The Sanctuary Animal Rescue in Clewiston, FL has a new family member.  Teddy Bear is six weeks old,  born with twisted front legs the breeder contacted the rescue to see if they would take him. The sanctuary didn’t even hesitate to make arrangements to get Teddy Bear.

Palena Dorsey started the Sanctuary in March 2004.  Her mission was to help those animals that were considered fearful and aggressive, or who were old and ill and about to be put to sleep because of the overwhelming influx of animals at local shelters.

The Sanctuary of course said they would take him. Teddy Bear had a very long trip and it took 30 hours to get there. He was very tired and  was coughing too. He was given fluids and put on antibiotics.

Palena is the Executive Director and Teddy Bear lives in her room and stays with her 24 hours a day. He has to be fed often and helped to go potty, but he’s happy.

The Sanctuary Animal Rescue is trying to raise money so Teddy Bear can have surgery to help him, hoping he can eventually  get adopted and have his very own home.

What a wonderful woman Palena Dorsey is, stepping in where others may have turned away. If you would like to help you can make a donation directly to Teddy Bear,  or for any of the Sanctuary’s residents.

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Atticus is an adorable 7 month old German Shepard that is now being fostered at Southern Cross GSD Rescue in Mount Airy, GA.

Molly  Moncure is the founder of Southern Cross German Shepherd Rescue  and every day her inbox is filled with stories about dogs needing help.

But there was something so special about this pup, only 6 months old, who had trouble standing.

He was in a shelter in South Carolina that could only hold him three days before they would euthanize him. With his physical disability, he was not a candidate for adoption.The shelter had no idea what was wrong, only that he had problems getting up and walking, and that his spine appeared abnormal.

At the same time, Joanne Leicester saw his plight posted to a web board. Joanne not only has experience in dealing with dogs with disabilities, she is a vet tech at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Even though Joanne recently lost of one of her own dogs to renal failure, she volunteered to foster the pup and help to devise a treatment plan for him.

Initial assessment indicates that Atticus has had some severe trauma which has damaged his spine. At the moment, Atticus gets around with an endearing kangaroo hop and does not seem to be in pain, but this situation will not last.

As Atticus, grows, he will likely experience more difficulties, including altered sensation in his limbs and possible paralysis. Atticus is being fostered in a home with a number of other disabled dogs who are helping him to adapt to family life.

The neurology team at College of Veterinary Medicines Veterinary Teaching Hospital has examined Atticus, and believes that decompressing and stabilizing his spine provides his best chance, although it is possible that Atticus will eventually become paralyzed.

This operation, followed by a regimen of strengthening his muscles, may help to delay a dramatic deterioration in his condition. The surgery on Atticus will be performed in the next few weeks. Atticus will then undertake rehabilitation exercises in the hope that he can maintain some mobility for the foreseeable future.

Medical costs for Atticus are estimated at $6500 just for the diagnostics and surgery, but his fosters Molly and Joanne have not let that deter them. Once you commit to a rescue dog, you owe him the best possible care. And that is what Atticus is going to get.

With all the horrendous stories out there it’s so heartwarming to read one where two ordinary citizens step  up to the plate to make a difference.  You can help Atticus by making a donation to help defray some of the costs that Southern Cross has to bear.

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One of our Dogster members, Cecilia, contacted me because she wanted to share her story in hopes that it would benefit others. Her best friend, Ginger, was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Thanks to a radical new treatment, Cyberknife radiation, Ginger stands a fighting chance.

When everything goes wrong…and right.

“I’m very sorry, but the MRI shows a mass in Ginger’s brain.”

These words from neurologist Dr.Stephanie Kube, at the South Shore Animal Hospital in Weymouth, MA, set in motion a series of events that turned a simple trip to the vet into a mission to save my dog’s life. Ginger is a 10 yr. old Basenji/Shepherd mix, and had been incredibly healthy up until mid-August of this year. I brought her in for symptoms that I thought were signs of Lyme disease: lameness, lethargy, and tilting her head to one side. The MRI Dr. Kube reviewed showed a walnut sized tumor in the area of Ginger’s brain that affects balance and mobility. The tumor is surrounded by healthy brain tissue, so surgery was not an option.

Dr. Kube felt that Ginger was a good candidate for radiation, and mentioned a new treatment called Cyberknife. Thanks to the internet, I learned that this treatment entails only 1-3 sessions of radiation, as compared to 15-20 treatments for traditional radiation. Cyberknife also limits damage to surrounding healthy tissue, so side effects are minimized. This treatment was developed for humans, not animals. Read about it at http://www.accuray.com/patientinfo/index.aspx .

The only clinic in the US currently using Cyberknife on animals is The Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, NY  (www.animalspecialtycenter.com) I contacted Dr. Sandra Charney on Friday, August 22nd. Dr. Charney then spent most of her weekend contacting various co-workers to arrange to have Ginger analyzed the following Tuesday, followed by 3 days of Cyberknife radiation.

