The Dog Rescuers: Incredible moment emaciated animal seconds from death is saved
A STARVED dog left so emaciated that he came within a whisker of being put down is now enjoying a new lease of life.
Rex the 18-month-old crossbreed looked like a skeleton draped in fur after being left deprived food for weeks on end.
Even after his rescue, things looked bleak for the tan-coated pet when he arrived at the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Animal Hospital as a “borderline euthanasia” case.
He did not have the strength to lift his head, let alone stand. Then, he gave a wag of his tail.
It was a clue to vets that Rex was a little fighter and with their care he would go on to lead a happy life.
Channel 5’s The Dog Rescuers has revealed how Rex has finally pulled through his ordeal and is being rehomed.
The show did not reveal full details of how Rex was in such a pitiful state when RSCPA inspector Sam Durrant came to the rescue, describing how one look left her and colleagues in tears.
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Inspector Durrant said: “He couldn’t stand, he couldn’t life his head.
“Just seeing him for the first time was shocking. Nothing can really prepare you for that.
He couldn’t stand, he couldn’t lift his head
“When we saw him for the first time we just cried.
"It was awful seeing any animal like this, knowing that he's been left to suffer for this long is just disgusting.”
An initial examination also shocked vet Amy Limbert who feared he was a borderline case to be put to sleep with such severe muscle wastage.
She said: “Ethically as a vet there was a big question over what I should do… I was worried about the first 24, 48 hours and whether we would make it."
Then Rex gave the signal that he was ready to fight for his life.
Ms Limbert said: “I was talking to him and he started wagging his tail, and we could see he had some spirit and some fight, so we thought we'd give him the best chance.”
A week later, he had put on a third of his bodyweight with round the clock efforts of RSPCA staff at the London animal hospital as well as lots of nutritious pet food.
Heartwarming scenes show how Rex now looks like a different animal.
Inspector Durrant told the programme: “To now see him growing into himself and filling out, is just fantastic.
“He's put the weight on, he's putting muscle tone back on. You can start seeing more of his personality now.
“He's like a completely different dog. He seems to be going from strength to strength each day. He's playful, he's cheeky. He's going to make the perfect pet for someone.”