It’s really a horrible thing to see a sweet dog who had done nothing wrong go through so much of life’s hardships on his own without anyone to help him.

When Ryder was first found by rescuers from California working for Dogwood Animal Rescue, he was just in horrible condition.

They were shocked by his appearance and realized that he was going to need extensive treatment and care if he was going to make it.

So, without wasting any more time, they decided to take him immediately to the organization where they could help.

He Will Make It Through

When they finally brought Ryder to the shelter in California, it became clear to everyone just how malnourished he was.

They immediately started treating him but knew right away that results were going to be slow. That was apparent when the dog started dripping blood or vomiting what he ate.

It was not going to be an easy fix. His rescuers were afraid of more serious problems like aspiration pneumonia, but they could not help him.

His body, at the moment, just couldn’t tolerate those medications. So, they had to give Ryder injections because it was the only thing they could do at that moment.

He would also receive skin treatments for his mange problem, and now, all that they had to do was wait and see if the treatment would work.

As days went by, the staff noticed that Ryder’s body had healed quite a lot in such a short period of time. Everyone was amazed by this.

Ryder’s Has A Problem

His fur was also starting to heal up nicely and he was looking a lot better now. The rescuers allowed him to meet up with other dogs at the shelter and start playing a bit.

Even though Ryder has made such impressive progress in a short time, further vet visits and checkups revealed something else.

That was Megaesophagus. This meant that his esophagus was bigger than it should be, and it was causing him problems when eating.

It can’t properly transport food, which is a huge problem. That also explains the vomiting and why his body rejects conventional medication.

However, the situation was not so dire. There were still things they could do to help him live a normal life.

A Brilliant Solution

Rocky Kanaka is a dog rescuer who also has fostered a dog with the same problem as Ryder.  They figured out how to treat their dog, which was good news for this pup.

What they did was simple. They gave him food that had a “smoothie-like consistency” and then made him eat it in an upright position, thanks to a specially-made chair.

The aid of gravity would allow the esophagus to do what it’s meant to do and it also reduces the risk of further complications.

This was actually a brilliant solution, and Ryder’s rescue team immediately decided to try out this treatment.

Ryder made a wonderful transformation in the time he spent in the shelter, and everyone is so proud of him.

The rescue team will work diligently to make sure that this sweet dog can find a family that will take care of him properly.

Until that happens, he will stay with the amazing people from Dogwood Animal Rescue who will continue helping and giving him a lot of love.