Forum Post

God Bless All Of You

Last post 02-29-2008 9:45 AM by calliecritturs. 5 replies.
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  • 02-28-2008 12:37 PM

    God Bless All Of You

    God Bless each and every one of you..I will certainly pray for you and I ask that you also send some prayers our way as well..We need your prayers and we need your help...Thank You and God Bless You..and YOU ALL will be in my prayers.

     Please go to the following link to read more and again God Be With You..and comfort you in your time of need.

    *content removed, requests for financial assistance to personally owned animals not allowed*

     

    Apollo is a beautiful 14 month old AKC Alaskan Malamute. He has been neutered and has all of his vaccinations and heartworm preventative. Our family searched for a pet like Apollo for almost one year. Two weeks ago we finally located Apollo in Ohio, 7 hours from where we live. On February 16th we loaded up our two teenage sons and headed off to Cleveland to pick up our new family member. The weekend went great, lots of time with our boys and beautiful Apollo joined right in. His former owner was in the process of a divorce and for whatever reasons Apollo would not fit into his new lifestyle changes. So we happily made him a part of our family. The first night back home was so great. At bed time he went from room to room checking on our two sons and also on our pregnant daughter and our 2 grandsons staying with us temporarily until the can get moved into their apartment within the next couple weeks. He finally settled right beside my husband and I in our bedroom. We immediately formed a very close bond to this loving animal. My husband works in the construction field and on Monday he took Apollo with him on a trip to Lowes Hardware Store. Everyone in the store just made over Apollo and commented on his terrific manners and how gorgeous he was. I could tell when my husband was telling me the story about their day that he was so proud of Apollo. Monday night, just 24 hours after Apollo had joined our family within our home something terrible happened. My husband had taken Apollo outside for his early evening romp around the farm while I mopped the kitchen floor...the next thing I know my husband had come through the door with Apollo and took his leash off. When he did Apollo came running through the house and run right across the wet floor. He started slipping and sliding and legs went every which way. We did not know at that time he had been hurt by the fall. He acted normal for the next 2 days..But then we started noticing him crying out when he would start to get up after laying down for a bit. We immediately took him to the veterinarian. $250.00 later we were told Apollo had a spinal injury and would need emergency surgery or he would have to be put to sleep. This is just killing our family. We love him so much but we do not currently have the money to get this surgery.

    I spent all day yesterday and all night last night applying to different organization in an attempt to get funding to help pay for Apollo's surgery. I begged the surgeon on the phone last night to please work with us, but he repeatedly told me he had to have a $1000.00 deposit before he could go any further with Apollo. The surgery and the MRI will cost between $2500.00 and $3000.00. Two different organization online are working with us to raise a portion of the money needed for the surgery but they will not pay the deposit and the surgeon will not even look at Apollo without this deposit money. If Apollo doesn't get this surgery soon he will die. He is currently on strong pain meds and anti-inflammatory meds to help him to get through this waiting period, but each day that passes he only gets worse. He is now dragging his left back leg and cannot stand up fully at all let alone walk. The vet told us to keep him restrained and to not allow him to get up or have any activity. I change his blankets and bedding three times a day, I clean his area constantly, and I keep a chart of everything he does. Our family takes turns sitting with him day and night, giving him his medications and keeping him calm. We are all truly exhausted but we are not giving up on Apollo. My husband and I have been happily married for 17 years. We have 4 children, 2 grown and 2 teenage sons at home. We also have 2 grandsons and another grand baby on the way. We have ask everyone we know for help, we have tried to get a loan from the bank and we have also tried to set up fund raiser to help raise this money. But our time is running out and we have to make a decision soon.

    *content removed, requests for financial help for personally owned animals not allowe, duplicate posts not allowed*
    Sincerely,

    The Johnson Family

     

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  • 02-28-2008 3:36 PM In reply to Apollo's_Mom

    Re: God Bless All Of You

    Reposting calliecritturs excellent response here:

    Unfortunately the admin here is probably going to view this as a plea for money, which isn't allowed on here.  My suggestions would be:]

    1.  have you tried the University?  In honesty, often your state's university may be far less expensive than a specialty vet (and frankly I've had better luck with them most of the time)

    2.  my best suggestion -- probably my FIRST suggestion -- would be acupuncture.  I have seen dogs go in a sling into acupuncture and WALK out.  It's a completely different type of exam, but DO take x-rays with you.  It might be $150 to $200 for an initial visit but that would ALSO Include treatment -- and there is a good chance that they might be able to heal this without surgery.  I'd need to know more about what happened but it sounds like everything got pulled and stretched rather than a huge 'impact'??  That would tell me, it may truly benefit more than you might believe from acupuncture and Chinese herbals (which are a whole different 'thing' from what you might think of as 'herbs'). 

    I am NOT suggesting you 'leave' your vet -- rather that you try the TCVM (traditional Chinese veterinary medicine) as an aside.  You might find it would either compliment what's already being done or simply help him heal without surgery.  I have honestly got pretty exensive experience with this -- we took a little dog at one point that had been horribly abused and her attacker broke her back with a broom.  We had great success getting her on her feet (altho she died from other related injuries unknown to all four of her vets at the time - she died of a stroke some months later). 

    If you look at http://www.tcvm.com -- that's the Chi Institute's website and on the left there is a 'locator' -- it goes both by state and zip code and I know there are TCVM vets in Kentucky because I've seen referrals go there and get helped before.

    This is not going to be a 'Chinese vet' -- this is nothing weird.  Acupuncture is becoming VERY main-stream and several of the big vet schools are teaching acupuncture because it works so well. 

    Feel free to email me if I can help you.   Callie

    Gina H.
    dog.community Moderator


    "I have an excellent idea! Lets..change...the subject!"-March Hare

    • Post Points: 0
  • 02-28-2008 3:52 PM In reply to Apollo's_Mom

    Re: God Bless All Of You

    I would try to find a vet that would be willing to work out payment arrangements.  I know there are pet credit card type loans you can take out to pay for surgery. 

    I hope the best for you and your dog.

    PACE- Positive Attitude, Changes Everything!
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  • 02-28-2008 3:56 PM In reply to rwbeagles

    Re: God Bless All Of You

     Charities:

    www.imom.org

    www.help-a-pet.org

    www.uan.org
     

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  • 02-28-2008 3:58 PM In reply to Firestorm

    Re: God Bless All Of You

    Care credit gives interest free credit for 12 months depending on how much you spend. 

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  • 02-29-2008 9:45 AM In reply to Jewlieee

    Re: God Bless All Of You

    I *think* she'll come back and post.  I did hear from her this morning via e-mail.  She apologized profusely - she honestly didn't mean to commit a faux pas.

    HOWEVER -- my point to her was that this didn't sound like an impact type of injury -- but more a pinched nerve of some sort.  She found someone who does canine chiropractic, took the dog there loaded in their vehicle - the vet jumped INSIDE with an activator (that's this little doorstop-looking-clicker-kinda-thingy that chiros use) and adjusted Apollo with it (it makes tiny adjustments rather than having to manhandle this poor sore dog) -- and Apollo was able to STAND before he was done. 

    He'll have to heal and probably will need some extra sessions, but this vet is doing this for them for nothing!!  So I-Dog prayers and good thots go into play again!!! 

    I kept thinking of this all week -- it was a shame to do some sort of exploratory surgery (which could create more inflammation) until they tried something less invasive.  I think the dog will have to be eval'd for hips and cruciate ligament stuff but it's a far cry from $3000 or put the animal to sleep.

    RAH --it made MY morning anyway!


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