Koda has always been a resilient soul. Even at 10 years old, he is just as fun-loving and energetic as ever, eager to run and play with anyone who will have him. Like all of our animals, Koda was adopted through our county's shelter after he was found abandoned in a field as a puppy (that's him on the left, back when he was first adopted).

Though a little shy at first, he has never let his traumatic background slow him down; through all the moves, financial hardships, and other struggles we have gone through, Koda has always been a beacon of happiness and positivity for our family. He is also the protective older brother of two mischievous chihuahuas, always working hard at getting them out of trouble and keeping them away from danger by guiding them back home when they scamper off.


On February 12th of this year, this protective nature of his unfortunately landed Koda a trip to the emergency vet, when he went to rescue his younger sister and was hit by a driver speeding through the dark neighborhood.

He was left with a lesion across his skull, road rash, and an oblique displaced fracture of his left foreleg, meaning that the bone had broken completely and was dislodged in the leg that was run over by the wheel. During Koda's first overnight stay at the hospital, his head wound was stitched up and his leg was set into a soft cast/splint (the nice vet even drew a heart for Valentine's Day!).




However, although his head wound has been healing nicely, the soft cast/splint he was put in did not properly immobilize his leg, nor did the three following splints his leg would be set in. Because of this, as well as Koda's age, his leg has not only stopped healing, but has actually fractured more and more between each hospital visit. Since the night of the accident, one trip has turned into five trips, culminating in major orthopedic surgery.

Typically, a splint wrapped in an elastic adhesive bandage is used to immobilize the leg where the break is. After the first splint was due to be replaced and his bones checked for healing, the vet found the bones to have moved out of place and actually slid back on each other. They again placed the bone in alignment and re-splinted his leg. This splint, unfortunately, loosened up and had to be replaced early. The third splint was placed until the next appointment. During the next visit, the vet explained the bones were still not healing and had even moved apart further.

During his first visit, the vet explained that because of his age, healing was not guaranteed, but that it was possible. Now, the vet explained that his bone ever healing was no longer a possibility.  In addition, it was becoming harder and harder for Koda to come out of the sedation necessary for each X-ray and splinting procedure due to his age. We were told the only option at this point was amputation.

And so, an amputation was immediately scheduled for the end of the week. But after agonizing over the decision, my mom reached out to a local surgeon in a last-ditch effort. She was so relieved to find that the practice offered an option for surgery with plating. She immediately canceled the amputation and prepared for the major surgery. 

For the most part, the surgery went flawlessly. The vet repositioned the bones that had once again slipped down past each other, trimmed off the rough edges and calluses that had started forming, and applied a bone graft before applying a plate and 9 screws. It was not until the technicians were taking the final X-ray that they began to face serious complications. Due to what they believe was a pulmonary embolism, Koda's heart stopped beating.

The vets explained that they immediately started CPR, injecting him with epinephrine and using manual paddles to restart his heart. We were told they were successful and began trying to bring him out of the anesthesia. But unfortunately, he wasn't waking up. They again tried everything they could and even made calls overseas for consultations regarding possible solutions. After two hours of Koda not waking, they called my mom and she immediately went to the vet hospital to be with Koda. They showed her how his breathing and heart rate were all fine, and that his oxygen percentage was great, even when breathing without added oxygen. All they knew was that he was cold and wouldn't wake up. Warming blankets, warm saline, and lots of talking to Koda was all they could offer as they waited to see what would happen.

After two more hours, Koda amazed the entire staff when he suddenly opened his eyes and tried getting up. Just a few minutes after he suddenly got up, my step-dad came in to be with my mom and Koda. Then, Koda saw him and started wagging his tail! My mom said there wasn't a dry eye in the room. It took another half hour or so to fully come back to full function, but he was alert and so happy to be with his mom and dad. 


As a precaution, he was sent to the overnight ER vet for observation. If he suffered through another embolism, he would need immediate attention. That's when things once again went downhill.

By around 8 P.M., Koda had a bad reaction to the pain medication while waiting for the doctor. We were told he was experiencing something called dysphoria that made him extremely anxious and agitated, hence his constant crying, howling, and whimpering. He then had to be kept even longer since the ER vets had to treat the dysphoria in addition to watching for other signs of distress.

The next morning, the ER vet called and said they had the dysphoria almost under control, so we went to go see him. He was sleeping and unresponsive. Because they suspected brain injury from the embolism and heart attack, the vet again was not sure if Koda would come out this one. But Koda surprised everyone again. Another unexpected phone call from the ER vet came around six that night, when the vet tech excitedly told us that Koda was awake, alert, had eaten some food, and was able to walk outside to use the bathroom. He could come home!

Koda is currently trying to recover with his happy family, continuing to push through the pain and difficulties with the same zeal he has always shown.


And so, despite everything thrown his way, our Koda has made it out the other side. The old man has shown more resilience than we ever imagined possible. But his journey is far from over, and there are unfortunately more hurdles to come, such as intensive physical therapy to retrain the atrophied muscles and tendons, as well as a potential second surgery to remove the plate after 8-12 weeks.

Until now, we have been trying to muster the funds necessary to try the various casts and procedures the vets have been prescribing for our Koda. But like so many worldwide, our family has been devastated by the outbreak of COVID-19; my step-father's small business has seen the same struggles of many small businesses during this time, and my mom's school where she teaches at the elementary level is closing for good at the end of this term. Because of this, it is with great humility that we reach out in this time of emergency and ask for your help.

Any funds donated to help Koda on his journey will be used for the backlog of medical bills that we are currently unable to meet, as well as for future procedures such as check-ups, overnight monitoring, and intensive physical therapy based on current estimates. My mom would also like to donate leftover proceeds to the local pet rescues and animal shelters she has volunteered at over the past few decades.


Additionally, my mom would like to offer five hand-turned wood pens (valued at $50 each) to the first five donors of $100 or more, as a personal thank you for kindness. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Koda's story. We hope you will keep our old man in your prayers, and we wish you, your family, and your pets safety and warmth in this time that has been difficult for all of us.

Love,

The Guevarra and Holmes Family