Reeko's Story
About a week ago we received a call from a Transporter who was helping dogs get out of a kill shelter and moved to another so they would have time to be adopted. There was a little Dachshund on that trip that the receiving rescue refused to take due to the poor guy being sick and frail looking. Because it was so far from where he had come there was only one place for him to go and that was a county dog pound, most do not give an animal a chance and kill many because they have no room, time or ability to care for sick dogs. Thank God this person had a friend of a friend who knew about us and placed a call to see if we had room. We where able to take this little guy in so we began to prepare a sick quarantine area because we did not know what to expect or what illness he would have. When he arrived we had seen how grossly emaciated he was, every thing was sticking out so bad he looked like a an exam skeleton for a Veterinarian school, then I heard the cough. I instantly knew we where dealing with pneumonia. So we made him comfortable the best we could and called our Vet Dr. Olszak the following morning and got Reeko in that very day.
The x-rays came back....Reeko has pneumonia! He has no appetite at all, and holds his little eyes so squinty you know he feels as bad as he looks. I comfort this little guy while we wait for all his all labs to come back, I noticed nail polish on his toes. I wonder now who loved this baby so much they painted his nails. I thought, " Little man, Did you just loose your way home? Is someone even now looking for you? Was someone so poor they could not care for you? Did your owner pass away and someone dump you? God, so many things crossed my mind as a rescuer." My heart bleed as I thought of the possibilities, yet as sick as he was he looked up and licked my chin as if trying to comfort me. That effort made him go weak in my arms. I started to cry as a million thoughts ran threw my head. My husband, who loves these abused and neglected fur babies as much as I do took him from my arms like he was our first born and held him, hoping that love would generate hope, because my husband really did not think would would be able to pull this guy threw. It pained me that someone had loved this baby and at some point doted on him, yet we have him because he had been tossed like a tattered garment on the street and picked up as a stray. This dog held someone in his heart, no wonder he seems to not care if he lives or dies!
All his blood work came back good, there are no Heart worms so prevention has been started and all his enzymes are good, white count is up which is to be expected and he is very dehydrated. So for now we will begin antibiotics for 14 days in pill as well as a small injection for two days to help him fight this, add a humidifier to help him breath a little easier as well as keep him in a climate controlled room, and SubQ fluids until he is able (willing) to drink on his own. In two weeks we will take him in to be evaluated and see if we need to continue antibiotics and other medical care.
If you would like to help cover some of this little guys cost threw a donation, please let us know and we will direct you how and provide you with his Vets information. Updates to continue....
If you would like to help cover some of this little guys cost threw a donation, please let us know and we will direct you how and provide you with his Vets information. Updates to continue....
UPDATE: 4-15-2010
Reeko is doing a quite a bit better, He is getting about well and seems to be recovering quite well. He has a low immune system and is slllllllloooooooowly starting to perk up, he still coughs phlegm up and that is good because it means its finally breaking up, he is starting to get a little shine to his coat and a twinkle in his eye, But he is still very thin because of being so sick and not wanting to eat. He will only eat a few bites at a time and usally with one of the cats here, funny he does not like to eat alone and will only eat cat food.....we are slowly trying to change that by offering him a little home cooking with soft pieces of food from a Holistic dog food company...... But hey, who cares if he takes a bit of kitty food as long as he eats, him being thin just kills me and its got to be uncomfortable. I made him a warm water bed just do he did not get sores on his ravaged this little body using a water bottle and heating pad. ( Wish I had those fancy medical gel pads for the dogs we get in like him, it would help for those few we take in to care for like him and Dee Dee) He does look like he's put on a few ounces finally and he's not squint eyed anymore. I put him in a baby onsie just to hold his body heat in and so he does not shock folks who do not understand what is going on with this little guy. His mood is coming around and I must say that my husband is getting very attached to him. Reeko reminds him of the relationship he had with his own best buddy who passed on a couple years ago. I think Reeko will make it but its going to take a loooong time and a lot of care as well as medical care / cost, but before long he will be running in the back yard playing as any companion should. Hopefully he will have a full recovery and good to go by August. He has begun to follow us from living room to kitchen and even wags his tail! He has done well with his medication and is no longer taking it now.
