other. Easy come, easy go. A zillion more where that one came from.

Ultimately, that’s who dunnit. That's the senselessly violent, insatiably sadistic, criminally insane serial killer.

That’s who murdered my Meli.

Sweet angel, you are deeply missed. Your passing ripped me apart, but then strengthened my resolve for the struggle on behalf of all the others. You will not be forgotten.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

On election day remember the rescuers: Animal advocacy in the voting booth

Animal rescuers good government and social policies to help us help animals. / Photo: Yvette Holzbach and Sheri Burtch, Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward Project

In the United States, this is perhaps the most important day we’ll have for another four years— election day.  The outcomes of thousands of local and national races will determine a great deal about our future for decades or even centuries to come.

Most years in the past I’ve volunteered heavily for various campaigns. This year I voted, but as far as political volunteering goes, I’m sitting it out. Well not sitting exactly. You can’t sit for very long when you’re caring for a sick dog who was recently a parasite-infested bag of bones roaming the streets. I’m running myself ragged, actually.

Which is one reason why election day is important. We animal rescuers have it rough. We all run ourselves ragged.  We need people in government who get that.  Who understand that it’s not just about the animals. It’s about us too—all of us who care about animals.

We need candidates who recognize that caring about animals is not some wacko fringe neurosis. It’s an extension of caring about people.

We need authorities who see that what we do is not only good for animals but good for society. It’s helpful and constructive and healthy to care about animals.

We need leaders who know that animal rescuers make a community a better place—we make our country a better place.

In a few minutes I have to leave the desk so as to feed, medicate, and walk my current rescued dog, Agapi. That’s the Greek word for “love.” So I can’t write as much as I’d like tonight.

Before his rescue, Agapi suffered for months alone on the streets from a disease called Leishmaniasis. / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

In fact I have dozens of articles about animals backed up and waiting in the pipeline to be posted. Doing hands-on animal rescue means I haven’t had time to finish them.

Which is an additional reason why election day is important. I don’t want to have to keep doing this.

It’s true that I’m not in the U.S. right now—I’m in Greece, where you could argue that the situation for animals is worse. But it’s not a lot worse. The status of animals in our beautiful United States is shockingly poor considering our status in the world.

Theoretically we’re one of the planet’s most highly developed countries. It’s a pity that our treatment of and attitudes toward animals reflects that so little.

Which is yet another reason why election day is important. The U.S. is the globe’s leader—or at least trendsetter—in so many ways. Why not in animal welfare?

My goal had been to present a series of interviews with animal-friendly candidates for readers to use in preparation for voting. I failed to meet that goal, in large part because I was rescuing a dog.

I know I’m not the only one whose plans, hopes, and dreams get set aside when we encounter animals in need.

And that’s yet another reason why election day is important. I want my life back. Probably, if you’re a rescuer yourself, so do you.

We need leaders bold and visionary enough to march us out of the dismal animal Dark Ages into a daring new time of light.

As you go to the polls and make your choices, as you look for the best candidates to address your needs and represent your views, please remember the animals, and remember the rescuers. 

We need your vote too.

Thank you Yvette Holzbach and Sheri Burtch of Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward Project for the use of the top photo.

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this blog' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

For previous articles please see archive to the right, including:

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Treating Leishmaniasis (Part One): Vet’s instructions for curing rescued dog’s wicked disease

His eyes bleed. (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

It’s no fun looking at Agapi. If you’re an even slightly empathetic person, it hurts. He’s a hideous sight: bloody eyes and legs, sparse fur, and an overall scrungy look.

But he’s getting better—fast. Of course it’s been helpful to get the plentiful chow (much of it freshly homemade by his handy slave, guess who) plus the clean water, soft bed, and low-stress life he’s enjoyed since we trapped him in a small village here on the Greek island of Kefalonia. He had reportedly languished on the streets there for two years before we brought him to our place a few miles away.  

But I believe two medications are largely responsible for the improvement: Zylapour (allopurinol) and Milteforan.

The cheap drug and the spendy one

Zylapour is often used for gout in humans. (Isn't that ironic, given that gout is something that typically afflicts folks indulging in fatty diets, while dogs who get Leishmaniasis and need this med are often starving strays who can indulge in fatty diets only in their longing dreams?)

