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Our Special Needs Dogs
These Dogs Are Receiving Care They Are
Available Or Will Be Available Soon
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| Cassandra's medical
expenses to date: $2679.58
Donations received:
$328.64 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Cassandra
Cassandra is a black and tan mini girl who is between 1 and 2 years old at our best guess. You can see by her pictures that it has been a rough year or two for this little girl. She came to us when an animal control officer from one of our local communities got a call from someone that said they found a dog. When the officer picked her up, he took her directly to the Animal Emergency Hospital. She had almost no hair on the lower half of her body and her skin was infected. From the looks of her skin she has been in that condition for a long time. Her left eye had so much white material in it that she couldn't see out of it. It had to be very painful for her. In spite of everything she wanted everyone in the hospital to pet her and hold her. We went and picked her up the next day and took her directly to a vet. She has a severe case of dry eye. It is improving with treatment and she is going to see an eye specialist. Her skin is also improving. She should make a full recovery from her neglect.
Cassie is an active young lady but she behaves well. She is very sweet and happy. She is heartworm negative, spayed and up to date on her shots. She is getting along well with the dogs in her foster home. |
| Isabel's medical
expenses to date: $4213.12
Donations received:
$0 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Isabel
Isabel is 7 year old red mini. She was taken to a local shelter with an injury to her left rear leg. It was thought that her leg was most likely broken. We knew she had suffered some kind of trauma because she also had a large lump in her abdomen which turned out to be an inguinal hernia, probably caused by the same trauma that injured her leg. As soon as we got her she was taken to a surgeon. It was determined that she didn't have a broken leg, that the injury was to her ankle. She had torn ligaments and tendons. Her leg was splinted, and her hernia repaired. She will have to have her leg splinted for at least 8 weeks. A week later she was spayed and a dental cleaning was attempted. Her teeth are so bad that she will be seeing the dentist and probably have almost all of her teeth extracted. On top of all of this she is highly heartworm positive. She has gone through so much for such a sweet little girl. She is a real love bug who likes to be held and cuddled. Her preference would be to be in a home with just a couple of other dogs, but she is also doing fine in her foster home with multiple dogs.
Isabel most likely won't be ready for adoption until the end of November.
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| Neville's medical
expenses to date: $1994.86
Donations received:
$1111.56 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Neville
Neville is a 3-4 month old double dapple puppy who was picked up by animal control while he was running loose in a suburb north of Dallas. No one claimed him, so CTDR picked him up from the shelter. But as soon as he got to our vet, they recognized that he was very sick. They wanted to run a parvo test and we got the worst news of all for poor Neville — it was positive.
Parvo causes vomiting and diarrhea, and this can really take a toll on young puppies. There is no cure, and the dogs can only be treated for dehydration and secondary infections. Many puppies do not survive a bout with parvo. We knew, however, that Neville had just started showing symptoms on the day we picked him up. We were hopeful we caught it early, and that with aggressive treatment, he would make it. We checked him in to the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic and all we could do was leave him in their capable hands and wait for good news.
Neville spent four nights at the clinic getting round-the-clock care. On his 5th day there, we got the best news of all - Neville was stable, off all IV fluids, eating and drinking normally, taking all his medicines orally, and ready to check out! He had made it!
In all his follow-up care, we did find out that, as is common in the double dapples, Neville is blind in one eye and is also deaf. He really has no idea that he has any sort of disability, though. His foster mom reports that he is a normal active puppy. He's learned the doggy door, gets along great with the other dogs in the house, and is even learning how to play ball! He weighs 9 pounds already so he will mature to be a tweenie or maybe even a standard. He is on heartworm prevention and will be neutered and have all his shots before going to a forever home.
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| Odin's medical
expenses to date: $1264.35
Donations received:
$193.60 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Odin
Look at Odin - what a little cutie he is! Our volunteer who picked him up from the Dallas shelter thought she had picked up a young and sweet little boy. Well, she did, but when she got him home, she also realized that he is totally blind. Our vets and an eye specialist confirmed that Odin has been blind for a while. It is likely a genetic defect or it could have been from an infection. Regardless, like so many dogs that we call "special needs," Odin doesn't let it stop him, and he gets around really well. He could not be sweeter and loves to give affection and snuggle in your neck. Odin is a really quiet and easygoing red mini and gets along well with other dogs too. Unfortunately, he's also heartworm positive so he will have to be treated for that. He has been neutered and had a dental and is up to date on shots.
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| Rocky's medical
expenses to date: $2187.23
Donations received:
$599.92 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Rocky
I had already made one run to the shelter that day, and was busy working around the house. Then I got an urgent call - someone had just brought in a very sick puppy that they claimed to have found on the street, and he needed out ASAP and taken to an Emergency Clinic. The shelter vet could feel an obstruction in his abdomen, and he would need emergency surgery if he was going to live. I raced down to the shelter, and there was this beautiful black and tan puppy, with such sad eyes, and obviously not feeling well. He was terribly dehydrated and very lethargic. He tried to give me kisses with his sandpaper nose.
