A man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was vacationing in Florida with his wife when he fell in love with a shelter dog and decided to change his life forever.
Jeff Gaudy told Newsweek that he first meet Arthur, now known as Artie, at Sarasota County Animal Services, in Sarasota, Florida, while enjoying his spring vacation back in April, and immediately knew he had to save the pup.
"Our daughter showed us his picture, and I instantly fell in love with him," Gaudy said. However, adopting him wasn't as easy as he had hoped. "We went to visit him and we would have taken him right then and there, but he had an ear infection and was under a vet's care until mid-May." he added.
Ear infections in dogs are not uncommon, but they can be quite painful, and if left untreated, they can lead to permanent hearing damage, according to British Animal charity Blue Cross.
Symptoms include itchy ears, leading to scratching; pain when their heads or ears are touched; ear discharge; swelling and rednesss; and unpleasant smell coming from their ears.
Other signs can include the pups shaking their head often; holding their head to the side; and itchy skin.
If you think your dog is suffering from an ear infection, you should get them checked by their veterinarian as soon as possible. They will clean your dog's ear and apply medication; in some cases, they may prescribe antibiotics.
A WebMD article, medically reviewed by Dr. Vanesa Farmer, says that you can prevent ear infections by increasing their hygiene; removing any foreign objects that may cause the infection; and keeping the ear clear of moisture.
To clean your dog's ears properly, you should first wipe them gently with an absorbent gauze, never a washcloth or paper towel, cleaning the external portions of the ears only.
You should always avoiding cotton swabs, because they can push debris deeper into your dog's ear and make the infection worse.
Once his ear infection was treated, Artie was cleared to go, and his new family couldn't wait to welcome him home.
"As soon as he was released, I flew down and adopted him to his fur-ever home. My son-in-law and I, along with my daughter and wife giving moral support, drove him back to Pittsburgh, where he now lives like a king," Gaudy said.
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