The other drug, Milteforan, is a type of chemotherapy.

Zylapour is relatively cheap.  At three euros (about $3.80 U.S.) for a packet of 30, he’ll need to receive 2.5 tablets per day for the rest of his life. 

Agapi will need these pills every day for life (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

Milteforan is outrageously expensive. For Agapi’s weight, 28 kilos (about 61 pounds), he needs to receive 2.8 milliliters of the liquid form of this med for 28 days, at a cost of about 300 euros ($388 U.S.).

Both of these drugs are supposed to zap a vicious disease called canine Leishmaniasis, caused by a protozoan parasite that is transmitted via the bite of a certain type of sand fly. It’s tragically common and attacks millions of dogs in Mediterranean countries, giving them nightmarish symptoms like hair loss, skin lesions, rapid and twisted nail growth, organ damage, heart attacks, and more.

For Agapi, it seems this dynamic drug duo is already starting to take effect. Dr. Amanda noticed it first when she came to give him his second checkup last Friday. She pointed out the reduced swelling in his legs and paws. The sores and ulcers there are also looking less inflamed, with signs of healing, and some bits of fur starting to grow back in. The Zylapour, she said, often goes to work very quickly.

And now, after only three days’ dosage of Milteforan, I think I’m seeing even more improvement on the legs and paws. Not so much on the eyes yet, but Dr. Amanda predicts that will come.

Leg lesions looking better (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

More beasties

Agapi also suffers from a tick-borne parasitic disease, Ehrlichia, which we’ll cure with a month-long course of doxycycline, an antibiotic, after he finishes the Leish treatment.

Oh and let’s not forget, at the beginning he had additional beasties plaguing him: a tape worm on the inside and literally hundreds of fleas on the outside. But in the first week we nuked those with a Droncit tablet and a Advantix ampule, respectively.

Dosing dos and don’ts

Zylapour is relatively easy to administer. I break the tablets into small pieces and hide each piece in chunks of canned dog food. We started him on this drug a couple of weeks ago.

Now you see the pieces of the Zylapour tablet...  (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

...and now you don't.  (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

*Please see note below regarding feeding pets and being vegan.

Milteforan, which we started two days ago, is more complicated.

The Milteforan comes in a cute little boxed kit complete with a vial of the liquid medication, a syringe, and six pairs of oh-so-chic disposable plastic gloves. They really, really don’t want you to touch this stuff.

Boxed kit of Milteforan (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

Here’s what our vet Dr. Amanda said to do.

• Prepare a large amount of appealingly aromatic and tremendously tasty food, so as to mask the smell and taste of the medication, which I gather must be pretty nasty.
• Wear gloves
• Follow the package instructions to fill the syringe with exactly the right amount of med.
• Squirt into food.
• Thoroughly mix.
• Make sure he eats it all.
• Follow up with a chaser of a little more food.
• Don’t worry if he gets diarrhea—that’s normal—but if he develops vomiting, call her so she can prescribe an anti-emetic.
• Do not miss even one day of medication. If that happened, we'd have to start all over again from the beginning. (!)

Which reminds me… time for today’s dose.

In the next post we’ll review the fascinating Milteforan package instructions. I’m not kidding--I find the little kit riveting. Or maybe I’m just desperate to squeeze some entertainment out of that dang 300 euros.

UP FOR ADOPTION: In about a month when Agapi completes his Leish treatment, he will be available for adoption. We will handle transport to nearly anywhere. Please contact youradopteddog@yahoo.com.

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this site' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

For previous articles please see archive to the right, including the following, and more...

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog  

Curing a street dog of two deadly diseases might be easier than finding him a home 

Can love find a way? Deciding whether or not to euthanize sick, defensive street dog 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs). 

*Please note:  Regarding the photos and references to feeding Agapi and other dogs and cats, there's the issue of using animals to feed animals. Before I came to Greece I had worked my own horde of dogs in California up to a homemade 80% plant diet. It was a process to develop recipes that would work for all of them. When I'm in Greece rescuing dogs off the street, often in emergency situations, I resort to commercial dog foods and cooking chicken stews for them in the beginning, then try to segue to plant foods, but in my experience sometimes it can be tricky digestion-wise and takes time. An ongoing dilemma.

