Hairless Dog Who Got Skin Cancer From Being Left Outside for Months Is Fighting for a Better Life

Olive, a 10-years-old Chinese Crested Dog, is the heroine of a very special story. This little dog was surrendered to animal control in May 2017, sick and in a heartbreaking state. Thankfully, when she was taken under the care of Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue and became part of its Forever Foster program, her life began to change. Now, Olive is still fighting for her life and has a very long road before her, but her caretakers are doing everything to help her get a happy ending.

Olive arrived at the rescue with a number of medical conditions that needed immediate treatment. She had a bulging eye with glaucoma, first and secondary skin infections, cysts, abscesses, and a huge squamous cell carcinoma – all from being kept outside in total neglect …

“She was one of our worse cases,” the rescuers write, “completely shut down, skin so painful she could not be touched anywhere for months and in desperate need of our help.”

The team did not waste any time. For months, they worked with ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and oncologists at UC Davis and other local vets to help Olive and get her stable. Unfortunately, many of the conditions she is suffering from have the tendency to reoccur – like the carcinoma that grew back in the same area after it had been removed.

Her caretakers are working with vets and also trying holistic treatments like a raw diet, probiotics, supplements, essential and CDB oils, acupuncture, and more – all to keep her immune system fighting.

Although her medical problems are serious, Olive is enjoying her life. She is finally lived in a safe, warm place, where she is surrounded by people who love and care for her. “She is a happy girl and we won’t give up until she tells us to,” her carers write.

As the rescuers emphasize, the next few months will be critical for saving Olive’s life. This little survivor’s condition is still far from what one wishes it would be, but her guardians are absolutely determined to save her, heal her, and show her a much better life still. We hope that is exactly what is awaiting her!

You can help Olive by making a donation, here. To learn more about Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue, click here.

All image source: Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue/Facebook