Life-Saving Surgery After a Hit & Run

As many people know, while waiting for our new fence to be installed...River snuck out of the backyard, while we were with her and was hit by a a car. The person did not stop, but luckily it was witnessed and we were able to quickly get River to All City Pet Care Emergency Hospital. She has been there since Tuesday, 10/19/21. River survived, but has significant injuries to her chest. She has had two chest tubes to release air and blood from her left lung. The right lung has been needle decompressed for multiple days now. At times, she has had more than half a liter of air removed from her lungs. River underwent a special procedure called a pleurodesis to use her own blood to attempt to seal wherever the leak is that is allowing air to continue entering her chest. This was mildly successful, but she is still getting 200mL out of her left lung. The hospital has removed her second chest tube and is now referring her to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Des Moines, IA for a CT scan and probable thoracotomy (open chest surgery). They need to find where the leak is happening and repair it. She will be moved, as soon as I can drive her there. The estimate, not including the charges we have already incurred in Sioux Falls, is $8,000-$10,000.

River's outcome is great..with intervention...and she has the potential to heal and live well beyond her 1 year old age. She simply needs care for her trauma. When visiting, she is in great spirits, and tries to run out the door and come home with us. She is loving and cuddly and playful. We are finding it incredibly difficult to think that "economic euthanasia" may need to happen because we cannot afford to give her a life-saving treatment.

We have exhausted all of our own resources and have tapped into: personal savings, applied for carecredit, talked with family, and I have applied for veterinary assistance programs. Please don't discount the power of a small amount coming from many places. If you choose to help get River care and it exceeds the amount that is needed or River is to ultimately, not survive....we would choose to donate the remaining funds to another family in need of care for their animal. Thank you for showing love to a dog that is very much a part of our family.