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FAWNZY THE PUG
LIVER SHUNT and Needs operation
I would like to put a plug out to everyone that might have a soft spot for a little pug named Fawnzy.
I have known his person Deb for many years on my Boston lists and she adopts pugs and Bostons that have health issues, blind, etc. She is a animal lover who gives her dogs the best home, food and care. Right now she needs a little help to help one of her special needs babies.
Little Fawnzy has a liver shunt, is having health issues from it which needs to be addressed as soon as possible with an expensive operation. Deb is doing her best to raise the funds so she can get the surgery done quickly.
Fawnzy has a chip in page, that you can donate, OR you can donate through ABTR and we will make sure she gets the funds.
I will make sure that Deb and her vet get every penny that is donated for Fawnzy. Thank you again for your prayers and support for this poor little boy. I will make sure that Deb and her vet get every penny that is donated for Fawnzy. Thank you again for your prayers and support for this poor little boy.
UPDATE 11-6-09 - more information from Deb: - Our Fawnzy is a little 2 and a half year old Pug who needs surgery for a Liver Shunt. I knew our Fawnzy wasn't "normal" when I agreed to take him on. I just wasn't aware of the shunt problem and really thought he was doing pretty good until the last year or so. I knew we were losing the battle, then a friend suggested I join the liver support group. THAT'S when things started making more sense and I began to have answers. This doesn't have to be a death sentence for our little guy.
His shunt is an outside shunt and repairable. The kind of shunt Fawnzy has is a vessel that runs "past" his liver. Which means that his liver does not filter out the toxins and they go directly into his bloodstream. Without the surgery his chances are not good. The veterinarian we talked to today said that he would not be able to treat him "medically" for long with the high bile acid numbers he is exhibiting at this time.
The meds the specialist started giving him are making him feel so much better, at least temporarily as it's not a permanent fix. My vet (not the one who will do the surgery but the one who diagnosed and referred him to the surgical specialist) said he would only give me two months and we would have to "re-evaluate" at that time when I told him I just could NOT afford that kind of price tag on a surgery. So he agreed to help me keep him medically treated for that long. Then we would do the blood work again re-evaluate his options.
Fawnzy has two different kinds of antibiotics, the Lactulose, and Denamarin, and he began a low dose of phenobarb because the vet doing the surgery wants him on it for a week before the surgery as he has had some smooshed faced dogs in particular that have had seizures during recovery. He is hoping to head that off at the pass with the phenobarb. We will take him off it gradually after the surgery, but for the time being, that's the best chance of keeping seizures during recovery from happening.
He had his Doppler Ultrasound at the Inland Empire Veterinary Imagining and Dr. Lawrence will be the one doing his surgery.
The Surgery will be approximately $1,700. This kind of surgery usually runs from $2,300 to $3,000 !!! All the testing has already been done, so they don't have to do so that’s where the price break comes in. The surgeon doing Fawnzy's surgery is BOARD CERTIFIED!!
Fawnz will have a pretty good sized incision and I plan to keep a t-shirt on him. Been viewing pictures of incisions so I can get used to what it will look like when I pick up our little guy. EGAD!!! They are cut from stem to stern apparently. I will be so glad when this is all behind us. Apparently they do the bile acid test once a month for the first few months too, so they can tell if the constrictor is working and how his liver is taking on the extra work. I'm hoping we can have that and the follow up care done at our regular vet's office in Post Falls.
After his surgery he will have to keep "quiet" for approx. 8 weeks. Now THAT is gonna be HARD!!! He will have a chance" of a normal life after the surgery. I just couldn't NOT give him that chance.
We live in Idaho and have to go to Spokane to the Veterinary Surgical Specialists. We are very fortunate that it is only about 2 to 2 1/2 hours drive away from us. There will be several trips back and forth (over 100+ miles each), there are many many meds that all seem to pile up, and several tests they will have to do to make sure his surgery is working, special foods, more meds.” I sort of feel smothered by all the additional expenses which will be adding up.
I cannot imagine what he will be like once he recovers from the surgery and isn't "sick" anymore. It will be like a little hurricane turned loose!!!
We need help to help Fawnzy. Thank you all so much for your caring and your thoughtfulness. I made his surgery appointment for November 10.
Deb L.
So ABTR is asking anyone who might have a soft spot for a little pug named Fawnzy who needs an operation to open their hearts and their wallets to help him get the surgery he needs to live a good long heathly life. He started having health issues from it which needs to be addressed as soon as possible with an expensive operation. Deb is doing her best to raise the funds so she can get the surgery done quickly.
ABTR KNOWS this wonderful lady and we know that she never asks for help. When she does ask, then she does need it. So... ABTR would like to ask you to help this sweet pug in need.
Wanda and Heidi have known his person Deb for many years on our Boston lists. Deb adopts pugs and Bostons that have health issues, blind, etc. She is a animal lover who gives her dogs the best home, food and care. Right now she needs a little help to help one of her special needs babies Fawnzy who needs an operation. So we offered to help her find some help for her boy.
The vets involved are:
Veterinary Surgical Specialists
21 E. Mission
Spokane, WA 99202
509-324-0055
Then I his aftercare will go to our Primary Care Veterinarian.
