Willie Update Videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_KKJH1WAzg

This is a video of Willie Scooting his tush on the floor!

 

Day 6 after being admitted at VSEC!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y02KPMUkX_4

Willie trying to poop!

 

Day 8: Willie's getting better!

Today was the first time we've seen him SMILE!!!

We took him out to walk for a bit and he went #1 and then #2 for a very long time! 

I got it on video! After he was done, he started scooting his tushy on the floor! 

I think his anal sacs are full. =/

So his RBC count dropped last night from 28% to 25% this morning and guess what it is now!!

24%!! So we've slowed down the RBC destroying process! 

But we're still waiting to hear from the specialist tomorrow about the Babesiosis!

Special Thanks for the Donations from:

Willie's Angels

Dana

Kim H.

Kim C.

Julie

 

PayPal Donation button up on the blog! Help WIllie with his AUTOIMMUNE HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA!

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 5^th 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!

BEFORE

NOW with AUTOIMMUNE HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA

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Day 6: Willie gets to see his daddy!

Willie Update!

Willie has gone 2 days without a blood transfusion. However, by the time we saw him his RBC count was 15% and his gums were as pale as the first day at the hospital; so he got his 5th blood transfusion tonight. He ate twice today; once in the morning and once with us. We got him New York Strip flavored beef and gravy... and it was "Willie approved." We got to walk him again where he went #1 for about a minute.

His reaction to Papa Foster Fairy?

Even in his weaken state he recognized his smell and went directly to him although we made him hide in the corner. He had his good eye locked on him once he was carried into the room. He didn't have enough energy but we know that he would've wanted to climb and shake his tail so hard that he could've flown into his arms, if he could.

 Willie will be in the hospital for a couple more days. They'll try to limit the unnecessary tests to keep our costs down but it's still worth it. They are hoping that the new medication is slowing down his body from destroying his red blood cells. We are too!

Willie's Progress after 48 hours at VSEC

They haven't checked his RBC count since this morning so it's still on paper as 29%. I don't know why but time seems to fly by so fast when we're him. We spent close to two hours with him.

His papa got to Skype with him and the vet. We got an itemized report today to see what medicines he's been taking. He seems to be on prednisone, aspirin, doxy,ampicillin, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, and some more doxy.

He still eats using IV bags. I did feed him a little by placing it on his tongue with my finger. It had to be very mushy food to keep it on his tongue otherwise he would push it out. He actually tries to toss food bowls away with his head! I also gave him a mini sponge bath since he tends to pee a lot and stain his fur.

He's still lethargic, his a pinkish yet orange tinted cums, perks up a little when he goes outside to walk, and his pee doesn't seem to be mixed with the blood pigment anymore or not as much to notice. We talked to the doctor and tried to get his take on Willie's progress since it seems to go up and down. The doctor says it'll take a couple more days so we're fine with that. Things look a lot better than it did at the first vet's office when Willie's body shut down on us and had to be resuscitated. It was such a horrible feeling to have to decide his fate. But we're going to do everything we can for him! Thanks for all your support! 

 

 

Willie's Progress after 24 hours at VSEC Videos

Willie is in the hospital

Our baby Willie's body suddenly decided to attack his red blood cells so he became lethargic, stopped eating, started to have blood in his urine and stool, and his gums turned white/yellow.

It happened so fast that we are still in shock. He honestly was like an empty shell. He seemed to quietly be in pain begging us to help.

They believe he has Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA).


We were given two disheartening options:

• To go to the specialist to do more blood work, an abdomen ultrasound, blood transfusions, and to stay in the hospital at least 48 hours.
• Or to let him go.

Some of you may or may not know that I've already recently lost my Jonah on July 13, 2011 due to a car accident and we had no say in his outcome.

But today we had a say and we said that we adopted Willie because we love him and we're going to keep fighting for him. So we went ahead with the blood transfusions even if it costs an arm and a leg... well we hope not since he already only has one eye... but we'll love him just the same, if not more.

Note: We were video chatting with his papa that's back home in Florida. We're glad he didn't go back with him because he would've been sick the entire ride there and we wouldn't have noticed his symptoms in time.

When we decided to adopt Willie yesterday, that meant he was Ohana and you know what that means.

For more updates, follow us on Facebook.:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Foster-Fairy/157649267645646

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https://twitter.com/#!/thefosterfairy

Link to a video of him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYU_phAY0qs

Willie has been ADOPTED!!

Willie's heading back down to Sunny Florida...

NOT!!!

My family can't let go of him!!

We'll be there for him through the end.

Excuse the horrible thumbnail... Willie is in the video! :

Willie Update

Willie's having a blast up North visiting my family.

He just sleeps all day and gets excited when he sees his papa. He's fine with children for a short period of time. He does get a bit grouchy when he just wakes up and may growl a little to tell you he hadn't had his morning "coffee" to wake him up.

He's been in a room with 15 people and he just slept quietly with his papa. He seems to like the scent of men and their feet. Weird?

One month since Jonah passed away

Just taking time to remember Jonah. 

Time does flies pretty quickly with my new fosters 

but it doesn't make me forget about my previous ones.

We miss you Jonah!

New Willie Videos

Willie Climbing up the stairs

The Willie Shuffle

More videos!