Emergency Vet Costs for Sweet Splash

Late Thursday, July 3rd, we rushed our sweet bully Splash to the emergency vet. She was throwing up everything, and we knew she must have once again chewed and swallowed a bit of blanket or rug while we weren't looking. Scans found something in her stomach. An endoscopy at a second emergency hospital with the right equipment found the fabric, but the team couldn't remove it with the endoscope and moved right to surgery. They had to make several incisions; the fabric had entered her intestine and gone around a few bends. Her recover was slow as she had ileus and didn't want to eat. Right as she was finally eating, the doctor saw a temperature, found fluid in her abdomen, and realized at least one internal suture had burst, releasing stomach contents into her abdominal cavity.

Se were sent to a THIRD ER hospital for a second surgery, in which we found every incision had come open and a few abscesses had formed.

Luckily, we caught it pretty early. They were able to make the repair. Still the surgery was risky, and recovery is touch and go. She is now in critical care and will be for some time. Like many bulldogs after surgery, she has a touch of pneumonia that requires an oxygen cage. She's on antibiotics for the infection in her abdomen which will also fight the pneumonia.

Splash is making small progress every day. It's two small steps forward and maybe a tiny step back, but it's a little bit forward. She's still in critical care, and we can't say she's anything but "guarded" in prognosis. The vets keep telling us they're rather amazed that she's looking as good as she is for what she endured. They don't advise euthanasia whatsoever at this point. They think she has a chance.

Today she was sitting up, eyes open, and glad to see us. She leaned in for pets and scratches and gave me a little lick or two. But she's had the not unusual complication of pneumonia, and has to be in an oxygen cage to ensure she gets enough oxygen in her blood; she has to be strong to heal.

She's on the right antibiotics already; yet it's one more thing to overcome, with the ileus and healing. Still, her affect is way improved and her vitals are steady.

The cost is astronomical, and honestly, we need help. I've liquidated some of my retirement funds and we've run through a lot of savings. She's been hospitalized since last Thursday (July 3rd) at 11:30 PM, and today is the 9th. She'll be there at least till Friday, probably beyond.

Please help us save our sweet girl. She's the sweetest dog I ever knew; Splash loves everybody. She wouldn't hurt a fly. She'll sit on your lap (she's already sat on several prominent ER veterinarians). She makes the world a brighter place. If she has a chance, we HAVE to give it to her.

I'm not expecting to be able to reach the whole amount, but anything helps at this point!

Please!

Frankly, my father died Good Friday, and I'm not ready to lose her, too.