11.27.07
Shih Tzu lovers, we have a problem!
You just absolutely will NOT believe this! I’ve told everyone that we are just bursting at the seams with too many dogs right now. Our absolutely stellar foster homes are taking one/two/three more than they normally can handle because they KNOW it’s the HOLIDAY dumping season and there will be so many dogs in danger that they are going WAAAAAAAY overboard for these dogs.
Still, we are putting off all but the emergency and urgent, as in this-dog-will-die-today-if-you-don’t-take-it situations! I cringe when I see an email come in that says a dog’s name or “help this dog” or “please take this dog.” ETC.
Well, this morning, our Houston intake coordinator got a call ……….. oh how do I even write these words…………. the caller said “we have a hit-by-car shih tzu here, can you help?”
What?????
I told Sherry, no way, no how, no no no, read my lips “NO,” did you hear me “NO NO!!”
Then, they sent the picture – those evil, evil people. Mean, mean, evil people!
And, he’s a PUPPY – only 10 months old. And, he weighs around SIX, yes 6 pounds. T I N Y.
“NONONONONONONO!!!” I said. Everyone will think I’ve totally lost my mind.
Ok, I said to myself, we’ve had some HBC that didn’t need much more than crate rest so maybe we’ll catch a break.
I called the vet where animal control had taken him SATURDAY (yes, three days ago). I talked to a very nice vet who said – nope, he’ll need surgery – he has a ruptured diaphram and his intestines are now sitting next to his lungs and heart. Oh no, Deja Vu – Andrew Garlander just this past year had the same thing. It’s fatal if not corrected.
Ok, so we took him immediately to Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery just for a consult, you know, just to see, just to check on fixing his diaphram and stuffing his intestines back down in his abdomen. The news was not good.
Here is his x-ray with some markings where I tried to illustrate what the surgeons told me.
He has, in addition to the ruptured diaphram, two or three complete fractures in his pelvis. One on a weight bearing bone – if not corrected, he will never walk according to the surgeon. Another on the opposite side. They believe both must be plated to fix it. One side is also subluxated (I think that’s the word) meaning it is shoved several inches too high in his body and must be repositioned. He is in a LOT of pain. A lot of pain. Anytime we tried to move him, he screamed in pain. But, through all of the examination,etc., once he calmed down, he wagged his tiny tzu tail a bit.
Now, the good news is that it can all be fixed, the bad news is that if we do this, he will be our gold, no make that platinum,-plated dog.
The estimate for the ruptured diaphram is $2700-$3500. The estimate for repairing all the broken parts of the pelvis is $3400-$4200. What should we do? If we don’t do the orthopedic surgery, we shouldn’t do anything. So with him, it’s all or nothing.
We named him Little Dougie Gillingham – Dougie after the vet that kept him for three days.
What to do?
If we’re going to help him, he MUST have surgery to fix the diaphram tomorrow. He’s been like this since at least Saturday and cannot go on much longer. We need to know IMMEDIATELY. Please send this message to any and all shih tzu lovers you know. If we can get a good start on raising the money, we’ll do it tomorrow. I know it’s Christmas and Hanukkah, I know we all have tons of gifts to buy and holiday parties to throw and attend, but I’m so hoping you can spare a few dollars to help this adorable boy make it to 2008.
help? His name is Dougie. He is no more than THREE pounds. He is around 10 MONTHS old. He is a puppy and for whatever reason, got loose from his home and struck by a car.
I don’t know what else to say. We’ve asked a lot of you this year. But look at that face. We have to at least try.
Melissa said,
November 29, 2007 at 9:36 am
I hope this little fur baby gets enough donated to have his second operation… Poor little Dougie!!
God bless you, Teresa, and all you do for these fluffs.