… where all our animals long to be

Ivy was found abandoned and alone on the streets at only 15 months old. Her eyes were visibly sore and inflamed so our Animal Welfare Officers rushed the English Bulldog puppy to our on-site Community Vet Clinic, where our Vets discovered that she was suffering from a painful condition called Cherry Eye, which can often be an issue for brachycephalic pets.

These animals are bred to have a flat face and short muzzle, creating a perceived appearance of cuteness. Unfortunately a high percentage will have a range of health issues throughout their lives, including eye problems like Ivy’s. This can result in a poorer quality of life and will often require veterinary intervention, and ultimately can mean they end up abandoned and in our care.

“Brachycephalic pets can have a poorer quality of life and often require veterinary care, meaning they end  up being abandoned.”

Cherry Eye is where the gland within the third eyelid that produces a component of tears prolapses, causing inflammation. Our Vet Team performed corrective surgery on Ivy, but unfortunately as soon as one eye began to heal, the other developed the condition too.

Ivy enjoying some cuddles with Megan in our Kennels Team

Surgery was performed again, but soon after, it was discovered that Ivy was also suffering from distichiasis, where the eyelashes grow from the wrong part of the eyelid, painfully rubbing on the eyeball. Some cases of distichiasis can be managed by plucking the hairs, however Ivy’s distichiasis regrew and because she had it on all four eyelids our Vets made the decision to perform a third surgery on both eyes, so that the eyelashes would no longer roll inwards.

After a few weeks spent recovering in our care, Ivy was vaccinated and neutered and is now waiting to find a forever home.

Sadly, Ivy isn’t the only animal longing to be home this Christmas.

Tiny tabby, Mog, came into Mayhew this October when our Animal Welfare Officers were alerted to the 8-month-old kitten who was suffering from severe trauma at the base of her tail. Our Vet Team discovered that she had a loss of tail movement, which can frequently be caused by a ‘tail pull’ injury. X-rays showed dislocation of the tail bones which would have caused compression on the nerves, resulting in tail paralysis. Mog’s tail had to be removed to prevent further injury to the nerves, so our Vets performed amputation surgery.

Mog’s tail had to be amputated

After her injury, which was most likely caused by her tail being caught in something or pulled very hard, Mog was abandoned when her owners moved away and left her behind. When she arrived at Mayhew we discovered she was also pregnant but she sadly miscarried her litter shortly afterwards, most likely due to the horrific trauma she had suffered.

Following surgery, Mog received lots of care from our Vet and Cattery teams and she has recovered well. She is now waiting patiently in our Cattery and hopes to find a loving forever home in time for Christmas.

This October, Mayhew International returned to Tbilisi’s Municipal Dog Shelter in Georgia. On arrival they were shown an emaciated dog that had been brought in. As well as being severely malnourished the dog, a mum to four young puppies, was covered in sores and scabs and the skin and flesh on one of her hind paws had been ripped away, probably the result of a road traffic accident.

Freda was very malnourished and had several injuries on her paws

We named her Freda and our Head Vet Dr Ursula Goetz was able to show the shelter vet team how to clean and bandage her paw on a daily basis to encourage the healing process. The Mayhew team explained to the shelter staff that Freda needed a special feeding regime in order to regain weight and strength. At first Freda seemed disinterested in food but on the third day she perked up and began to eat her meals happily and her paw began to heal. Freda remains at the shelter and we are hopeful that she will make a full recovery.

If you could spare a little extra amidst your Christmas shopping this year, we can help even more animals like Freda, Mog and Ivy feel safe this Christmas.

You can make a donation quickly and easily using the buttons below or by calling us on 020 8206 5870. 

We need your support to help find a home for all our animals this Christmas

Your £5 could provide a nutritious meal for one of our residents this Christmas
Your £10 could vaccinate a dog overseas against rabies
Your £25 could neuter and vaccinate street animals abroad
Your £50 could help keep our animal ambulance running for 2 days

Thank you

Caroline Yates, CEO