River City Animal Hospital
Dr. Frank Clovis
310 Herborn Place
Post Falls, ID 83854
208-777-9178
Please make a note saying it is for FAWNZY Deb Ludiker's PUG
Thank you so much. IF you want to send a check directly to me
rather than using paypal you can mail to:
ABTR
P.O. Box 525
Sanger TX 76266
HUGS
Wanda
Please make a note saying it is for FAWNZY THE PUG
Thank you so much. IF you want to send a check directly to me
rather than using paypal you can mail to:
ABTR
P.O. Box 525
Sanger TX 76266
HUGS
Wanda
UPDATE 11/13/09 - more information from Deb: - Deb took Fawnzy in for his Surgery on the 10th. Here are her updates:
They said that his body temp is up to normal and he was awake. It took him awhile to come out of the anesthesia and she said that was "normal". Then she said they gave him some pain medication and he was sleeping again. that kind of worries me. They are the experts and maybe I'm just worrying for no reason.. but will also check with the 24 hour staff later this evening to see how he is doing. She said they have him on IV fluids to help wash the anesthesia out of his system and dextrose to help him as well. So far, no seizure activity noted and he seems to be doing very well. She said I could call tomorrow morning and they would let me know if he could go home.
Called the 24 hour clinic number this morning like the doctor told me I could do to check on Fawnzy this morning. Got the same "canned answer" from the receptionist that I got last night from the surgical staff. "He's resting comfortably". I asked a few questions and to make it short. seems they are keeping him "sedated" with pain meds because "they don't want him bouncing around in his kennel and hurting himself". When I asked if he had eaten, they said doctor left orders that he isn't to have any food yet. They said Dr. makes his rounds at 9 and I could take him home sometime after 10 a.m.
All the nurses adored him. Those little "wrinkly" legs and his little pink tongue sticking out.
Although this MORNING. I am about ready to pinch someone's head off. Apparently the pain med (Tramadol) tastes pretty bad! because, like usual, I put everything in his breakfast and MAN OH MAN.. when he hit that part he started spitting and drooling and trying to get that stuff out of his mouth... and yes.. Pugs CAN spit!!! My cabinet is evidence of THAT one. Guess I'm going to have to come up with a better way of getting those pain meds down.I'm pretty sure he got most of the pain meds down, and he seems to be resting comfortably now. You can tell when he "hurts" really badly. He sits up and just stiffens those front legs. He can't lay still and he keeps moving one way and then another.
Gotta be real quick cause Fawnz is very active.. TOO active. Gave him his pain pill and his supper and he just wants to be close to mom so won't stay in the playpen right now.
He is at home (obviously), has eaten, has peed a LAKE twice, and is resisting sleep at this point. -- Ooops.. I lied, he is sleeping on mom's foot and in his soft snuggle bed with a nice warmed blanket over him. (He drank a lot of "cool" water and that's when he started "chilling". After the warm blanket, he snuggled down and is snoozing as we speak.
The poor tummy looks so sore.. and I have pictures.. for the "faint of heart".. don't look. He is cut from stem to stern and then his little "lost nu nus". Also took a picture of him laying down in his bed. Long as mom was standing there anyway. he is my second skin right now. He doesn't want to be "held".. just "lay on a part of you" so that you can't move. If you move.. HE moves.But our boy is HOME and doing really well. He says he doesn't EVER want to go to that kind of motel again.. they don't even serve COOKIES!!!
Thank you so much, everyone.. I don't know what I would do without you all. I really don't.
(((HUGS))) and many blessings to you all...
Just a watch and wait game now. The Specialist who is in Spokane did the surgery and the Doppler ultrasound, but Dr. Clovis (Frank), is our "primary care veterinarian" and he will do the after care. We specificially requested it. Frank will take the stitches out and then in 8 weeks they will do another bile acid. I thought it was at four weeks, but Dr. Lawrence said eight weeks would be where we would see a significant change if the shunt was doing its job. And he is considering that the weather should be kind of "wintry" by then. *LOL* Meantime, won't hurt him one bit to be on his shunt diet and meds until then.
My head was in a fog, so thankfully they have the next couple of weeks in WRITING.. *LOL* I do remember him saying something about another ultrasound.. but I suspect he meant a couple of months down the road.
...if mom moves, Fawnzy moves. He is really a Velcro Pug now for SURE. As a rule, he doesn't like to be held. Or maybe I should say "picked up" and held. Unless of course it was his idea to jump in your lap in the first place. Welp.. no jumping for this boy for awhile. But this morning, he "taps" on my leg and does that little "front foot" bounce to let me know he wants me to pick him up... and sure enough.. he WANTS to be held. Have just been "sitting" for the most part because if Da Fawnzy wants to be held.. then he gets held.
He is reminding us when it is time for HIS mid day meal. *LOL* This is unlike the little Fawnz person. So that's a good thing. Finally figured out how to get those bitter pain pills acceptable to him and he gets them morning and evening just before his meal.
All in all.. he is doing very well. We are only on day three, but we are taking it a day at a time. Called to see about his biopsy, they said probably Monday because of the holiday on Weds.
next step is to keep him calm and quiet so the "constrictor" they put on that shunt doesn't "kink". IF it does, that undoes all the work. Also, we still need to get the liver biopsy back. Dr. said everything looked good, BUT.. there's still that chance.. ya know?
If all goes well, we will know at his check up if it is all working.
The little stinkpot is already "dancing around" when he wants supper and you should see him kicking those front AND back feet when he poops outside. It's soooooo funny. He was soooo proud of himself when he went poddy outside and wants to go UP the stairs all by himself.. NO NO NO!!! Might have to start putting his harness and a lead on him to keep him from getting too squirrely.
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