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Can love find a way? Deciding whether or not to euthanize sick, defensive street dog

A disease called Leishmaniasis causes lesions and sores. Photo:Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

Love dies every day. People kill it. In the U.S. it’s at least three million to four million times a year. That’s how many dogs and cats are put to death in animal shelters for no crime other than being unloved.

Instead, most of them would gladly have given all their love, in copious, wiggly, slurpy, furry, irrepressible quantities, to almost anyone who asked.

Love dies in other ways, too, all around the world. Starvation, poisoning, beating… the list of grisly fates for companion animals is nearly endless.

One dog here on the Greek island of Kefalonia, a tall, bony, black and white street dog, would certainly have met one of those grisly fates if he hadn’t “walked into our headlights,” as friend Melissa Beamish puts it.

Melissa and I were driving through the village of Troianata under a full moon when we spotted a creature that at first we couldn’t even recognize. Or maybe we didn’t want to. It was too gruesome: eyes bright red and rimmed with blood; blood streaking the legs.  Maybe we just didn’t want to believe that this horrifying sight could be a dog. But it was.

Legs covered in lesions. Photo:Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

After a ten-day search and hard work by a team of friends, the tall dog finally came home with me. I’ve never felt more relieved.  During those days while we tried to capture him, it was hard to sleep knowing he was out there on his own in that condition.

It was during one of those sleepless nights that his name came to me—“Agapi,” the Greek word for “love.”

Sick, but strong

Agapi has a wicked disease called Leishmaniasis, common here in Greece and in other Mediterranean countries. Carried by a certain species of sand fly, it can cause the grotesque skin lesions as well as joint swelling, weight loss, blindness, organ damage and a long list of other troubles.  He also has Ehrlichia, another nasty disease transmitted by ticks. At the beginning he had tapeworm, too, and he was crawling with fleas.

The last two problems have now been solved thanks to a pill for the tapeworm and an Advantix ampule for the fleas. And according to our vet Dr. Amanda the first two problems—the Leishmaniasis and the Ehrlichia—can also be cured. The level of Leishmaniasis in his blood is high but not too high, and in spite of everything this dog is vigorous and zestful, so Dr. Amanda believes Agapi’s chances for a long, full, healthy life after treatment are excellent.

The Leishmaniasis treatment consists of two doses per day of a medication called Zylapour, or Allopurinol, which he’ll need to stay on for life, and a 28-day course of another one called Milteforan, which is outrageously expensive—somewhere around 350 euros (about $450 U.S.).

The Saint (a.k.a. my hubsy) has kindly volunteered to fund it. Melissa has also offered (repeatedly and firmly!) to help with the costs. And after that treatment is done, the Ehrlichia will be easily conquered with just a one-month-long prescription of doxycycline, an antibiotic.

So… great, right?  Isn’t it all good? Agapi can be cured, then adopted by a loving family?

Technically, yes.  But practically speaking… I don’t know.

Because he’s got another bit of a problem.  He, um, well… he wants to… eat people. All people but me.

Rubbing his inflamed eyes. Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

A little grouchy

First he growled at Yvonne Walser, friend and fellow animal rescuer, who kindly came over to meet and visit him just a couple of days after he arrived.  Then a few days later at Keith Preston, another friend and big-time animal rescuer. Then he lunged and barked ferociously at Vasilis, who’s helping us repair the house.  Not even Dr. Amanda escaped one of his impressive displays when she came over to give him a second checkup on Friday.

This depressed the heck out of me.  Last week I sank into deep sadness.  It’s hard enough to try to find a good home for a healthy, friendly dog.  Finding one for a Leishmaniasis dog who also does his best to scare folks?  Yeah, right. Like looking for a needle in a whole farm of haystacks.

And no, I can’t keep him myself because we already have a house overflowing with previous rescues, and my mom needs to come live with us soon after I get home to California, and it wouldn’t be fair to our own dogs or to a new dog or to Mom or perhaps least of all to ourselves to take on another right now.