Will post next Vet visit and let you know how he's doing.
Will post next Vet visit and let you know how he's doing.
UPDATE: 4-20-2010
Poor little Reeko has had a set back with the cold snap and is a very sick boy. He was getting better with some bounce in his step and his attitude was gleeful and then when we hit that cold snap earlier in the week he took a 180 degree dive in what seemed almost over night. Reeko was in very bad labored breathing when my husband got up this morning and was so labored and stressed just trying to get air. My husband rushed him back to Dr. Valerie who took more x-rays to see what was causing the distress and discovered that not only was the pneumonia was coming back in a rage, but that his heart had enlarged and pressing on his trachea and that was slowing the process for food and water to go down normally. This was causing him to aspirate additionally on fluid he had start to drink so well on his own. He will be on long term antibiotics to help him recover from the aspiration pneumonia and hopefully that will calm his distress and allow his heart muscle to calm and relax from the being so ill and the strain of his illness is gone. He will have many x-rays over the next 6 weeks to closely watch the pneumonia and his heart, He most likely might have a enlarged heart, but that is a classic in his breed and in most cases does not cause problems. We will place Reeko on as a special needs canine because of his medical condition for now, we do not know if it will be for life or just for now. Dr. Valerie will run some tests after he is healed and recovered well from the pneumonia for the best results before testing to see the health of his big loving heart. Will keep you updated as Reeko's story continues. In the mean time know that he is being loved.
Thank you again for the Love , Prayers and Donations to assist those in need.
The Weiner Brigade Inc.
"A place where all are important and time never ends."
PO Box 174
Bristolville, Ohio 44402
Currently his medical care stands a little over $400.00 and will continue to climb as he requires more vetting and care. Please put in memo Reeko's medical or TheWeinerBrigade. Should there be any donated funds left over, we will apply it to our medical fund care for those who come with special medical care needs. Unless you want to tag it for something else that you would want to share with those here in care. Please let us know its extremely rare that we would have any left over, but your prayers and donations really help in the deciding factor if we can save one little live that can be cured, viable and giving it a quality of life, so that they too can have a happily ever after story.
Thank you again for the Love , Prayers and Donations to assist those in need.
The Weiner Brigade Inc.
"A place where all are important and time never ends."
PO Box 174
Bristolville, Ohio 44402
Currently his medical care stands a little over $400.00 and will continue to climb as he requires more vetting and care. Please put in memo Reeko's medical or TheWeinerBrigade. Should there be any donated funds left over, we will apply it to our medical fund care for those who come with special medical care needs. Unless you want to tag it for something else that you would want to share with those here in care. Please let us know its extremely rare that we would have any left over, but your prayers and donations really help in the deciding factor if we can save one little live that can be cured, viable and giving it a quality of life, so that they too can have a happily ever after story.
A Little UPDATE 5-3-10
Reeko is doing well, he is still on his antibiotics and will eat them now in a piece of cheese. We are not letting him to drink water right from the bowl, we have learned to hold him up right so the fluid can go down with out him choking or aspirating.because it shifts his heart and is very comfortable for him to eat and get fluids. He eats about 1/3 of a regular size can of dog food mixed with water from a turkey baster a couple times a day just to help with more fluids, he is slowly getting an appetite back eating less that what he needs, but its increasing and he is coming back from the almost brink of death from where he was when first coming. Today he went out for a quick morning walk to the cat cabana, you would have thought he died and went to heaven, It was sooooo cute, this guy just lit up with the kitties! Oh does he love them. he was not breathless and was as happy as a lark. On the way back the little fart took off to go tease a few other dogs who where getting their breakfast and tried to play a few seconds before I caught him....I guess its his way of saying I am getting better even if it is slow. We will be going for more x-rays, blood work, a refill on his antibiotics and a check up later this week. I am also going to ask her about a product for thickening to put in his fluids so he does not have aspiration so bad with his water and possible nutrition threw a feeding tube once a day just to give him a little boost with his appetite so low yet and get some meat on his tiny little frame. He would be much more comfortable. I have gotten him to eat chipped ice made with lamb and beef broth, he does make me a little more creative that's for sure. I will let you all know how he is doing after his next appointment and maybe post his skinny man photo too........