The doctors at the EC gave him fluids and got him stabilized. Then, in the middle of the night, he had his surgery. We are pleased to announce that Rocky - we thought that was an appropriate name - was the proud father of a bouncing, healthy ... peach pit! Certainly not appropriate puppy food! But in true dachshund fashion, after a few days of fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication, he started bounding around like a real puppy should.
Rocky is about 5 months old, has already been neutered, and we have started him on his shots. He weighs 9 lbs. He is crate trained and races in and out of the doggie door, but we are still working on potty training. He is FULL of energy, and LOVES to play with other dogs. His favorite playmate in the whole wide world is his foster sister Suzie - see below - and they have become best buds. At any time during the day you will find them racing around the yard, wrestling on the couch, or tumbling on the dog beds. They will stop for short naps, then it's up again for round 2. He feels that it is very important to take ALL of the toys OUT of the toy basket. Too bad he hasn't learned how to put them back in yet! He does well with children but hasn't been tested with cats. Rocky will do best in a home with another playful dog. Why not take Rocky and Suzie?
Rocky's surgery and care were very expensive. If you can help cover our costs, please make a tax deductible donation using the PayPal button to the left, or mail a check to our office. Thank you for caring for Rocky. |
| Scooter's medical
expenses to date: $4313.14
Donations received:
$1661.41 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Scooter
Scooter is a petite 9.5 lb, 4 year old girl. Her family
gave her up because they did not have the money to pay
for back surgery and requested the Emergency Clinic
euthanize her. The clinic felt that little Scooter would
have a good chance at recovery if she had surgery right
away, so they asked Scooter's owners to sign her over
to them. One of the vet techs at the clinic follows
our website and called to see if we could help with
Scooter. As soon as I saw her precious face I just knew
that she deserved another chance. She still had deep
pain sensation in her back legs so she was a good candidate
for surgery.
When I brought Scooter home Sunday she was overwhelmed
by all of the changes and scared by what was happening.
Her eyes were big, her head rigid, and her body shaking.
She had, afterall, lost her family and the use of her
legs, and she was understandably terrified. But, after
gentle words of encouragement and caresses, the kisses
started coming. Once she knew that someone was on her
side and would make the pain stop, her body relaxed
and she settled into her crate. She ate a large dinner
and slept well.
Unfortunately, by Monday morning when the back surgery
was scheduled, most of the sensation in her legs was
gone, but Dr. Caplan felt that she might have success
because the injury was so new. Again Scooter had big
eyes and was afraid, but I gave her lots of encouragement
and she in turn gave me lots of kisses. We went ahead
with the surgery with all fingers and paws crossed.
Late in the day Dr. Caplan called to say that there
was indeed alot of swelling and bruising of the spinal
cord which is why Scooter had lost her deep pain sensation.
It wasn't the best news we could have received, but
Scooter made it through the surgery fine and the docter
cleaned the disk material around 3 disks. So now, we
need to wait and see how she does. We need everyone
to send healing rays and prayers for Scooter.
And we also need your financial support. We weren't
prepared for yet another back surgery this year, but
we had faith Scooter would benefit from the surgery
and she deserved our help, and now we need yours.
If you can donate even a small amount for her surgery,
please use the PayPal button to the left or send a check
to the address beneath it. All donations are
tax deductable.
UPDATE: 06/01/05
It has now been more than a month since Scooter's surgery.
Although she still can't walk and can't go potty on
her own, we see progress every week. She has acupuncture
each week and we have now started water therapy, which,
in true doxie form, she HATES! How could I possibly
put her in water??? A couple of weeks ago, during her
weekly checkup, when Dr. Caplan pinched her tail she
whipped around and tried to bite her! She has feeling
back in her tail. This week she started wagging her
tail. She does make the walking motion with her legs,
but she can't support herself yet. Dr. Caplan already
feels that she has come farther than she ever anticipated,
and that because of the extent of her damage she will
need at least 3 months for her full response. She is
full of energy and desperately wants to play ball! And
she is definitely one heck of a vocal gal - just ask
her foster mom - she is called Her Royal Highness, Queen
of All Things Demanding, The Screaming Screeching Scooter
Pooter!
UPDATE: 07/12/05
Physical therapy, and especially water therapy and the
underwater treadmill, has made a world of difference
in Scooter's recovery. She now "walks" most
of the time. It is very jerky and it isn't pretty, but
it is walking. This girl is always on the go - busy,
busy, busy. She just moves all over her foster home
now. Not bad for a girl who was only given 25% chance
of ever walking again! Patience and hard work have definitely
paid off.
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| Brogan's new
medical expenses to date: $2901.24
Donations received:
$1336.68 |
To make a donation
to CTDR use the PayPal button below
Or mail your donation
to:
CTDR
7301 RR 620 N, Ste 155 #136
Austin, TX 78726 |
Brogan
On Saturday, October 30 we got that dreaded phone call
- the shelter had just received a paralyzed doxie from
his family, and they were requesting euthanization.
