Dogs may be man's best friends, but for those who end up in shelters, finding a forever home can be a struggle when they don't look as "cute" as the other pooches around them. One example of this is a rescue pup by the name of Phoenix, who was found in Collinsville, Oklahoma.
Writing on the dog's personal Instagram page, his rescuers recall how Phoenix came to be in their care: "Phoenix was spotted by a concerned homeowner and his picture was posted on a local Facebook group. His rescuers saw the picture and immediately reached out."
Phoenix - a male pit bull - was found and taken in by the kind staff at Skiatook Paws & Claws Animal Rescue. The most Phoenix notable thing about Phoenix was his severe facial disfigurements - something vets weren’t sure had been caused by an illness or abuse.
Related - Check out this adorable dog, who would 'smile' to any passers-by in an attempt to be adopted:After running some tests, vets confirmed that the pup actually has an auto-immune illness called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the Metro reports. The condition essentially causes Phoenix's body to attack itself.
After a difficult period of trying to manage the illness, experts were able to get the SLE under control and Phoenix is now healthier than ever. Writing on Facebook, the rescue center said:
"In an attempt to solve Phe’s skin mystery, his veterinary staff here in Owasso at FAM took biopsies of his diseased skin and sent them to Dr. Trainor. Dr. Trainor is a veterinary pathologist who focuses on skin disease.
"Oh boy, what a brilliant mind. What Dr. Trainor basically does is to look at Phe’s skin biopsy at the microscopic level and tell us how his skin is behaving.
"Next, Phe’s adventure took him to Veterinary Allergy and Dermatology clinic in Overland Park, Kansas. There he met Dr. David Senter, a veterinary dermatologist. He also focuses his veterinary skills on patients with skin diseases."
In the update, Phoenix’s carers revealed that he is improving each day, and said: "He has gained weight. His skin is healing. He plays and barks. He chases balls and plays tug-o-war. He even sleeps on his own dog couch."
The "pupdate" concluded by saying: "Thank goodness for all the vets (here in Owasso and Kansas too) we now have his disease managed. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. Phe would have never made his courageous journey without you."
Phoenix is yet to find his forever home, but in another Instagram post, his carers revealed that "he does [have] lots of 'sleepovers' with his main veterinarian", before going on to hint: "Maybe she’ll pull the trigger soon and become his official mom".
We hope so, Phe!
In the meantime, if you want to stay up-to-date with Phoenix, join the other 186,000 people who follow his day-to-day life on Instagram!
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