Dollars for Desmond

 
We met Copper on a Border Collie rescue website. He was rescued from a Central Valley farm with his littermates and mother.  The farm owners had not provided the pups with shelter and their feed was just scattered in the fields.

With so many interested in the lil guy, we doubted we would be his guardians.  Fate brought us together. Copper was renamed Desmond and moved to San Francisco. In return, he promised to give us 1,000 kisses a day.  Little did we know Desmond was in need of serious medical care.
 Within a month, his cheerful puppy play waned as pain, limping, and high fevers paralyzed his body. Weighing less than 16 pounds, Desmond was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD), an autoimmune disorder attacking his bone growth, a rare diagnosis as it is usually only found in large breed dogs. For months he suffered through weekly vet specialist visits, x-rays and carefully monitored behavior all to avoid painful surgery. In January he celebrated a major milestone: his first birthday.  At this point his growth stopped and HOD should have been a thing of the past.

But in March we noticed Desmond's sweet kisses had turned sour.  Actually, he could clear a room with a whiff of his breath.  The vet said he needed 2 teeth extracted. Perhaps the steroids he was on for HOD affected his teeth? The problem was that we could not get an appointment within the 5 Bay Area counties until mid-April. So we waited and watched Desmond deteriorate.  Daily his teeth grew problematic, and bloody drool and other signs of infection made Desmond's situation urgent.

With great luck an appointment became available for Desmond on April 3rd. Unfortunately, his luck ran out in the operating room. Once he was sedated and x-rayed, the vet determined Desmond needed 9 teeth - molars and pre-molars – extracted. And to make matters worse, he may have another autoimmune disease and case of HOD in his jaw! A simple tooth extraction turned into 7+ hours under the knife and a mountain of unexpected expenses!

Thankfully, Desmond made it through the surgery safely. While the swelling has subsided, we still await biopsy results and additional vet visits for his ongoing care.  Based on his health history, Desmond is uninsurable and the expenses are mounting.  Any contributions will be used to ensure his continued care!  Please help us get Desmond back to 1,000 kisses a day!