Mercy Is Alive!!!

May 24th
New kid at Lighthouse,
Mercy was abandoned, near a store in Turrucares Costa Rica, in a state of starvation. For four or five days she lay there, too weak to move, while uncaring, cold hearted people stepped over her and walked around her. 
Not one offered her any help...but complained to the store owner about the filthy, sick dog in front of her store.
Finally, a DECENT human being named Carmen saw her and asked the store owner who the dog belonged to. 
The store owner informed Carmen that the dog was dumped and that people were complaining and didn't want to shop there because of the nasty dog.
Carmen took the dog and sought help for her. First contacting Animales Atenas who, being overloaded with dogs already, contacted Lighthouse Animal Rescue.
Fortunately we had room for "just one more."

Mercy arrived here very weak and emaciated. She needed vet attention immediately. I took her to my vet. He gasped in shock when he saw her.
He examined her and started IV fluids, antibiotics, etc. 
He did not offer any hope. He felt she was just too far gone to pull through.
She is staying there overnight. Please say prayers and send healing energy for this innocent little furkid.

May 25th

Update on Mercy: Brought her home today from vet office. She has become weaker and is not doing well at all. She has been given intravenous fluids while at the vet but it does not seem to have helped. I can only pray that she is not too far gone to save. PLEASE PRAY WITH ME!!!! She needs HEAVY prayers and healing energy.
She is not attempting to get up on her own at all, her breathing is shallow, body temp. very low and she is weak to the point of limp.
I have her on a heating pad with heavy padding to keep her from getting over heated. Just warmth.
Hubby and I have gotten a little bit of electrolytes down her and some Nutrical paste. Hopefully that will give her a little more strength and even a scant ability to fight this. PLEASE PRAY!!!

Later May 25th
Can we all pray at one time please. This little one is SOOOO deep in this sickness. It is 7:45 here right now. I think we are on Central time. Not sure. Those of you who will please join me at 8:45?? Please!

Later May 25th
I was with her, hands on, praying at 8:45. I got some more electrolytes and nutrical down her and mashed up some canned pedigree chicken chunks. Although she is not strong enough to eat on her own I was able to get a few bites in her mouth and she was able to swallow them. Thank you all for praying with me. God bless your wonderful hearts. I will continue to try to get some nourishment in her hoping to strengthen her enough to fight for her life.

Later May 25th
Somewhat hopeful news!! I just came in from trying to get more nutrients down her and fed her some more of the pedigree chicken while I was at it. She actually raised her head a little and tried to eat some from my hand on her own!! She is so very weak though that even the tiny bit she took was a huge effort for her. But she actually held her head up for a few seconds without my help. I am able to get the nutrical, diluted with electrolytes, down her a few drops at a time. I keep at it until I have gotten at least two cc's in her each time. I'm trying to do it every 15 to 30 minutes. The poor baby is so nasty and matted. I want to clean her up but I don't want to stress her right now and I don't think she is strong enough to take much "handling." Thank ALL of you for the prayers and healing thoughts. Please keep them going.

After midnight:
Update on Mercy: Just went down and syringed some more fluids and nutrical down her and also offered her the smashed up Pedigree chicken with gravy. She ate from my hand again but as she is eating, her energy fades and she ends up dropping her head and her nose ends up in the food. When I try to pull away so she can breathe, she follows my hand as if not wanting to give up the food. It's a very WEAK "following" but a following never the less. As in "interest in food." I was able to keep putting small amounts in my hand and she ate maybe a tablespoon full. I was also able to get some pure electrolytes down her. She seems ever so slightly stronger THANK GOD!!! 
When I brought her home today she could NOT lift her head. She was as limp as if she were dead. 
PLEASE keep the prayers and healing energy flowing. If she makes it through the night she has a fighting chance.
Thank you ALL for being there for her and for me.

Around 3:00 AM May 26th
Just did another feeding with Mercy. She ate some on her own, as before, and seemed about equally as strong. She is stronger than when I brought her home thank GOD but she is still horrendously weak. It takes great effort on her part just to hold her head up long enough to lick a few bites of the food. Also got more electrolytes down her and the electrolytes/nutrical mixture. Please keep praying. Will update again in the morning. I'm going to try to get a couple hours rest. She is warm and comfortable. She has some food in her belly. She does not appear to be dehydrated. I'm doing everything I can on this end. The rest is up to God. If He wants her to live she will. If not, then He will take her gently I'm sure. At least she has known love and kindness for a few hours of her life.

