So grab your morning coffee (and maybe some Kleenex) and sit down for a morning read.
This story starts in Manitoba where we received a request to take Raven into care as she needed help. You see, Raven had been seen running, dragging a leg hold trap. Whoever uses these is pure evil but that is a rant for another day. She was followed for five days before she could be trapped.
Imagine the pain.
Imagine the fear.
Imagine the total panic she must have been feeling.
Raven was rushed to the emergency vet and needed her leg amputated.
Once it started to heal she was flown to us and we put a call out for a foster and that is where our AMAZING foster stepped into the story.
Raven arrived off the plane terrified (who could blame her) and her foster took her home to help her start her healing. But Raven was scared and with no reason to trust, was a really tough foster dog.
Upon Raven’s arrival we noticed her one eye was bulging. So tests were done at the hospital and it was discovered she was suffering from glaucoma and needed immediate removal of her one eye and daily drops in the other. Raven had a really tough time with the surgery but throughout it all her amazing foster saw her through.
But Raven wasn’t finished yet. She had many more setbacks and much more time in the hospital. So many more injuries and trauma this poor girl has suffered throughout her life were discovered, but dogs are so much better than humans.
So resilient.
She was starting to trust, thanks to her foster and all the amazing people surrounding her.
And then this week…
I will let the foster tell you about Raven’s week.
“I wanted to send you an update on Raven. I even had a friend take beautiful pictures.
Then she started to decline. Symptoms of pain and discomfort. She began coughing a lot. Bloating, poops became nastier. She started to get so lethargic she wouldn’t go past my driveway. Pooped out another gigantic tape worm.
A couple ultrasounds showed a mass in her abdomen, and her guts were intussuscepting. We hammered her with de-wormers thinking maybe she had a blockage. Another ultrasound showed no change to mass. CT’d her last week. Dr Bolliger and Dr Branter were thinking maybe the mass was a gauze left in during spay because it was outside the colon and had an edge.
They cut her abdomen open last night.
And well, it shocked, horrified and is the talk of the town at WAVES. Three massive kidney worms just kicking it live in her peritoneal space. No one has ever seen any that big before, or if ever. Dr Bolliger did the surgery and Dr Branter was also there. Most of the staff was. I stayed away because it’s too much pressure for staff and me to be present.
Raven has had the worms removed. And is bright in hospital, eating a little bit, and should be coming home to me today.
I love this little parasite pirate. She’s the toughest, gentlest dog I’ve ever met. And I wanted to thank you for the gift.
In total her medical issues read as:
1) Spondylitis- whole spine
2) Glaucoma- eye removal and preventative eye drops daily in other eye
3) Amputated left hind: trauma (from the leg hold trap)
4) Lyme disease
5) Kidney (gigantic) worms- surgical removal
6) Spontaneous pneumothorax during spay, possible inhaler needed for rest of life
7) Two bullets- back of skull C1-C2, & migrating through thoracic area
8) Scars/scar tissue/fur pigment changes from wire/rope line around neck
Ain’t she a beauty? Hopefully no more major surgeries for a long, long time. After all this, she is still gentle. She grooms me when I rub her tummy. We walk without a leash together now. She waits for me at every intersection, and has better recall then my old dog. She’s great with all dogs and cats. Humans are still terrifying but she tolerates them.
She’s my buddy.”
If you haven’t guessed, this was a foster fail and this wonderful woman has adopted Raven.
This is a story of an Amazing Dog.
But this is also a story about an Amazing Girl.
A story about an amazing foster who never quit.
Not when she brought home a dog that peed and pooped all over her house.
A dog too terrified to leave a crate.
A dog terrified of touch.
A dog who screamed at night in terror.
A dog with too many medical issues to count.
A dog so many people would have given up on.
But she never did.
You are a True Warrior.
You are selfless and kind and beautiful and strong and beyond compare and above all else, giving and patient.
You gave your life to save this dog and we cannot thank you enough.
And this is also a story of a Great Team.
Thank you to Dr Bolliger and Dr Branter and ALL the support staff at
WAVES.
You have gone above and beyond for our Raven time and time again.
Thank you!