Dr. Cliff goes along for the ride with People for Animals, a local animal rescue mission in Hyderabad, India. They received a call about a stray puppy who appeared to have a broken leg. Terrified and viciously resisting capture, it hid underneath a car. To make matters worse, the puppy had a larger 35 lb stray dog guarding her.
Upon arrival, the PFA handlers first had to tackle the larger dog. The injured pup tried to be as big, strong and as scary as possible. However, a confident handler just got down and dirty and grabbed it by the scruff. The puppy turned out to be a girl and the capture was messy as she lost control of her bowels and bladder. After muzzling and calming her, Dr. Cliff was able to examine her to find out what was wrong with her leg.
A good Samaritan had wrapped her leg very tightly with a bandage which was now wet and dirty. That appeared to be an initial source of her pain. But removing it exposed a very large open wound on her paw. Lucky she had no fracture, but the muscle and tendon damage was extensive. They brought her back to the shelter and made her comfortable with a meal, while Dr. Cliff and Dr. Arshad discussed treatment options.
The puppy did not have enough skin over the wound to allow them to close it. So they opted to perform open-wound healing. This involved packing sugar around the wound and wrapping it up, repeating it every day for a week. Fittingly, the PFA crew christened her Cupcake, and she responded amazingly well to the treatment.
Unfortunately, stray animals do not always find forever homes in Hyderabad, even though PFA tries their best to place them. Little Cupcake was, therefore, released once she recovered, but not before they spayed her. With her feisty spirit and the strong will she had displayed during her stay with PFA, Dr. Cliff had no doubt she would do well. Follow her progress in Episode #5 and Episode #6.
Stray Overpopulation
Overpopulation of stray animals a serious problem across the globe, and Hyderabad is no exception. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that one un-spayed female dog and her offspring can produce 11,167 puppies per year. One un-spayed female cat and her offspring can produce 60,000+ in their lifetime. There are simply not enough homes for all strays. Tragically, euthanization occurs on a daily basis and on a massive scale. Keeping dogs and cats from having litters is the only way to reduce this problem. Spaying and neutering stray animals are, therefore, humanitarian acts of kindness.
About People For Animals (PFA)
PFA Hyderabad advocates for domestic animals, wildlife, lab animals as well as pets. They also investigate animal abuse in the entertainment and factory farming industries. Their success is very dependent on private donations through membership programs. For more information or to donate, visit PFA Hyderabad.
To see more rescue missions like this by Dr. Cliff Worldwide Vet, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
About Dr. Cliff
Dr. Cliff Redford, DVM, is an experienced veterinarian and owner/operator of the Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Fondly known as Dr. Cliff to his clients, he has tended to the wellness of pets and animals for over two decades. Hands-on experience in his clinic, combined with animal advocacy and rescue missions locally and across the globe, has allowed him to curate a vast body of knowledge on animal health and welfare, including preventative counselling, soft tissue surgery, advanced dental procedures, internal medicine and emergency care.