‘Put him down’?

Friends whose opinions I highly value—friends who do a ton more rescue than I do—urge me to let him go. Put him down. Send him to doggy heaven. Be content with having given him a couple of weeks of comfort and safety, then give him a premature but easy and painless death.

There are too many healthy, mellow dogs desperately needing homes to spend so much time, energy, and money on just this one difficult case.

On my mind have been the 200-plus wonderful dogs at the Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK), a shelter with scant resources that’s struggling under the constant avalanche of animals nobody else wants. I’ve been hoping to help out there by photographing, writing about, and trying to re-home at least a few of those worthy angels.

Agapi, such a needy fellow, is sucking up all the time and resources I had hoped to spend on them instead.

It’s not wise to keep him alive. It’s not cost-effective. It’s giving in to the heart when the head should rule.

A sensible person would euthanize him.  I can be sensible.

A strong person would euthanize him. I can be strong.

I should do it. I know that.  And I’ve cried about it all week.

Does he deserve capital punishment?

This is a dog who has seen little in his life but the worst of what we humans have to offer. 

My soul slogs through day after day of it—the horror of what too many animals of all kinds are forced to endure. It’s on Facebook, in photos from all over the world, and it’s up-close-and-personal here on the streets and in the backyards and fields and orchards of Kefalonia.  It’s inescapable. There’s not one hour of the day when I’m not either seeing it, grieving about it, researching it, or writing about it. Even when I sleep, it doesn’t go away, but fills my nightmares.

I’m tired of it.

OK, so he’s sick. OK, so he’s not keen on strangers.  Who among us hasn’t been sick?  Who among us has never wanted to growl and bark?

Do those crimes deserve capital punishment?

Maybe the next terrible case I take on, maybe for that one I’ll have to do the sensible thing, the strong thing.

Not this time.

This time, in this one case, if there’s any possible way, if it’s at all in my power, this one time, love will live.

Agapi gently accepts a cookie. (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this blog' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

For previous articles please see archive to the right, including:

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Curing a street dog of two deadly diseases might be easier than finding him a home

Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

Agapi is under siege.

Probably at least a year ago, somewhere here on the island of Kefalonia, he was bitten by a sand fly, says our local vet Dr. Amanda Mikeleti. The insect injected into his skin a protozoan parasite called Leishmania, which over the months reproduced and multiplied, and has already caused the following:

• hideous sores and ulcers in and around his eyes and on his legs
• possibly some blindness
• dry and sparse coat
• weight loss
• muscle atrophy
• joint inflammation and swelling
• rapidly growing, twisted and deformed nails

If allowed to progress, it could bring anemia, polyarthritis, and lameness, damage his liver and kidneys, and even trigger heart attacks.

This dog, who we were told had been wandering the streets of the village of Troianata for at least two years before a small team of friends and I caught him last week, is also doing battle with a tick-borne bacteria called Ehrlichia, which if left untreated could create all sorts of problems ranging from retinal hemorrhage to neurological disease.

Photo: Katerina Lorenztos Makris

The good news

In the little red vial that Dr. Amanda sent to Athens a few days ago, the laboratory found that the Leishmania parasite inhabits one part per 1,600 parts of Agapi’s blood. This, says the vet, is considered to be a medium to high concentration.

The good news is that if we go forward with a 28-day course of an expensive drug called Milteforan, the vet feels its chances of killing enough of the Leishmaniasis parasite to give Agapi a high quality of life, or possibly to deliver him from this vicious enemy altogether, are about 80 percent.

She said she has successfully treated patients with concentrations of higher than 2,000.

Because Agapi’s appetite is great, and he has no vomiting or diarrhea, the vet believes his liver and kidneys are fine.

And to free him from the Ehrlichia is a very simple matter of a 30-day course of the antibiotic doxycycline.

Further good news: on Sunday we started him on Zylapour (Allopurinol), the inexpensive medication used for Leishmaniasis, and I think I’m already seeing some improvement in the lesions.  Dr. Amanda says that wouldn’t be unusual; dogs often respond quickly to the drug.

