Critical medical care for Geddy.

On Friday April 6th around noon our previously very healthy, beloved 3 year old fur baby Geddy was found having severe convulsions/seizing in our home. No cause was apparent. We raced him to the closest vet, and that vet was not sure what was wrong with him but said he needed immediate advanced care. We then raced him to the nearest BluePearl veterinary clinic where he was quickly taken in the back to stabilize him, and stop him from seizing. This was the start of a very scary journey for us.

 After the great vets/staff could not determine what was going on with him,  and could not stop him from seizing, he was placed into a medically induced coma in the hope the various anesthesia drugs, and anti-seizure drugs he was on would calm his brain and stop him from seizing. His seizures were so bad, they persisted through the heavy anesthesia drugs, which we were told is very rare/bad. He was elevated to the highest level of intensive care and he received round-the-clock intensive critical care oversight.

Because they were unable to determine the cause of the seizures, he was medically transferred to a higher end critical care facility across town. Once at the new critical care facility further tests were performed, and Geddy remained in his medically induced coma.

At one point he took a turn for the worse with dangerously low blood pressure, low body temp, and had developed an infection. His stomach filled with fluid, the fear being an additional diagnosis of sepsis. Previously before this turn we were given a possible 50/50 chance he would make a recovery, after this turn his chances went down further to maybe a 20% chance of recovery, and that chance was very generous.

After heavy antibiotics were administered to him, and with a lot of prayer/begging/pleading to anything that may have been listening (and a lot of world class medical care by the wonderful professionals there), his seizures eased, his blood pressure came up to a less critical level, and his body temperature returned to a more normal level.  We spent a lot of time by his side in the ICU telling him sternly that we were not going to give up on him, and he better keep fighting! We beggd him to wake up. We pleaded for God not to take him, and we endlessly loved on him.

Due to a previous medical scare, I was rendered unable to have children. My husband of 21 years is also sterile due to his terminal disability, so Geddy is the closest we have to a child, and we treat him as such. We absolutely refused to give up on him, and him not coming back to us was a reality we refused to have anything to do with. After many hours of crying, praying, and pleading, Geddy finally came out of his coma.

The seizures had stopped, but he was still very much not out of the woods. The turn around was nothing short of miraculous. The doctors and staff at the critical care facility, who had fallen in love with Geddy (everyone loves Geddy) were as excited and emotional as we were at seeing him come out of the coma, and no longer seizing. None of them thought this would have a good outcome.

After some more TLC, more tests and medicine, Geddy was eventually cleared to come home four days after this all began. At home, Geddy had a lot of trouble with his bladder, and that was a very stressful addition to his home care.  Lots of diapers and potty breaks, around the clock med administration, and a whole ton of love continues!

Our neighborhood has a couple of shady/unpleasant people in it, with at least one of them going as far as throwing firecrackers at us when we would walk Geddy. The prospect of Geddy possibly being poisoned (he had never shown seizure/convulsion behavior before) by one of these individuals (something laced maybe thrown over the fence intentionally) is a very real possibility.

The doctors at the critical care facility ran many tests to discover a cause for the event; while we worked with Pet Poison Control Helpline to remove the possibility that any purchased tainted food or treats were the cause. Illegal drugs were also tested for and came back negative. Exposure to any prescription meds in the home were also eliminated.

We are currently waiting on the results of a more exhaustive organic/inorganic/heavy metal/convulsive agent blood panel test that was sent away to Michigan State University. Geddy is slowly, but surely getting back to the playful little terrier he used to be.

Geddy was a rescue. He was badly neglected and caged for 18 hours a day. When we took him in, he had very bad social skills, and was not house broken. He also was very aggressive to other dogs (something we are still working on), but with a lot of love and TLC, he has changed into a very loving dog that melts everyone's hearts when they meet him. He now also has an English Setter girlfriend named Gracie that he loves very much.

This event was totally unexpected, like most tragic emergencies are, and a large chunk of our "house emergency fund" was liquidated to save our baby boy. Some of the needed home repairs were planned to be made sometime this year (for as long as some of them could hold up). I work full time in the dental field, and my husband is terminally disabled and does not receive much help. He has always previously worked within his capacity. We do the best we can, and also take care of an elderly special needs parent. We have never asked for charity before, but with this taking place, and the very real prospect of Geddy probably remaining on costly anti-seizure meds for the rest of his life, we are hoping for a little financial help.

In addition to depleting our house emergency fund, we also incurred considerable debt to save Geddy's life.
As you can see by the enclosed scans of Geddy's medical bills from this horrible event, they came to a bit over $7,000.  We don't expect all of this back because we are his owners and we are responsible for his care; however, anything to help lessen the burden of debt brought on from this very crushing experience, is greatly appreciated.

If you can afford to contribute anything, we would be eternally grateful. We understand things are tough all over, and most people we know don't have the luxury of being able to donate to anything. So we would be equally appreciative if people would take a moment to share this cause amongst their friends, on social media, and help advocate for Geddy with the costs incurred to save his life.

Besides the scanned bills for his care, you will also see an attached summary of his care narrative while at the facility. Along with a lovely letter from one of the nurses at the facility (who fell in love with Geddy), There are pictures included that show his recovery, and his life with us before this tragic event. Thank you for taking time to read this. Please help us by advocating for this cause. Bless you.

Adoption Day
Playing
Daddy love
St. Patricks Day attire
Playing on the bed
The king on his throne
Throw the ball!
Fourth of July attire
Jedi Geddy
Sticking his tongue out
So many toys, so little time
A visit to the mountains
Relaxing