GREENVILLE, SC......Adorable Kelsey is a two-year-old Wire-haired Terrier Mix that was adopted into a Fabulous Family a couple of months ago. When he first arrived at GCAC he came in with abrasions and what appeared to be bite marks and a fistula (which is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces) in the roof of his mouth. Greenville County had drains put in the bite wounds and had the fistula repaired.
All was great and adorable Kelsey which was called Archer at the time was Adopted. Life was perfect for this sweet pup until he became very ill. The Family noticed he was very calm and wanted to sleep a lot. They loved him but something was not quite right. When he became ill, they took him to the ER in Greenville where he was diagnosed with IMHA (Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia). With primary IMHA, the dog's immune system destroys its own red blood cells.
Kelsey needed a blood-transfusion and additional medical test that were way out of their realm of financial means. They had already spent thousands and knew this was not going to work so they took him back to GCAC heart-broken. We were contacted and looked over his ER Report and knew this pup was not going to make it. We had Kelsey picked up and taken to CVRC in Charleston, SC immediately. Dr. Kristin Welch took over Kelsey's case when he arrived late that afternoon.
Dr.Welch sent me a text saying she would contact me later but this pup was very ill and needed a transfusion. They were working on finding a blood match and doing everything possible to save him which was very slim. Hours went by and still no news until I finally got the call they could not find a blood match out of all the blood-donor dogs they had tested. Kelsey was going to die without a transfusion and could die with one since they did not have a match. We chose to proceed with the transfusion and immediately started to pray.
The transfusion went all through the wee hours of the night. Kelsey was in ICU with someone watching him non-stop for any signs of distress. If he started showing signs of rejecting the blood, they were going to do everything possible to counter the effect as best they could. We knew we were playing Russian Roulette but this was our only option if we wanted to save him.
Kelsey had no adverse reaction and he rallied. His blood values were still very low but were slowly regenerating at a Snail's Pace. The fistula in the roof of his mouth would not hold stitches because of his disease. His body could not repair itself in the state he was in with the prednisone he was on. The good news was that the area was not holding food and did not require anything at this time until they could do surgery to repair the area.
Kelsey has a long road ahead but is one we believe can be managed with proper medical care. We will know more over the next couple of months. If his blood continues to regenerate we know we are making progress. This sweet pup has been in ICU and getting non-stop medical care. Even a slight drop in blood values is cause for concern. The good news he is happy and loving everyone now that he was new blood.
I spoke to Animal Control and to the ER to get more information about the original Family that had adopted him. I finally decided to contact them directly to see if they would consider taking Kelsey back once he was out of the Hospital. After a long conversation, I soon realized the Family had adopted a dog they thought could join them on all of their hiking and camping trips. They needed a strong dog that could run up and down mountains with them. Sadly, Kelsey was never going to be that dog as much as they loved him. I so appreciated all they had done for Kelsey but knew this was not the right fit for this special pup or them.
Kelsey's Bills are enormous and will be for a while with all of his mandatory Medical Care. Please, DONATE toward this sweet pup. Her is young and has a long Life ahead of him. He is a delight in every way and will make someone very happy. He will have to remain in and out of the hospital until we get his IMHA controlled as best we can. Dogs that are treated live long lives with proper medical care.
Sadly, most dogs like this are euthanized the minute the results come in. No one wants to do what is required to save them. The biggest expense comes when they are first diagnosed. Lots of tests and transfusions to get them stable. We have done the hard part and are going to see this boy gets to the other side of this illness. Please, Help Us, Help Him by DONATING.