Could we help? Unfortunately, right now we have an extremely
large outstanding vet bill, so paying for surgery wasn't
an option. But this guy is only 3, and it seemed like
such a waste to let him go. So, we contacted the wonderful
people at the Disabled Dachshund Society (http://www.ourdds.org/)
and they immediately agreed to fund his surgery. The
shelter put him on steroids and pain medication to get
him through the next few days.
On Sunday I picked him up and reviewed his paperwork.
It seems his family took him to the EC after his injury,
and when they found out he needed surgery they decided
to euthanize instead. But, they were unable to pay to
have him euthanized, so instead took him to the shelter.
That decision saved his life. You see, this shelter
doesn't kill dachshunds - instead they call CTDR. When
we took him in, not only was he paralyzed, but he had
no bladder or bowel control. But he sure was sweet and
we hoped that surgery would help him live a normal doxie
life again.
Monday morning we got him in right away to our wonderful
surgeon of choice, Elaine Caplan (Capital
Area Veterinary Specialists). He had his surgery
that day. They found that he had 2 ruptured disks at
T11/12 and T12/13, his spinal cord had pulled through
and he had significant bruising. The doctor didn't expect
him to walk for a couple of weeks, but his prognosis
was good. By the next day he was already walking! They
were so pleased and shocked with his progress. He had
also already regained his bladder and bowel control.
He was doing so well that he could be released on Thursday.
By then he just wanted to run, run, run, but of course
crate rest is the order of the day.
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Brogan's stiches from back surgery. |
Since his surgery, one of the first things we felt
obligated to do was to give this little guy a more suitable
name — his family had named him 'Mouse' but we
felt it didn't fit with his fighter personality so we
re-named him 'Brogan', which means strong and sturdy.
We have confidence that Brogan will live up to his name.
This little boy is an extremely loving dog and shows
his affection with abundant kisses. He also gets along
well with other dogs. He is going to make a wonderful
companion for some very lucky family once he is fully
recovered.
Please show your appreciation to the Disabled Dachshund
Society by visiting their website (http://www.ourdds.org/)
and making a tax-free donation, sending them an item
on their wish list, or checking out their eBay auctions.
Without them we would not have been able to give Brogan
the surgery that he needed.
UPDATE: 01/18/05
Over the past month Brogan has been drinking a significant
amount of water so we have been running several tests.
Urinalysis and blood tests were all normal, so finally
last week he had an ultrasound. We were shocked to find
that his liver is half the size that it should be. A
major shunt wasn't found but minor shunts were suspected.
Bile acid tests were run and we got those tests back
today. While they were high, they weren't super high,
so tomorrow he will have a biopsy. He's been through
so much, this is such a blow. Please send positive thoughts.
UPDATE: 01/31/05
The biopsy came back, and it has ruled out cirrhosis
and colangiohepatits, but it hasn't totally ruled out
the micro shunts. It could also be a psychogenic polydipsia
or diabetes insipidis (which is not the "normal" diabetes
we think of). Psychogenic polydipsia is more behavioral,
where the dog drinks excessive water as a nervous type
reaction, which is a very simple explanation. We have
a plan to narrow the problemt down even further over
the next couple of weeks. This sure is taking a long
time and I wish that it was much easier! Please keep
sending him positive rays because he is such a sweet
boy.
UPDATE: 03/29/05
After undergoing further testing and a more complete
biopsy, Brogan finally has a diagnosis - microvascular
displasia. This is basically microshunting of the liver.
It is managed with a low protein diet. Since he has
gone on this diet we have already seen a new Brogan.
While we thought that he wasn't affected by whatever
was going on, we were wrong - we now have a very active,
very playful dog - almost like a puppy! He and Pete
are like 2 whirling dervishes from the minute they get
up in the morning. And he just loves to race around
the yard with the other dogs. He truly is a super happy
boy, completely oblivious to the fact that he has gone
through some major medical procedures over the past
few months.
UPDATE: 01/04/06
Brogan has been diagnosed with hepatic microvascular
dysplasia, commonly called microshunts of the liver.
This condition cannot be cured, but is managed using
a low-protein diet and medication to reduce and absorb
the ammonia in the digestive tract that is normally
processed by the liver. One of the outward signs of
his condition is that he thinks he needs to drink alot
of water, which can be managed by controlling his access
to water bowls so that he doesn't throw off his electrolytes,
which can then cause seizures. Brogan is such a good
boy and willingly takes his medication. He is so happy
and loving, and just loves to run around the yard with
his foster brothers and sisters. He has no idea that
he is any different from them!
Brogan's new medical expenses have come as
a big surprise for us. We thought he was well on his
way to a new life. If you can help us with the cost
of the medical tests, please the PayPal button on the
left. |
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© CTDR 2004 |
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