This photo shows an emaciated dog found in Enderby before and after gaining ten pounds.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ BC SPCA

A dog that was found severely emaciated in a wooded area in the North Okanagan last month has gained weight and is expected to make a full recovery.

The nine-year-old Labrador retriever called Fish was found starving and covered with sores near Kingfisher Road in Enderby, Aug. 4, by a good Samaritan who took him to the BC SPCA shelter in Salmon Arm.

“He was so sad looking when the finder first saw him,” Meranda Dussault with the SPCA said in a media release issued today, Sept. 7. “When Fish arrived, we took him right to the vet. He had a body score of one out of nine. An ideal body condition score is five.”

Initially the dog needed IV fluids and a special diet and feeding schedule to help him gain weight. He also had his internal organs tested to see if they were still functioning and regular trips to the vet.

Now, a little over a month later, Dussault “is thrilled to report” that Fish has gained ten pounds and his sores have healed up.

“We have watched him transform from a skinny, malnourished and wounded dog, into a bright eyed, energetic and playful dog with the heart of a lion,” she said. “Fish still has a long way to go before he is totally healthy, but his progress so far has been remarkable.”

The animal care team is working on helping the dog regain weight and muscle mass that was lost through starvation. Once Fish has gained enough weight to safely undergo anaesthetic, he will also require dental surgery to remove the infected and broken teeth in his mouth.

“Fish’s eyes were glazed over and cloudy when he arrived in our care, now his eyes are bright and alert,” Dussault said. “He has such a powerful gaze… it feels like he is looking right into your soul.”

Dussault described Fish as a “resilient senior dog” who still bonds with humans despite what he endured, and when he sees people he wags his tail so hard that his entire body moves.

“The biggest change in Fish is his energy level,” Dussault said. “When he first arrived, he could barely find the energy to stand up, though his tail still wagged even when he was unable to get up to greet you. Now it’s like the puppy has come out in him, he could play outside for hours.”

READ MORE: Severely emaciated dog found in remote area in Enderby

The dog has a special ability of spotting, hunting and catching flies which works well with his name Fish, the name the staff gave him because he was found near Kingfisher.

It will still be a few weeks until Fish is ready for adoption – he needs to gain ten more pounds - and SPCA is looking for a foster home for him.

“We would love it if Fish could find a foster home to continue his recovery,” Dussault said. “If anyone can give this amazing senior a temporary home until we can find him his forever home, we would be so grateful.”

Go here to help Fish and other animals in need at the BC SPCA. 

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