Help Save Our LoveNugget!
Donation protected
Our baby basenji girl Rauree has had a rough year and after a lot of thought and even more worry and tears, we decided to ask for a little help.
(Rauree in 2010 maxin' and relaxin' in the sunroom)
It all started with a small surgery last year and since then Rauree has had continuous medical problems leading up to this point. We recently found out that our 7 year old baby girl has been diagnosed with a rare kidney disease affecting Basenji breeds called Fanconi Syndrome. Fanconi is a genetic disease and unfortunately, there is no cure. Rauree will live with this disease for the remainder of her life and she will need to take supplements (up to 20 per day) to replace the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are no longer being absorbed by her body - and that's not all.
(Rauree a three weeks ago leaving her all-day session at the Vet. She's not very amused...)
As soon as we began to gather all of the meds to start her treatment for the Fanconi Syndrome, Rauree slowly stopped eating. Immediately we noticed she wasn't eating (as it was one of her ALL TIME FAVORITE THINGS TO DO - if there was one thing Rauree never turned down - it was food, or anything she deemed edible for that matter) and we took her in to see the specialist. They did an ultrasound and found that her stomach wall is close to two centimeters thicker than it should be and this could either be an ulcer or in the worst case scenario - a tumor or growth in her stomach. In order to know for sure, they have to perform a procedure on her where they look into her stomach with a camera to determine what exactly is causing this and that test alone is close to $2,000. If they do wind up finding something that is causing all of this, the surgery cost would be much more and all of this has NOTHING to do with the Fanconi Syndrome she was recently diagnosed with, but we can't even treat her for that until this other issue is figured out.
This was close to three weeks ago and she is still not eating. She is currently on meds from the Vet to treat her for upset stomach and/or an ulcer including Prilosec, an anti-inflammatory and even an appetite enhancer. She is not her normal self. She's not showing much emotion and she is visibly sad and lethargic. She doesn't really want to go out on her walks or chase the squirrels. We have tried every food imaginable to get her excited about eating, but nothing seems to be working. It is so heartbreaking to watch her lose so much weight within such a short period of time and to watch her be so sad and tired, when she is one of the most alert and vibrant dogs you would ever meet. She has unbelieveable personality and right now - we can't see that in her.
We're so in love with our little girl and seeing her like this and withering away is so painful and saddening and it must be so much worse for her - we just want her to return to her normal, happy self and then we can try to move on, address the Fanconi protocol and help her to live the happiest and longest life she can.
(Photo of Rauree and her brother Gavin taken yesterday (6.21.14) - she is losing so much weight. Don't worry about Gavin - he's always looked like that, haha! #HealthyButAwkward)
We didn't want to ask for anything from anyone, but we are just unable to do it on our own. She has already cost us what most people would think crazy to pay for an animal, but she is way more than just an animal or a pet - she is a huge part of our family and we love her so much.
Every donation given will go towards getting Rauree the tests she needs to determine why she isn't eating, along with medications to help her move forward. If you can, please help us help Rauree live the best life that she can live. Thank you so much.
(Rauree in 2010 maxin' and relaxin' in the sunroom)
It all started with a small surgery last year and since then Rauree has had continuous medical problems leading up to this point. We recently found out that our 7 year old baby girl has been diagnosed with a rare kidney disease affecting Basenji breeds called Fanconi Syndrome. Fanconi is a genetic disease and unfortunately, there is no cure. Rauree will live with this disease for the remainder of her life and she will need to take supplements (up to 20 per day) to replace the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are no longer being absorbed by her body - and that's not all.
(Rauree a three weeks ago leaving her all-day session at the Vet. She's not very amused...)
As soon as we began to gather all of the meds to start her treatment for the Fanconi Syndrome, Rauree slowly stopped eating. Immediately we noticed she wasn't eating (as it was one of her ALL TIME FAVORITE THINGS TO DO - if there was one thing Rauree never turned down - it was food, or anything she deemed edible for that matter) and we took her in to see the specialist. They did an ultrasound and found that her stomach wall is close to two centimeters thicker than it should be and this could either be an ulcer or in the worst case scenario - a tumor or growth in her stomach. In order to know for sure, they have to perform a procedure on her where they look into her stomach with a camera to determine what exactly is causing this and that test alone is close to $2,000. If they do wind up finding something that is causing all of this, the surgery cost would be much more and all of this has NOTHING to do with the Fanconi Syndrome she was recently diagnosed with, but we can't even treat her for that until this other issue is figured out.
This was close to three weeks ago and she is still not eating. She is currently on meds from the Vet to treat her for upset stomach and/or an ulcer including Prilosec, an anti-inflammatory and even an appetite enhancer. She is not her normal self. She's not showing much emotion and she is visibly sad and lethargic. She doesn't really want to go out on her walks or chase the squirrels. We have tried every food imaginable to get her excited about eating, but nothing seems to be working. It is so heartbreaking to watch her lose so much weight within such a short period of time and to watch her be so sad and tired, when she is one of the most alert and vibrant dogs you would ever meet. She has unbelieveable personality and right now - we can't see that in her.
We're so in love with our little girl and seeing her like this and withering away is so painful and saddening and it must be so much worse for her - we just want her to return to her normal, happy self and then we can try to move on, address the Fanconi protocol and help her to live the happiest and longest life she can.
(Photo of Rauree and her brother Gavin taken yesterday (6.21.14) - she is losing so much weight. Don't worry about Gavin - he's always looked like that, haha! #HealthyButAwkward)
We didn't want to ask for anything from anyone, but we are just unable to do it on our own. She has already cost us what most people would think crazy to pay for an animal, but she is way more than just an animal or a pet - she is a huge part of our family and we love her so much.
Every donation given will go towards getting Rauree the tests she needs to determine why she isn't eating, along with medications to help her move forward. If you can, please help us help Rauree live the best life that she can live. Thank you so much.
Organizer
Ashley Nichols
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
