~ Barney and Queenie ~

While working over-time to help and save as many needy dachshunds as possible, Almost Home Dachshund Rescue’s Dena Delgado is suffering from a financial hit due to multiple fosters needing extensive medical care this year. Dena’s fosters really need your help.

It all began when one of her special needs senior fosters, Barney, woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe and was rushed to the emergency vet hospital with a temperature of over 105 degrees. After a thorough evaluation, the vet diagnosed Barney with an oronasal fistula which had abscessed, closed off his sinuses and flooded his body with infection. As if that weren't bad enough for poor Barney, his vet also discovered that he has an enlarged heart accompanied by a heart murmur; a condition which requires additional, lifelong medication. Barney is a sweet, gentle spirit, and he doesn't understand why all these bad things keep happening to him. He thanks his lucky starts daily for Dena’s love and grace towards animals, which has given him a new lease on life.

Close on the heels of that scary adventure, Dena noticed that a dachshund was listed on a local shelter's list of dogs to be euthanized the next day. She contacted the shelter and was informed that poor little Queenie had been hit by a car and was suffering from multiple leg fractures. Queenie was scheduled to be euthanized because the shelter couldn't care for her and no one wanted to adopt her due to the extensive nature of her injuries. Dena immediately pulled Queenie from the shelter and rushed her to a veterinarian, who performed a long and complex surgery requiring the insertion of a metal rod and six pins in an attempt to reduce the fractures. Queenie is still working hard to recover from her severe leg injuries, and it will take quite a while for her vet to determine a prognosis with regards to the amount of function her leg will recover. Although understandably traumatized by her ordeal, little Queenie is a survivor and remains sweet, loving and amazingly trusting of people. She loves her new life in foster care and especially enjoys finding a warm, safe spot to nap in the center of a pile of her canine foster siblings.

Both of these precious little creatures were discarded by people who should have taken care of them. Aside of the time and effort required to nurse them back to health, the financial burden on Dena is significant and limits her financial ability to take in any further needy dachshunds. The cost of Barney’s emergency vet visit exceeded $1,000.00. Additionally, Queenie’s surgical expenses reached a total of approximately $1,500.00, and this amount does not include any necessary follow-up visits.

Can you help Barney and Queenie as they work hard towards recovering? If so, please make a tax-deductible donation through the PayPal button below or send a contribution to:

Anything you can do to help these deserving little Dachshunds would be greatly appreciated.

 

AHDRS Barney & Queenie Fund PO Box 9671 Greensboro, NC 27429-9671

 

~ Dexter ~

Update: November 5, 2009

Sadly, Dexter passed away unexpectedly on October 29, 2009 in the loving arms of his foster mom. While everyone recognizes that Dexter’s condition was life-threatening, it was thought that he had a very good chance at surviving treatment and living a relatively normal, pampered life. Unfortunately, that was not to be, and he passed away quickly and quietly after enjoying a midnight snack and snuggling in next to his foster mom. Dexter has since joined a joyous pack of dachshunds at Rainbow Bridge, but so many here mourn his passing.

Treatment and diagnosis of Dexter’s condition exceeded $4,000.00. Dexter's foster family would like to thank each and every one of the donors for giving so generously towards his medical bills and for believing in him as much as his foster family did.

Dexter, a five-month-old black/tan longhair puppy, was left overnight at Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto, California. When he was discovered, it was obvious that he was suffering from a neurological disorder that prevented him from walking. All of his limbs worked—just not in unison. Dexter could stand up on his own and stagger a few steps, but he would then fall over on his side – sometimes “running in place” out of frustration. After three weeks, Riverside Dachshund Rescue & Sanctuary placed Dexter into an experienced foster home.

After taking Dexter in, his new foster parents noticed that he appeared tired and weak and would go into a tremor state from time to time. During his second day at their home, while relaxing in the shade with his new dachsie siblings, Dexter suffered a major seizure. Over the next two weeks, he recovered and was actually getting stronger, gaining weight and doing better on his legs all the time. He enjoyed regular swim therapy and even started chasing and playing with his foster siblings. At that time, his veterinarians offered hopeful prospects for a good quality of life, and Dexter started attending a myriad of vet appointments in search of a definitive diagnosis.

Meanwhile, despite his great progress and unbreakable spirit, Dexter had another setback—a seizure even worse than his initial seizure. Even though he was extremely weak afterwards, the veterinary neurologist in San Diego decided to perform a full MRI and spinal fluid tap to diagnose his condition. He was therefore sedated and the diagnostic tests were completed, but during the first 72 hours coming out of anesthesia, Dexter had a very difficult time recovering and almost didn’t make it. As true to his nature, though, his unbreakable spirit finally started to rally again and he has begun to regain his strength.