We are now at ten days post-treatment, and Ginger is doing well. No side effects that are visible, and she is a happy, wagging, food monster. She’s on prednisone for the next month, to keep her symptoms at bay while the radiation takes effect. I also have her on an ‘anti-cancer’ diet (high protein/low carb), K-9 Immunity supplements (www.k9medicinals.com), and fish oil.

It’s not possible for me to properly thank all of the people at The Animal Specialty Center, from Kim at reception, to the animal handlers and doctors. Dr. Charney came in on her day off for our initial consultation with Ginger, so that we could start the radiation the following day. For us, that meant only one 4 hour drive to New York for all of Ginger’s treatments. Ginger ran in the door of the building each morning, and emerged from anesthesia happy and stress-free.

Ginger will need an MRI in a few months, so we can monitor the size of the tumor. There are no guarantees that the radiation will work, as the tumor was not biopsied, so we don’t know exactly what kind of tumor/cancer it is. I feel confident that Dr. Kube, Dr. Charney, and everyone else involved in Ginger’s care gave me the best advice available.

The Animal Specialty Center has only been in operation since January of 2008, so it’s too soon to have full data on the prognosis for animals treated with Cyberknife. Ginger was number 45 to have this treatment, including cats and dogs. I hope to tell you in another year that Ginger is still with us.

I want to thank Cecilia, and gal pal Ginger, for taking the time to write this.  Seeing as this is a very recent event, and Ginger’s prognosis is still unknown, I know how hard it must have been.  By sharing this information, and getting the word out, other dog parents in the same situation will now know they have options. An option that may very well save the life of their best friend.

If anyone has a question about this procedure you can bark back in the comment section or stroll on over to Ginger’s homepage and leave her a message. Good luck Ginger, we’re rooting for you.

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Here’s something you don’t see everyday, an article on a dog getting a kidney transplant.  At the University of Pennsylvania surgeons are getting ready to try and save the life of an ailing 14 month-old bull terrier, Zansi, who is suffering from a diseased kidney.

The surgery, which will take place at Penn Veterinary Hospital, will be headed up by primary surgeon Dr. Heidi Phillips.  Zansi’s twin sister will be donating a kidney to help save him.

“We’re only able to do dogs that are related to each other. We need a related donor in order to give a kidney to the recipient in order to minimize the amount of side effects,” said primary surgeon Dr. Heidi Phillips.

I wonder if they got Zansi’s sister to the hospital by telling her they were taking her to the park.  She’s not going to be happy when she wakes up in a backless white gown and an IV in her arm.

We hope all goes well for both Zansi and his sister. A special thanks to Bo’s friend, Eddie, for sharing this story.

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I received a message about Casper, an adorable 7 month old Pomeranian, who is in desperate need of a heart operation.

He was diagnosed with Pulmonic Stenosis,  it affects the right artery so that it is barely pumping blood into his heart.  Casper is at risk of his heart enlarging on the right side; leading to cardiac arrest and possible sudden death.

The operation is very expensive so Casper’s buddies put together a raffle to raise money to help out.  Some very generous Dogster members donated great gifts for you to win.

We are holding a raffle of Gift Baskets and other prizes to raise funds for Casper.   You can purchase the tickets now and choose which prizes you want before the drawing on September 8.

PRIZES
Here is a list of donated gifts so far as prizes for the raffle. I will update this list as more donations come in.

$5.00 TICKET CATEGORY

A. $20.00 gift certificate to www.dieseldoggie.net
-Donated by Diesel (ID146642)’s Mom Sherry

B. Basket of doggie cookies
- Donated by Cosmo Enyce Politan (ID380677)’s mom Raquel. www.tiptopwebsite.com/noahsbarkwoofery

C. A Tastefully Simple gift package include items from

www.tastefullysimple.com

- Donated by Tessa (ID 121303)’s mom.

D. A butiful blanket made and donated by Dayzee (519632)
’s mom

$10.00 TICKET CATEGORY

A. $55.00 gift certificate to The New York Dog Shop
www.thenewyorkdogshop.com
-Donated by Brodie’s mom (ID690517)

B. Basket of doggie grooming supplies. Shampoo, brushes etc. valued over $50.00
-Donated by Sophie’s (ID679446) and my mom

C. A Bath & Body Works gift card value $50.00. Check out Bath & Body Works at

www.bathandbodyworks.com

- Donated by Tessa (ID 121303)’s mom.

$20.00 OR ABOVE TICKET CATEGORY

A. $200.00 gift basket of women’s fashion jewelry
-Donated by a very generous Anonymous Donor

If you’re interested in buying a raffle ticket, or making a prize donation,  stop by Have A Heart for Casper. Good luck little buddy!

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