Royal canan sucess stories

Sponsored column: Animals in Distress is a new What’s On column profiling the amazing animal shelters, veterinary clinics, carers and passionate team at Royal Canin UAE working together to save the lives of stray animals in the UAE. Every month, Royal Canin UAE has pledged to cover the costs of vet bills for select animals in need. These are their stories…

A tough start

Saluki pups Aziz, Nasma and Wazira were born along with their five other siblings in the Northern Emirates on 16 April, 2020. Their mother was very young for her first litter, and the eight puppies were born prematurely. Sadly, the mum passed away soon after the birth and the puppies were unable to feed in those first critical hours.

Caring for eight orphaned premature puppies is an exhausting and emotionally challenging task and the owner made the difficult decision to surrender the puppies to Saluki International Rescue that day.

All systems go

Despite the restrictions in place throughout the UAE during the pandemic, Saluki International Rescue managed to deliver the puppies to Abu Dhabi where they could receive emergency care. They arrived altogether in a shoe box still with room to spare, so tiny they could have been mistaken for a litter of kittens. At barely 24 hours old, the pups needed round-the-clock care, with feeding every three hours and constant temperature regulation.

The British Veterinary Clinic were able to provide this immediately and their veterinary and nursing teams ensured the puppies were warm and loved.

Meanwhile, Royal Canin UAE were on hand to donate replacement milk and so provide complete nutritional support for the neonates.

Despite every effort made, five pups passed away in the clinic. Having such a difficult start in life was simply too big a challenge to overcome, despite all the intervention possible. But Aziz and Wazira continued to defy the odds and thrive under intensive veterinary care. Nasma was monitored closely and supplementary fed to help her reach and maintain the weight of her brother and sister.

The road to recovery

After almost four weeks, the puppies opened their eyes just in time to be returned to the care of Saluki International Rescue.

Thanks to generosity of Royal Canin UAE, all the bills for veterinary care and medication were covered, and its team continues to support the puppies throughout weaning and onto a complete puppy diet.

All three puppies have now had their first vaccinations and have received regular de-worming treatment.

** For more uplifting animal stories, visit Royal Canin UAE on Facebook**

New homes

Aziz, Nasma and Wazira all have adoptive families in Dubai and Abu Dhabi eagerly waiting for them to complete their health check and second vaccinations. Aziz, in particular is bold and curious, and his sisters follow wherever he leads.

Their future looks bright and full of adventure, which would not have been possible without the amazing team at the British Veterinary Centre, Royal Canin UAE and, of course, Saluki International Rescue.

Looking for a saluki to join your family here in the UAE? Check out Saluki International Rescue’s Facebook page. For more info on Royal Canin UAE, visit instagram.com/royalcaninuae or for useful vet advice, click here.