Duck, Duck ... Goose September 1, 2010
The minute you meet this beautiful boy your heart melts from his great personality and gentle spirit. It's incredible that a bulldog like Goose has been able to maintain his spirit after the neglect and cruelty he has been through.
Goose was found wandering the streets and was taken in by Chicago Animal Care and Control. He was seriously underweight but it wasn't until he came to CEBR that the full scope of his medical condition was known. He has had the first of two ear surgeries and was one of the worst ear neglect cases our CEBR veterinarian has ever seen.
What is most endearing about Goose when you first meet him, are his big, floppy ears. They are somewhere between the Flying Nun and Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose (hence the inspiration for his name). At times they are like any other bully's ears and then they will just pop up like he’s ready for take-off. Although his ears make everyone smile, they were actually the first outward symptoms of Goose’s gross neglect by his previous owners.
He was about 15-20 pounds underweight when he first came to CEBR after weeks of roaming the streets. He had several impacted rotten teeth and suffered from skin and eye infections. But those adorable ears proved to be his
worst affliction. They were swollen shut, cauliflowered and hard as a rock. This explains why they stood outward in certain positions. After years of untreated allergies and infections, his ear canals became thickened and trapped the infections which turned the canals into hard bone. The damage is irreversible. Goose is fortunate to still have some remaining hearing, but it has been significantly compromised as a result of his neglect.
The surgical option to ease Goose’s suffering and ongoing battle with ear infections is known as a Total Ear Ablation. This highly invasive surgery is reserved for only the most severe cases. The diseased ear canal and the entire structure of the middle ear are removed, the middle ear is drained, and the healthy tissue around the ear is closed. Goose requires an ablation on both ears which needs to be done in two separate surgeries.
Goose had his first surgery in August and it was a bulldog’s version of “Extreme Makeover”. He was neutered, had a complete dental (including extractions) and the first ablation on his left ear was performed. “It was the most difficult ablation I have ever performed” said Dr. Paul Navin of All Pets Animal Hospital. “Goose’s calcification was so severe it had to be chiseled to remove it. It appears that his right ear is not as bad, but it will be a difficult surgery as well” Navin added.
I Believe I Can Fly
Although Goose came through the surgery with flying colors and was recuperating well, he hit some turbulence on his first recheck. Despite a new drainage path for his left ear, it is still infected and draining internally. His foster Mom not only has to step up an ear flushing and cleaning program, but she also has to control Goose’s need to scratch a very itchy open wound. The good news is that his skin infections are clearing and he’s gained 10 pounds so things are moving in the right direction!
Goose’s first treatment was a painful one and he has another to go, but he loves his new life in foster care and is enjoying a houseful of bulldog companions. He loves to hide in laundry baskets full of clothes and sit on chairs and talk to you, doing his “human” impersonation. He will require several rechecks on his left ear before the next surgery is scheduled.
Goose still has a few miles ahead of him before he reaches his forever home, but the family who opens their hearts to him will be blessed by all that he has to offer. If you would like to help Goose by contributing to his Medical Fund, you can make your donation online at:
Where's Goose?
Rescue Tales
Copyright 2010. Chicago English Bulldog Rescue, Inc. All rights reserved.
