Fundraiser for Winger

Content Warning: Animal neglect / abuse.

Hello to everyone reading this! My name is Keira and I’m here raising money for my dog Winger. He’s a happy dog, but his story is a bit of a sad one. We’re here trying to change it. Thank you for taking an interest - it means the world to us.

Backstory

Up until a couple of weeks ago this sweet dog had spent years living with someone who neglected him to the point of abuse. During that time a lot of Winger’s needs and health problems went unaddressed.

Those needs range from everyday things, like:

• Going for walks.
• Having any toys to play with.
• Eating a healthy diet. His previous owner regularly fed him food that isn’t meant for dogs (cold cuts, for example).
• Hair grooming. His previous owner was shaving off his top coat, making it impossible for Winger to regulate his body temperature.
• Nail cutting. Winger’s nails hadn’t been cut in so long that it caused bone damage because of the way he had to adapt his walking. He was unable to walk for long distances since he was essentially walking on his nails. If it’s hard for you to imagine what that might do, try thinking about what it would be like to walk with a rock in each of your shoes for over four years.

This list doesn’t include the more serious health issues that Winger also developed and which were also neglected by his previous owner.

Winger is currently fighting infections at five points in his body. He has yeast infections in all four of his paws (in addition to the bone damage he’s also experiencing in each one). Most critically, he’s had an ear infection for at least the past two years that has left him deaf in one ear, and now requires multiple surgeries. The veterinarian I’ve taken him to said it was the worst ear he had ever seen.

As you can imagine, learning about all of these issues that Winger has had to face has been very upsetting for me. I had known and taken care of Winger years ago and had only ever seen him happy and healthy. I had no idea that this is what he was going through up until a few weeks ago. Once I learned how bad his situation had gotten I went in and rescued him from his previous home myself. However, this means that I am also taking on all costs associated with rescuing this dog.

Here’s what I’ve been able to do so far.

In the past two weeks that I’ve had him I’ve been able to get Winger groomed and taken him to see a veterinarian at Spadina Animal Hospital four times (including check ups and consultations). The vet also started the process of getting his nail health under control by cutting his nails a little bit at a time. This is to ensure that they don’t interrupt the blood flow inside the nail. It has helped him get back to walking in a way that doesn’t hurt his paws. I can already see that his paws have been bothering him less!

The grooming has made it so that he’s able to regulate his body temperature again, which has been much better for him during the recent heat waves. We’ve also been going on walks several times a day. He’s been really enjoying being outside and making new friends.

The vet prescribed Winger antibiotics, steroids and ear drops which we’ve been able to give him without issue. In fact he’s been taking his medication like a treat! He’s also very excited about the new toys I’ve been able to buy him.

For anyone who would like to see photos of him before grooming, including photos of his ear infection and nails, you can do so at the link below. Warning, the images might be upsetting to some.

Click for sad dog photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g8nynevnqi0abx6/AADUaCTNGnxhvHcULtIwRCMla?dl=0

Here's why we need your help.

Despite everything we’ve been able to do, Winger still needs a lot more medical attention and supplies. The ear drops that he’s been prescribed only prevent the infection from getting worse - they aren’t enough to heal his ear infection.

The word from the veterinarian is that Winger will need to see a dog ear specialist and will likely need two surgeries; he’ll need an exploratory surgery to see the extent of the damage caused by the ear infection and to have his ear surgically flushed and cleaned, and after this initial surgery he’ll need to have surgery to remove the infected tissue in his ear, and to explore into his brain and sinus cavity to ensure the infection has not spread there. The vet says that the most likely scenario is that he’ll need to have his entire ear canal removed (though he did sound hopeful that Winger would be able to keep his ear flap). The worst case scenario is that the infection has already spread to his brain. As of today, I’m not really sure what will happen to him if it has.

The estimated cost of these surgeries alone is around $8,500.00 (which doesn’t include the initial cost to see the specialist). After the surgeries Winger will need post-op care, medication and special food and equipment. All these costs are in addition to the $1,500.00 already spent in the past couple weeks.

Conclusion

Winger has had a lot working against him for a long time. Despite all of it he’s still the happiest, most gentle dog you could meet. My goal is to give Winger the best home that I can. I’m hoping that with everyone's help we’ll be able to make sure that he gets healthy and lives a long and happy life.

Thank you so much,

Keira