WE LOVE WILLIE & WANT HIM HOME!
We admit that the hospital bills are getting a bit high but we don't regret starting him on the blood transfusions. We want him to live a long, peaceful life with us. But we have to be realistic and know when to admit that we need help.
We, honestly, wouldn't be asking for help unless we really needed it. Our family suggested putting a PayPal link on our website to see if we could get any donations. A dollar here and there will add up pretty quickly if everyone gives up one cup of coffee or a pack of gum.
If you don't know Willie’s story, here it is:
Willie, also known as "One Eye Willie," was found in the Orlando, Florida as a stray. His left eye was already surgically removed and so that indicated that he must have come from a loving family for them to pay for that operation; so they kept him in animal control longer in hopes that his family can be found. They called around to ask vets in the area if they have any records of performing an operation similar to Willie's recently but no one had any records of Willie. So while Willie was facing death row at animal control, a sweet lady from the Florida Little Dog Rescue was asked if she could help One Eye Willie although he was an older dog that needed his teeth cleaned, ear infection taken care of, and matted hair removed. She couldn't say no to that adorable face of his and so he became fostered under the Florida Little Dog Rescue Organization.
The Florida Little Dog Rescue Organization was in need of foster homes since most of their fosters went on vacation for the summer so the Foster Fairy, me, and my partner volunteered to foster another pup alongside Tabby the 6 month yorkie with the broken arm that eventually got amputated. We were given a couple options to pick to help with the foster surplus but when we heard about Willie's story we couldn't turn him down. We rushed over to the West Orange Veterinary Hospital in Winter Garden, FL to pick him up.
It was love at first sight when we saw the little guy. We couldn’t bear to let him go and so introduced him to our family who without a doubt also fell in love and wanted to adopt him right on the spot! When it was time for Willie’s daddy to go home without Willie, he seemed so sad to see him go. We thought he was depressed but noticed other symptoms. Willie stopped eating, started to be lethargic, was urinating blood mixed pigment, had tarry stool, and his gums were turning yellow/white. Willie had suddenly gotten so sick that the vet had to break the news to us that he might not make it.
Thinking back on the day that we took him to the vet always breaks me to tears. I play back that moment over and over in her head. Imagine crying over Willie’s almost lifeless body as the vet tells you that it’s okay to let him go and that there was no guarantee him surviving even if he got the blood transfusions. I know that the vet was trying to comfort me in case I chose to let him go. But I couldn’t do it; I could not let him go so quickly.
We went with the second option of taking him to the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (VSEC), a 24-hour multi-specialty referral and emergency hospital in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The vet called ahead and we were taken in right away. Willie was immediately given oxygen and a blood transfusion. After five days in the hospital and four blood transfusions, Willie showed little improvement. His red blood cell count started at 8% when a healthy dog would be at 43%-59%. Throughout the week, Willie’s count went up and down between high twenties back down to low teens every night.
It had gotten to the point where the vet had gotten nervous too because most owners would have had their dogs euthanized because the lack of response to the medication and the increasing costs of the vet bills in the thousands prevent owners from continuing on with the treatments. The vet suggested a new a bit more expensive drug that would show immediate results if it worked and Willie would have to stay on for 2-4 month after he returns home. All we heard was “when he returns home” and stuck to that sense of hope.
Day 5 after he started the new medication, Willie started to eat again. Day 6, he’s eating and drinking on his own and has gone 2 days without a blood transfusion. However, he dropped down to 15% after the two days and so we hope that means the new medication is helping slow down his body from destroying his Red Blood Cells. Day 6, he’s getting his 5th transfusion and we’ll see what happens from now on.
Day 7 will put us over $5,000 in vet bills without the aid of pet insurance because Willie got sick the day we adopted him. So it was too late to get pet insurance since they would’ve probably considered it a pre-existing condition although it suddenly happened.
We want to be clear that Willie’s story shouldn’t scare you from adopting because we have no regrets about adopting Willie. He's unique and his situation is unique. His story shouldn't affect anyone's decision to opt to adopt because obviously it's worth it to us to have him in our life. He fills a void that can't be filled by money. I just want to be clear that his condition is rare, one in a thousand cases. So if you have the time, space, and heart. Please consider saving a dog from death row, please adopt.
So in exchange for your donation, I’ll update daily on his progress with status updates, photos, videos, tweets, and blog entries. You’ll also have our gratitude for helping saving our Willie the One Eye Wonder. :]
Thank you!
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