Toffee’s Transformation

Toffee is barely recognisable as a Golden Retriever from these photos!

We had to share this story about Toffee the Golden Retriever rescued by a wonderful devoted Mum Emma – the rehoming manager for the charity Miracle’s Mission. What a story it is!

💚 Toffee our rescue from Egypt, began her life like so many other puppies in Egypt: brought because of her looks and her breed, but then was then kept in a garden and uncared for. After 2 long years in isolation she became very poorly. She had 2 types of mange and an autoimmune disease linked to her heat cycles.

This devastating combination of issues caused her skin to literally melt away and fall off in chunks. She was in unimaginable pain and her owners did nothing to help her until she was at death’s door. She was a walking skeleton.

💚 A wonderful shelter owner came to rescue her (unaware of the full extent of her condition) and was absolutely horrified at what she found. A very short while later Toffee collapsed and was then fighting for her life.

It took 2 long years for Toffee’s skin to get to a stable place of healing. During this time she lived in the shelter owner’s basement as she was too weak and unwell to be outside in the shelter.

She fought off infection and new wounds appearing time after time. When she was spayed, things became much better for her skin. Eventually Toffee was well enough to live in the shelter and mix with other dogs.

💚 Being a Golden Retriever with a lovely personality she should have been easy to home, however the black scars on her face never went away so she was not seen as “pretty enough” to be adopted.

6 long years she waited for someone to see past her scars and see who she really was on the inside. The day that the shelter owner thought would never come, finally did!

💚 A woman from the UK sent her a message asking if she had any elderly or disabled Golden Retrievers.

The shelter owner said “I do, but I don’t think you will want her, she has very oily smelly skin and she is 9 years old” “Tell me more” the woman replied. That woman just so happened to be Emma our rehoming manager at Miracle’s Mission. Emma saw the beauty that radiated from Toffee and they fell in love from the moment they met.

💚 Toffee has suffered so much in her life but her new Mum is determined to make every day with her count, giving her the life she should have had from the very beginning.

Toffee’s skin and coat went from strength to strength in the first 18 months of being in the UK.  I cannot stress enough how much better Toffee’s skin and coat became when she moved to the UK and was on a plant-based diet.”

Emma and Toffee 🐾

💚 We asked Dr Sue Paterson Veterinary Dermatology Specialist from Virtual Vetderms what would have caused such a severe case of skin infection that almost resulted in the death of Toffee.

She explained in her words that “Toffee is shown to have suffered from generalised pustular demodicosis. Demodex is a mite that lives in the skin. They are passed from mum to pups in the first few days of life and will normally not cause a problem unless the dog’s immune system is suppressed.

It is not uncommon in young dogs especially if they are in a rescue setting. As an animal’s general health improves they will often fight off the mites themselves if infection is managed and I suspect this may be what has happened with Toffee in the past.
The mites though will remain in low numbers in the skin and their levels can rise and create disease again if the animal is stressed or unwell. This would have to be a worry with Toffee.

As shampoo therapy is being used to make Toffee’s skin more comfortable, the best way to control mite infection is with oral tablets from your vet, which will kill the mites.

An antiseptic shampoo with moisturisers was recommended to help manage any secondary infection present in the skin.”

– Dr Sue Paterson

Dr Sue Paterson has formulated the very sustainable and effective soap bars that you can buy in the Just Be Kind Shop and come highly recommend.

Toffee would have also been treated with so many antibiotics and anti-inflammatories in her past which would have affected her good gut bacteria where 70% of a dog’s immunity is controlled.

By being on a nutritionally complete plant-based diet since she has been in the UK, this would have enhanced her overall health and in particular; her gut microbiome.

How fortunate Toffee is to be rescued by such a caring and understanding vegan Mum as Emma💚