Main fundraiser photo

Have A Heart! Help Addie Save Hers!

Addie will no longer be accepting donations on this Go Fund Me page. Go Fund Me is not able to transfer the account from the HSWA to Addie's Fund so I have set up a new fundraiser for Addie on YouCaring to help pay for her medical recovery expenses.

Thank you to everyone who donated to this campaign and for continuing to support and follow Addie. You can keep up with her on her new YouCaring page and also on her Facebook page!

https://www.youcaring.com/addie-the-wonder-hound-671194 

https://www.facebook.com/Addie-the-Wonder-Hounds-New-Adventures-1766150423630214/

Overview of Addie's medical case:


Sweet Addie, a 15 month old happy-go-lucky bouncy Foxhound mix,  came to the Humane Society Waterville Area when her owners received the bad news their pup may not have long to live due to a severe heart murmur from a birth defect. They didn’t have the interest or fortitude to live with the knowledge she might die suddenly, nor the funds to get her the help she needed, and so they asked to surrender her. The shelter wasn’t sure they could help either, but they were willing to give
it a try and accepted Addie into their system. When she arrived at the shelter, Addie’s heart murmur was a severe grade 5 (the worst case is a 6) but she remained active, energetic and full of life. Initially she had no visible symptoms and had no physical limitations, so a caring foster home was found and volunteered to provide loving care so she could stay outside of the shelter environment while she was evaluated for possible courses of action. Within just a few days however, Addie began to decline, and struggled to breathe. A late night rushed trip to Animal Emergency Center of Mid Maine showed that Addie was much sicker than her bouncy daily antics ever showed. Fluid was building in her chest cavity due to a malfunctioning heart and she immediately began medications to drain the suffocating liquid so she could breathe again. But could she possibly have a chance at a longer healthier life? A cardiologist was recommended to find the cause of the murmur to see if it could be repaired. Addie got great news! The good news is that the problem is caused by a very narrow valve in Addie’s heart, a birth
defect, that can be corrected by a balloon surgery – and fortunately Addie is an excellent candidate with a good prognosis. She has better than an 80% chance at a full and practically normal life expected to be many years long. Without the surgery though, she only has months to live, even if she remains on the medications. The bad news is that very few clinics offer this cure, and the estimated cost is $5,000 + at either of the specialty clinics that do. We are furiously investigating grants and discounts for shelter animals, but even so we will need at least $4,000 to begin to get started helping Addie have a second chance from people like you who want to help. Please, consider joining her pack of supporters right now. Please… help this fun-loving young pup
grab her chance at the life she was meant to have. Share her story.  Woof n wags and wet kisses from the beloved Addie!

If you want ALL the details on Addie's story settle in and keep reading!

Addie went into foster care on May 29th with her foster mom, Samantha. Addie started showing symptoms not long after going to live with her foster. She was coughing, hacking, short of breath with activity, lethargic, and had chronic diarrhea (most likely due to multiple changes in dog food). On June 9th Addie was lethargic and having respiratory distress with no activity so Samantha brought her to the Animal Emergency Clinic of Mid-Maine (with approval from the Humane Society). The vet took an x-ray which showed severe pulmonary effusion (fluid around her lungs). Though the vet could not clearly see Addie’s heart, she stated that Addie’s heart appeared to be significantly enlarged. Addie had a chest tap (thoracocentesis) done to remove 1200 ml of fluid. Addie was breathing much more easily after the fluid was removed. The emergency vet recommended a full cardiac work up to determine the cause of the heart murmur and congestive heart failure. Addie’s foster was advised that Addie was at risk for sudden death or collapse. Addie was given a prescription for Lasix, a very strong diuretic that would remove the excess fluid from her body. Addie was able to go back home that evening with her foster mom, Samantha.

With the fluid removed Addie was breathing better, had a bit more energy, and started eating again. Her chronic diarrhea persisted even with specific anti-diarrheal food changes. Taking the diuretic meant that Addie has to be taken out 10-20 times a day to go to the bathroom (the good news is that the diuretic is doing its job!). Addie is very good about asking to go out and has not had one accident in the house. Addie’s foster mom is with her almost 24/7 so that Addie can go out as frequently as she needs to go out and is also watched to make sure that she is not having any respiratory distress, lethargy, weakness, or loss of appetite. Addie’s foster mom gladly tends to Addie’s needs. She bought Addie a harness so that Addie is more comfortable when taking her walks and going outside to go to the bathroom. Addie is very good on leash and enjoys their half mile walks.

