Rescue dog who weighed just 45 pounds

Raphael, the mixed-breed dog from Pojoaque whose bony portrait has generated thousands of Facebook followers, has moved out of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and into a foster home.The leggy canine was at the shelter since late October, weighing about 45 pounds when he arrived.The rescue dog is now up to 68 pounds and 'doing well in his new foster home' in New Mexico.'His foster mom says his first night was great; he checked out his surroundings, played with the other dogs and hasn't stopped wagging his tail,' Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society wrote on its Facebook page.'He has a healthy appetite - he's being fed every 2.5 hours - and he's still gaining weight.'Shelter spokesman Ben Swan said if Raphael makes it up to about 80 pounds, he might be ready for adoption.He said many people have expressed an interest in the 'fat and sassy' pooch.'He's an incredible dog. Very sweet and loving,' Swan said.The initial posting of Raphael's arrival on the shelter's website generated more than 200,000 hits, and his fans have continued to follow his daily progress on the page. 'They expect to see Raphael updates every day,' Swan said.A fund formed at the shelter for Raphael and other medically challenged animals has brought in about $2,000, and the shelter also received at least $500 of meat, treats and other in-kind donations, including homemade food from Marty's Meals, he said.The reason for the animal's condition remains something of a mystery.'We just can't say definitively what the fundamental cause is for why he was so skinny and why it's been so difficult to get weight back on him,' said Dr. Jennifer Steketee, the shelter veterinarian. 'As of right now, we're optimistic that he'll continue to do well.'Although Raphael ate ravenously when he came to the shelter, he didn't put on much weight in the early weeks. He had some diarrhea and vomiting, along with gastrointestinal reflux (heartburn), but those still didn't fully explain his lack of weight gain, she said.'We ran a lot of different tests, with fairly vague results,' Steketee said.Those tests ruled out diabetes, irritable and inflammatory bowel syndromes, and liver or kidney disease. Tests for cancer didn't show anything, although that disease can remain hidden for a while before it is detected, she said.'He still eats a lot, and absorption (of nutrients and calories) seems to be an issue,' she said.Yet tests on the pancreas, which produces digestive enzymes, appear to be normal, as was an analysis of his digestive enzymes, Steketee said.If he had been starved, it's possible that changes in bacteria in the digestive tract made it difficult for him to resume proper digestion, she said. But, Steketee added, 'I don't feel it's likely it's strictly a starvation situation.'However, juggling of medications, including digestive enzymes, along with an easy-to-digest diet, have helped pile the pounds back on his frame.Steketee estimates Raphael's age at about eight - reasonably old for a dog of his size. Asked if she had any guesses on his breed, she said he does show a little resemblance to a Rhodesian ridgeback.'He's a New Mexico giant red dog,' she said.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az