ANDERSON, SC.....It seems the World has turned upside down, and it keeps spinning. Where we will land when it stops spinning depends on each of us. We can choose to isolate and close our eyes, or we can open them more fully to see all the suffering around us. The pain is not new; we have been forced to slow down and see it in slow-motion. Unfortunately, some people are still walking around with blinders on to the World around them. They choose not to see what is right in front of them unless it benefits them.
An injured dog in our Society of today does not have a chance. If you thought abused and neglected animals were a problem before, then you will be outraged at what is happening right in front of our eyes. Dogs are being abandoned left and right without a care in the World for their welfare. Family pets that do not know how to take care of themselves are left behind. They are sick and confused and suffer. Healthy dogs are euthanized daily because so many have been left behind.
Sweet CASH (short for Cashew) has had a Lifetime of neglect and abuse. The pictures went around from the Shelter, begging for help but not expecting much help since so many healthy animals needed saving. The message was for a dog named Kuzco, which we renamed Cash. It said male intact, 5 years old, 32#, hw+, broken proximal left femur and demodex positive, off stray hold 4/ 24.
What I saw when I read this and looked at this pup was a lot more extensive. I suspected there was more going on given the injuries and his condition. I agreed to take Cash and had him taken to CVRC in Charleston, SC. Our sweet boy arrived Friday evening and was taken straight to the back for labs and tests. Within an hour, I got a desperate phone call, saying Cash needed emergency surgery, or we needed to put him down.
Nothing shocks me when it comes to saving abused animals. I have seen and heard it all. I got on the phone with the Surgeon and the Criticalist to determine what needed to happen next. It appeared Cash had been hit by a car or some form of blunt-force trauma. The trauma occurred about a month ago and was so severe that it damaged one of Cash's kidneys, which appeared to be abscessed.
As bad as the kidney was, the emergency was that one segment of Cash's intestine had telescoped inside another section of his intestine. Our special boy had an Intussusception which was going to kill him because part of his intestine had died and needed to be removed. An overload of parasites probably caused the Intussusception before the other injuries occurred. His broken femur was the least of his problems and would have to wait to be addressed.
I spoke to the Surgeon and looked over all of the scans and medical records to determine if we should proceed with surgery or put Cash down. I did not want this sweet dog to suffer any more than he already had. Cash had a 50% chance of surviving the procedure. I decided to go ahead with the surgeries to see if we could get him through the worst part of his ordeal. They were instructed if he arrested during the procedures not to resuscitate. He would be allowed to cross-over under sedation.
Dr. Chris Gauthier was the Surgeon on call and was prepared to work most of the night to save Cash. Our sweet boy was in surgery most of the night. The Intussusception was removed, and the area became viable once the intestine was joined. Unfortunately, Cash's kidney was not an abscess but a fracture. The impact had damaged his organ so severely that it had to be removed. Dogs live fine with one kidney as long as the other organ is in good working order.
Remarkably, Cash survived the long surgeries. He has been critical and in ICU since he arrived. I decided to wait until I had good news before doing this post since the World seems to be filled with Gloom and Doom. Our little fighter is up and able to walk around. He has a feeding tube to allow his intestine to heal before allowing food by mouth. He also has a steady supply of urine without any complications from his kidney removal.
Since Cash is Heartworm positive, he is seeing our Cardiologist, Dr. Jesty, this morning so we can address his heart risk. His blood values have dropped significantly since his surgery and is having a transfusion to replenish what he lost.
We go above and beyond for each dog we take on. There is no limit to what we will do if the animal needs a procedure to survive. The only factor is the dog's Will to Live. If he is a fighter, we are going to proceed. Cash is one of those dogs. He should have died weeks ago. He was starved, in unimaginable pain and his intestine was intussuscepted. On top of all that, he has terrible Demodex. This pup wanted someone to help him.
Lucky for him, we were the someone because anyone else would have put him down. His medical bills alone would have caused him to be put down. With all the hardships swirling around us daily, you might ask, why help a dog. We are each part of a World that lives and breaths and survives on love and kindness. One cannot survive without the other. Animals have been part of our lives since before we were born. You either allow suffering or you ease it. We save Abused Dogs. Our Mission has been the same for almost twenty years.
Please, Help Us, Help Cash, and all the others in our care at Noah's Arks Rescue. The World may be turned on its head, but we are still here taking care of those that have no voice. Life is the same for us. We love these innocent Souls unconditionally and give our last penny to save them. We are the only Voice they will ever have, and we do everything possible to HEAR them.