Addie was brought to Portland Veterinary Specialists on June 16th to have an echocardiogram done by New England Veterinary Cardiology. The echocardiogram showed that Addie, who was born on March 17, 2015, has 2 congenital heart defectstricuspid valve dysplasia (a malformation of the tricuspid valve) and pulmonic stenosis (a narrowing of the pulmonary artery). She has a Grade 4/6 systolic left apical murmur. Thankfully Addie does not have any arrhythmias. Addie is only 15 months old and has some major medical problems to overcome.

In normal dogs, the pressure gradient across the pulmonic valve is less than 20mmHg. In dogs with mild PS, the pressure gradient is between 20 and 50mmHg. Dogs with moderate PS have a pressure gradient between 50 and 80mmHg and dogs with severe PS have a pressure gradient greater than 80mmHg. Addie’s pressure gradient is 155 mmHg, which makes her case of pulmonic stenosis severe.

The tricuspid valve leak is not severe, which means that if the pulmonic stenosis is corrected ASAP, Addie would have a fairly good prognosis. The correction of the pulmonic stenosis would involve a balloon valvuloplasty (a balloon catheter is inserted into the heart through the jugular vein and is used to dilate the obstruction/stenotic area) at a hospital in Massachusetts. If no procedures are done, she could potentially live for a months at most while managing her congestive heart failure.

The cardiologist started Addie on 2 additional medications, Spironolactone (a 2nd diuretic) and Enalapril (an ACE Inhibitor), in addition to the Lasix she is currently taking. Because these medications affect kidney function and electrolytes, Addie will need blood work to check to make sure she is tolerating her medications.

Addie is limited on activity and was started on a low sodium diet.

Calls were made to the two recommended animal hospitals in Massachusetts that perform the balloon valvuloplasty. Addie would need a consultation, a repeat echocardiogram, and pre-surgical blood work done before the balloon valvuloplasty could be scheduled. Addie is tentatively scheduled for a consultation at Tufts in Massachusetts on July 18th.  After the procedure Addie would need to continue on the medications for at least 6 months. She also would need a repeat echocardiogram at some point. Routine blood work would be needed to make sure that she is tolerating her medications. Addie also needs to be spayed and would need her routine vaccinations and exams.

All of Addie’s care is dependent on raising the funds to make this care possible. The Humane Society Waterville Area does not have the funds to cover such an expensive, involved medical treatment. Without the treatment though, Addie’s life will be much shorter and she will be limited in activity level for the duration of her shortened life.

The Humane Society Waterville Area has been working with veterinary clinics at a huge discount, but even so the costs will be beyond the meager allotment to prepare a healthy dog for adoption. We want to ensure that Addie has a happy, longer, healthier, more active life so we need to raise the funds for the balloon valvuloplasty procedure and all associated costs.

Now to the costs. The initial consultation, repeat echocardiogram, and pre-surgical blood work will be about $600. We're looking at a bill in the neighborhood of $4,000-$4,200 for the balloon valvuloplasty procedure.

There will also be costs for medications post-surgery, follow up visits, at least one repeat echocardiogram, and routine blood work. That would be another approximately $600.

These amounts are before any rescue discount is applied.

This is all in addition to the costs for Addie seeing the emergency vet on 6/9/2016 and having the echocardiogram performed on 6/16/2016. We have collected some money for Addie and will use it to pay for as much of these expenses as we can. Addie’s foster mom has kicked in some money to help with these expenses also in addition to buying Addie’s food and supplies and taking Addie to her appointments.

This is going to be a very hard financial hit for our rescue. As a rescue, we are 100% committed to doing everything in our power to address the needs of our animals - whether medical or behavioral. Addie needs this surgery if she is going to live any sort of a happy, healthy life. With the surgery she has a good chance for a number of years of normal life. Without it, the quality of her life would go downhill and the length of her life would be cut short.

All of us at the Humane Society Waterville Area would do this for our own personal dogs, and we can do no less for a dog in our rescue. Addie DESERVES this life saving and life extending procedure! She is a wonderful dog with lots of puppy and life left in her. Please consider donating to her care and sharing her story!

The Humane Society Waterville Area is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization located in Waterville, Maine. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.Even Addie knows that her medical condition is an EMERGENCY!

Addie waiting patiently for the ER vet to do the chest tap to remove almost 1 LITER of fluid from her chest!

Addie can depend on her foster mom and the Humane Society Waterville Area to be there for her! Can Addie count on you to help fund this life saving surgery?

Donations 

  • Joyce Kempton
    • $100 
    • 7 yrs

Organizer

Samantha Anne Fields
Organizer
Waterville, ME

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