Update: 6-9-10
Little Reeko is doing as well as can be expected, His infection has taken its toll but with his long term antibiotics finally it seems he is getting the edge over the infection in his lungs. He is going in to see Dr. Valerie Olszak D.V.M. next week. At that time she will run a few more tests and most likely place him on heart medication to heal his heart so he can put some meat on his frame and enjoy his summer playing in the grass and hopefully digging for buried treats, Despite his little sickly thin frame, this little guy has a lot of spunk when he's having a good day. Once he is all better we will need a family willing to make sure he stays on his meds that he will most likely need for life and has a very good dedicated family to keep him healthy.
Update: 7-4-2010
Reeko went to visit Dr. Valerie Olszak and had a new exam and a set of x-rays. He has improved and so much so that Dr. Valerie was impressed. He still has some pneumonia and will require long term antibiotics, but his heart size has
diminished and he has a comforted relax look. Dr. Valerie is going to wait on the heart tests and meds because he has changed so much for the better, she wants to see how well his heart can get before she places him on heart meds. This way she will have a better understanding of his heart health. He has put on a pound and he does not look so gaunt now. He could use about 2-3 more pounds, but as sick as this little guy is we will take what we get even if its at a turtles pace. He still can't drink water normally because he aspirates and we are trying to rule out why and try other things besides sub-q fluids 3 times a day, or making him little meat balls floated in broth. He still has to be fed upright so it can go all the way down. I think he thinks he's died and gone to heaven with all the attention he gets. You should see him play in the yard now. Its almost a totally different dog! He might not be out of the woods yet and a fragile little guy with temp changes, but he sure looks fantastic than when he first arrived. He's a happy little fellow.
He will be going in for another x-ray the end of next week as well as more antibiotics, soon we will begin his heart tests and possibly place him on heart medication. I hope that will help him to be able to drink water and eat normal. But if not, he will be special needs and that's ok, there are families who do not mind and embrace caring for a special needs companion. If he never finds a matched family he will be content to live out his days with us. No matter what is tossed at this dear little boy, he will be happy and content for all his days. Will post after his next Vet visit.
diminished and he has a comforted relax look. Dr. Valerie is going to wait on the heart tests and meds because he has changed so much for the better, she wants to see how well his heart can get before she places him on heart meds. This way she will have a better understanding of his heart health. He has put on a pound and he does not look so gaunt now. He could use about 2-3 more pounds, but as sick as this little guy is we will take what we get even if its at a turtles pace. He still can't drink water normally because he aspirates and we are trying to rule out why and try other things besides sub-q fluids 3 times a day, or making him little meat balls floated in broth. He still has to be fed upright so it can go all the way down. I think he thinks he's died and gone to heaven with all the attention he gets. You should see him play in the yard now. Its almost a totally different dog! He might not be out of the woods yet and a fragile little guy with temp changes, but he sure looks fantastic than when he first arrived. He's a happy little fellow.
He will be going in for another x-ray the end of next week as well as more antibiotics, soon we will begin his heart tests and possibly place him on heart medication. I hope that will help him to be able to drink water and eat normal. But if not, he will be special needs and that's ok, there are families who do not mind and embrace caring for a special needs companion. If he never finds a matched family he will be content to live out his days with us. No matter what is tossed at this dear little boy, he will be happy and content for all his days. Will post after his next Vet visit.