Additionally, the vet sees it as a good sign for his chances of recovery that in spite of his skin condition and muscle atrophy, and despite the fact that he sleeps a lot, Agapi seems generally vigorous and interested in his surroundings—not at all lethargic or depressed.

Agapi enjoying a good roll in the grass (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

 What next?

After explaining the test results, Dr. Amanda asked me, “OK, then what?  Let’s say we perform the treatment and get him healthy, then what will you do with him?  Where will he go?”

Good question. She knows I already have a overflowing house of rescued dogs who I’ve left for far too long. They are 8,000 miles away in California with my amazingly patient hubsy, a.k.a. The Saint. I need to get home as soon as possible, not only because I miss the whole bunch of them, but because my mom needs to come live with us, like, yesterday.

Finding Agapi a good home in Greece—a country already drowning in unwanted animals—is nearly impossible.  And I’m told by fellow rescuers that folks in other European countries such as Hollandm Germany, and Denmark, who often adopt cats and dogs from Greece (bless them!), typically don’t want Leish dogs, even if they’ve been treated and/or cured.

Speaking of The Saint… he has kindly volunteered to fund Agapi’s treatment if that’s the path we decide to take. Which moves me to tears every time I think about it. I didn’t even have to send him Agapi’s horrifying photos to compel him to this generosity.  All I did was mumble a few things like “bleeding eyes, sores, deformed nails, parasite,” and he was there.

But again, then what?

More about Agapi:

A bloody dog standing in the road: What do you do?

Safety versus guilt: The animal rescuer’s dilemma  

Dog rescue styles: Ms. Savvy-and-Sensible versus the Wahoooo Cowgirl

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog  

A matter of hope: lab results tomorrow to determine ill street dog’s fate 

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this blog' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

A matter of hope: lab results tomorrow to determine ill street dog’s fate

Bloody lesions on Agapi. (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

Tomorrow will be a big day for Agapi, although he doesn’t know it.

I know it. I know it so well that I would find it hard to sleep tonight if I weren’t so exhausted by taking care of him.

Tomorrow we’ll get a call from Dr. Amanda Mikeleti, our wonderful veterinarian here on the Greek island of Kefalonia, regarding how much of a murderous parasite he has in his bony body. She drew the blood sample on Friday and sent it to the big lab in Athens for testing.

It’s not a question of whether or not Agapi is a host for that killer. His symptoms are classic—the sparse fur, the grotesque lesions around the eyes and on the legs and paws, the rapid and twisted growth of the nails, and the low weight. We’re just waiting to find out how much of it has invaded him.

Gory lesions on legs and long, twisted nails: classic Leishmaniasis symptoms (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

If it’s too much for medication to combat successfully, we might need to euthanize him.

If it’s a lower amount, and indications are that the medication has a good chance, we might go for it, do our best to cure him, then pray that we can find him a loving family.

Matter-of-mad

It’s funny that I can write this so matter-of-factly, because I’m not feeling very matter-of-fact.  I’m feeling very matter-of-worry. And matter-of-sad. And matter-of-mad. At the fact that this dog was allowed to plummet into this misery, as are so many other dogs, not just here in Greece, but around the world, including in my beloved U.S. of A.

If they don't get Leishmaniasis, which is what Agapi’s deadly parasite is called, then they get distemper or parvo or sarcoptic mange or starvation or poisoning or an 18-wheeler or some psychopath with a meat cleaver or... you name it.  I don’t know how any street dogs manage to survive as long as they do.

Matter-of-hope

On the bright side, Dr. Amanda says that she doubts Agapi could have organ damage yet—another charming effect of Leishmaniasis—because if his kidneys or liver were in trouble he’d exhibit vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, and perhaps lethargy.

Since we're so far so good on all those scores, there’s reason for optimism.   

So I’m hereby adjusting my attitude as I get ready for bed tonight. I’ve decided to be matter-of-hope.

More about Agapi:

A bloody dog standing in the road: What do you do?

Safety versus guilt: The animal rescuer’s dilemma  

Dog rescue styles: Ms. Savvy-and-Sensible versus the Wahoooo Cowgirl

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog 

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this blog' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!