Morning May 26th
Wanted to share GREAT news this morning!! Mercy is still alive!!!! And she is MUCH MUCH stronger this morning!! I will send a video as soon as I download/upload it!! She is able to actually stand up!! She's not very steady but she stood up!!!
She ate about three tablespoons of smashed up canned food with gravy ON HER OWN out of a small dish. I had to guide her head to it so I'm still thinking she might be blind or maybe it is just the severe weakness. THE PRAYERS AND HEALING THOUGHTS ARE WORKING!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!! Her bedding is fresh, she has a decent amount of food in her belly along with some of the electrolyte/nutrical mixture. She also drank some water on her own!!! THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 26th video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PocgkfK7wes

Evening May 26th
Mercy is still hanging in there and seems, now, to have a little "will" to fight for her life. 
She has eaten several small meals today on her own if I hold the bowl to her mouth, and has lapped willingly, from the syringe, electrolytes/Nutrical and water throughout the day. 
I moved her out of the crate to the floor in an ex-pen. She has a very comfy, warm bed to lay on and her food and water are available. I had noticed she was hesitant to pee in her crate and had only pooped once and that was when she was more or less comatose the first day. She now has enough area to get off her bed and do her business on newspaper and pee pads. 
We went to dinner up on the hill, with Bud and Maillyn and, while we were gone, Mercy got up off her bed and went to the end of her pen to pee. To me that is a good sign. That she is aware enough now to not want to soil her bedding. The first day she never moved.
Tonight, after she ate and drank, I sat on the floor and very gently scissored out some of the horrible mats on her back legs. She slept peacefully the whole time I was working on her. 
Her two back legs were so badly matted, (absolutely solid,) and tight to the skin I had to use tiny little surgical scissors to trim between them and the skin so the process took forever. One hair at a time. Her back legs are completely bare now. She is still VERY weak and unstable so walking is almost impossible for her and standing only lasts a minute before her back legs give out. She still needs your prayers and healing energy. Thank you ALL for the prayers and healing thoughts and PLEASE keep them going!! God bless you all!!

May 27th

I am uploading a new video of our Mercy to Youtube. Will post a link as soon as it is done uploading.
She is still extremely weak but is eating well and I am giving fluids subcutaneously, also electrolytes in the form of coconut water. She is also getting Nutri-Cal. She is able to get on her feet but her legs give out quickly. She will not drink water out of a bowl for some reason. I have to syringe it to her and she laps it up willingly. She is pooping and peeing so that's a good sign. Please keep the prayers and healing thoughts going for her. This little one needs LOTS of help.

May 27th video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO7DFa4wDE8

May 28th Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ECQhchxpsA

May 28th
Guess who came by to take a look at Mercy!! SHARON!!! She took blood to have it tested and examined Mercy thoroughly!! She thinks Mercys' horrid condition may be due strictly to malnutrition!! STARVATION!!! We also got the rest of the hair trimmed off so Mercy is now NAKED!!! Poor baby. But it will make it more effective when I start giving her the medicated baths. We don't even think she has mange!!! We think it is a bacterial infection caused by the filth under the matted fur. Mercy tolerated it all very well and is now resting on her heated bed with a blankie. She ate another bowl full of food and I gave her more coconut water. She still refuses to drink on her own.
Thank you thank you thank you Sharon!!!
Already got the results back while I was typing this. Blood work looks really good except for low white blood cell count. Starting Mercy on antibiotics today. Also a liver protector.

May 29th video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZNEreQNM9o

May 30th
Wanna see something beautiful?? Guess who had a jog around the screened porch this morning?

Having MAJOR computer problems. Having to try to do todays Mercy video on an OLD, S-L-O-W computer. Be patient. It's worth the wait. 

May 30th video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSk8cX7jsM

May 31st
Todays' update on Mercy!! She's doing great!! Still eating LOTS of canned Pedigree Puppy Food (with her meds mixed in) and was up three times so far today jogging around the screened porch. She seems to want to be able to get outside with the other dogs. Has shown no aggressiveness toward them when they met through the screen. She is wagging her tail and seems to be MUCH more alert and "in charge" of herself. She greeted me today, laying on her back for a belly rub. She happily follows me, Kristi and Bruce around the porch, wagging her little naked tail. 
She is still a little weak, her back legs giving out on her now and then, but she is doing amazingly well considering the shape she was in only 7 days ago. At this point I feel comfortable saying I think she's going to make it!!!! Here are todays photos. No video today because my computer went to the shop and I'm still working on this ancient one. 

Please keep the prayers and healing thoughts going for this little girl!! They're working!!!