Gus's Emergency: Join His Recovery

SHORT & FULL STORY BELOW:

SHORT STORY:

Gus, our 3-year-old German Shepherd, underwent emergency surgery on Friday for a linear foreign body after a day of profuse vomiting. Unfortunately, his recovery has been rough — he’s currently on a feeding tube, oxygen support, and IV fluids.

Cooper's not one to ask for help, so on our behalf, please consider supporting Gus. Thank you ❤️

FULL STORY:

Thursday, 4/3: Gus was vomiting all day, with no interest in food. He is an extremely high energy dog, and all he wanted to do was lay down. At midnight we took him to Iowa State’s Emergency Room. He was diagnosed with dehydration, a foreign body, and excessive air in his stomach. We knew he got in the trash, but it was a mystery what he ate. The air in his stomach made the foreign body hard to see. For the night they put a nasogastric tube to deflate his stomach, hydrated him with IV fluids, and we hoped the foreign body would pass on his own. About $1,000 for the first day.

Friday, 4/4:

Morning: X rays were taken right away. Although still unknown, it was highly suspected to be a linear foreign body (FB). Unlike a typical FB, like coins, toys, or socks, a linear FB is a string that causes the intestines to bunch up and cut themselves on the string. This is incredibly urgent. Gus went into emergency surgery to remove the FB.

Afternoon: Gus ate FOUR tampons. They were twisted together and stuck in the exit of his stomach entering the intestines (the pylorus). No intestines were removed - only his stomach was cut open. They tacked his stomach (gastropexy) to prevent stomach flips in the future. Recovery was smooth for him.

Evening/night: Gus is recovering, doped up, sleeping, but not eating. We’re not worried because Gus is a picky eater and he literally just had stomach surgery. He’s on lots of IV fluids and pain meds. We’re at about $5,500 now.

Saturday, 4/5: Gus is so sleepy, uninterested in food. He ripped out his feeding tube. He is still dehydrated. Staff is working hard, but Gus is slow to recover. We’re concerned but again not surprised since he has such a huge surgery. Total was at about $6,500

Sunday, 4/6: Gus developed a fever, and is still not eating. He is a skinny boy and is losing weight. He doesn’t have any fat reserves to lose. He ate out of my hand when we visited. We can feel all his spinal and rib bones. We’re really concerned now. But we were planning to take him home Monday because we knew he’d eat better at home. Total is at about $8,000.

Monday, 4/7: Everything went wrong this day for Gus. They put a new feeding tube in, his fever persisted, and he had some abnormal lung sounds. Xrays revealed he had air in his chest (pneumothorax). Somehow, unknown still, he got a hole in his lungs. They preformed an emergency chest tap and drained 5L of air. He was started on an oxygen support through a nose tube. Gus continued to breath heavy, and had a chest tube put in to routinely drain air. He’s still not eating. But they are feeding him through the NG tube. He was put on more pain meds, antibiotics, and oxygen therapy. Total is at $9000 now.

Plan: Give him supportive care and pray that the hole in his lungs heals. IV fluids, oxygen therapy, antibiotics, tube nutrition, and lots of love and TOC. We cannot afford another surgery, nor do we want to put Gus through that. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support.

Tuesday, 4/8: They are still pulling air and fluid out of his chest. They don’t think the hole is healing, and antibiotics won’t help. We either had to pay $15,000 or euthanize him. We made the tough decision after talking with family and his primary care vet. We are going to put it on credit cards, and get the CT scan and more diagnostics. Hopefully they can figure out how bad it is and see if we can repair it. Total is at $24,000 now.

Tuesday, 4/8, Evening: Cooper’s sister and dad visited today, this is the happiest he’s been all week

He got a central IV line put in (the bandage around his neck), more pain meds, IV fluids, pain meds, and new antibiotics. He is getting a sedated CT scan tomorrow, 4/9, first thing. The CT scan will determine what type of surgery needs to be done. He is so strong and tough.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Gus, Cooper, and I already. We are so grateful to have such generous family and friends. We can’t thank you enough. Total is and will be $30,000 for a few days we hope since we put down so many deposits.

Wednesday, 4/9: Gus’ CT scan is done and he recovered from anesthesia well. He has general pneumonia and multifocal abscesses in his accessory lung lobe. Tomorrow (4/10) he will get the lung lobe removed. This surgery is very risky with a long recovery. The good news is that his stomach and intestines are healing well from the foreign body surgery.

We were able to visit him for ten minutes today. He was so happy to see us. He is such a strong and brave boy.

Please pray for Gus, the surgereons, anesthesiologists, students, and technicians who have his life in their hands. Gus is tired, but in good spirits. Cooper and I are hopeful and optimistic.

Thursday, 4/10: Gus went into surgery at noon to remove his lung lobe with abscesses. They have to open his chest plate/ sternum up to do so, and possibly go into his abdomen through the diaphragm. We are so nervous, but thankful for the ISU staff and your support.

Gus made it through his 5 hour long surgery! They cut into his chest plate to start, but couldn’t reach the lobes and had to go through the abdomen and diaphragm too. He is recovering now, but he isn’t out of the woods yet. We are so thankful for the ISU staff for helping him through surgery.

Thank you all for your support and donations. I’m trying my best to send everyone thank yous, so if I haven’t yet, THANK YOU!

Friday, 4/11: Gus is doing better today ❤️ Yesterday he had a 5.5 hour surgery to remove two lung lobes with abscesses

He is half bald - his entire belly and chest are shaved, but we’re calling it his summer haircut . He is still on oxygen support, has an NG tube for feeding, two chest tubes, and an abdomen drain. He is slowly showing more interest in food and water. He’s super tired and painful, but this is a step in the right direction!!!

Tuesday, 4/15: Gus is doing so well today! He made massive improvements this weekend. He is eating on his own, off the opioids (and on different pain meds now), his abdominal and left chest tubes were removed, his feeding tube was removed, he is no longer relying on oxygen supplementation, and he has so much more energy. Truly a night and day difference.

He still has his right chest tube in. We are waiting on the culture results on his lung abscesses that were removed to ensure he is on the right antibiotics. We are super hopeful to take him home tomorrow or Thursday.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your help and support. Our total is at $27,000 now.

The foreign body removal was $3,000, the lung lobectomy was $9,000, and the 24/7 ICU care was about $12,000 for the 10 days he's been there. The rest of the costs were for his supportive care, fluids, food, blood work, cytology, culture, and A LOT of drugs (antibiotics, sedatives, pain meds, opioids, anti-nausea meds, anti-acids, appetite stimulants, etc.).