We now have a conclusive diagnosis for Dexter of a specific birth defect called Caudal Ocipital Malformation Syndrome (COMS), which has been treated successfully in many cases. And with this knowledge, we finally know how to help him get better.

It has been less than a week since Dexter’s diagnostic procedures, and he still needs further medical oversight and critical care monitoring before he can go back to his foster home. This little miracle dachsie will not give up, though! We’re very hopeful that Dexter will improve back to and beyond his best prior mobility, and that the prescribed treatment for his birth defect will prevent any further setbacks. Click here to view a video of Dexter on October 2, 2009.

Dexter’s veterinary expenses exceed $4,000 at this point. Can you help us meet his expenses as he fights to start walking on his own again? If so, please make a tax-deductible donation through the Pay-Pal button below or send a contribution to:

AHDRS Dexter Fund PO Box 9671 Greensboro, NC 27429-9671

 

~ Gus ~

Update: September 7, 2009

Gus is finally on the mend. Up until last Wednesday, his foster parents were still pretty worried that he might not make it. He was still vomiting and having diarrhea, which caused excessive weight loss that seemed to be turning him into a walking skeleton. His veterinarian started him on some medication and, after Gus finally began to improve, he has been weaned off almost all of it.

Gus is no longer throwing up, his stools have returned to normal and he has started eating and begging for food again. As a result, his ribs are starting to get some cover and his strength is returning. His foster parents are amazed at how quickly he is regaining weight, and they are so overjoyed to catch glimpses of the Gus they knew for such a short time before he was overcome with sickness.

His new mom came to visit him recently, and she loves him. He will go to his new home in October, which will give his foster parents time to wean him completely off the remaining medications he is taking and to make sure he continues to improve. It will take a while for a full recovery, but Gus is doing great.

Gus and his foster parents are so thankful to all who continue to contribute toward his medical expenses. You have no idea how much you are helping!
 

When Gus, a six year-old intact red/white piebald, was found in a high kill shelter in Evansville, Indiana, he was sick with heartworms and his time at the shelter was almost up. A volunteer with another rescue group contacted his foster mom and agreed to rescue him from the shelter and keep him until Almost Home Dachshund Rescue could get him transported to his foster home.


When his foster parents agreed to take him in, they were apprehensive, but all of their fears were put to rest as soon as they met this gentleman of a dog. Gus’ foster parents brag that he is one of the best mannered dogs they have ever rescued and feel that he must have once been a much-loved member of someone's family. He loves getting attention from his people, gets along well with his canine foster siblings and knows tons of tricks. To boot, he is house-trained!

His foster family immediately scheduled an appointment for Gus to be neutered and treated for heartworms. His appointment was on a Wednesday afternoon and, afterwards, they brought him back home for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. The following Saturday morning, Gus vomited, which was only the beginning of a rapid decline in his health. Sunday evening, he was rushed back to the vet’s office for evaluation, and the vet treated his symptoms as best as possible, but Gus’ foster family held little hope that he would make it through the night. However, as dawn broke the following day, Gus stood and wagged his tail to greet everyone as they came in to check on him. Unfortunately, his good spirits didn’t last long, and he soon began to refuse food while continuing to vomit. By Wednesday, Gus had lost two pounds and was very sick.

In search of an answer to Gus’ mysterious symptoms, his vet performed exploratory surgery, which revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Afterwards, Gus developed awful diarrhea, and his vet tested him to rule out Parvo. Although Gus has been vaccinated for Parvo, his vet and foster parents were surprised to find out that his test results were positive. They are therefore getting him the treatment he needs.

Gus is an absolute love at his foster home and displays the strongest will to live. No animal deserves to be given up on, including Gus, and his foster parents are determined to get him the best of medical care regardless that they have faced expenses that have taken an incredible toll on their finances.

Gus has a forever home that is patiently waiting to spoil him for the rest of his days. Can you help him along in his road to recovery so he can enjoy the good life again? If so, please make a tax-deductible donation through the Pay-Pal button below or send a contribution to:

 

AHDRS Gus Fund PO Box 9671 Greensboro, NC 27429-9671

 

Donations received in excess of the costs for a particular dog will be placed in the AHDRS Medical Fund and used to help other dogs in need.

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