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Hello, my name is Kimberlyn Nicke. Before you continue, my husband and I would just like to thank you for taking the time to read our story. If you choose to donate or share we appreciate you greatly.
We brought our puppy Nymeria home from a breeder in Blanchard Michigan on Sept 10th, 2020 for $500, she was 8 weeks old at the time . She is a pure bred German Shephard and not AKC certified. This was a non issue for us since our intention was to raise Nymeria as a service dog for my husband whom is deaf and we did not intend to breed her. The breeder claimed she was vetted already and would "Live a long, healthy life. Guaranteed." This has not been the case.
On Oct 22nd, 2020 I had to leave work early to take her to Advanced Animal Emergency in Clinton Township Michigan because she was very lethargic, vomiting, not eating, and had labored breathing with diarrhea. After 5 long hours and lots of tests (parvo test, blood work, x-rays, stool, and an ultrasound) turns out she had a number of issues going on including an intestinal parasite, an enlarged heart with a stage 3 murmur, fluid around her lungs, overactive clotting factor, low red blood cell count and high liver enzymes. They gave her fluids, a medication called Albon for her parasite, and a referral for a cardiologist. They asked us to bring her back in the morning for another blood draw to check her red blood cell count, if it was any lower they wanted to be prepared to give her blood.
The following morning, my husband took her back to Advanced Animal Emergency for the follow up blood work. Thank fully her red blood cell count was within normal limits but her heart murmur had advanced to stage 5 overnight and she was in cardiac crisis. At that point she was taken to BluePearl Pet Hospital in Southfield Michigan to see an emergency Cardiologist. She was not stable when she arrived and had to placed on oxygen. More tests were done including another ultrasound and an echo and after several more hours we were given her diagnosis.
Nymeria has Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia (TVD) with severe Right Atrial Dilatation. This is a congenital heart disease that she has had since birth. In puppies, this disease is rare and fatal. She's on a couple medications (Furosemide and Enalapril) to help keep her feeling better but eventually they will no longer work. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this disease is not good. At best, she has 6 months left.
Nymeria had already been to our vet twice BEFORE any of this was diagnosed to receive her puppy well visits, shots, and even has had a parasite test done on her stool. But none of these issues were caught.
Recently, I found a board certified cardiologist that believes Nymeria has a fighting chance. He is willing to refer her to Colorado State University where Dr. Orton and his associates have successfully performed the surgeries needed to save Nymeria's life.
Without surgical intervention, Nymeria will die.
This is where we come to you. Open heart surgery starts at $15,000 and can go up significantly if there are other complications. 2020 has been a hard year for my husband and I financially and we have already used our savings (about $2000) to diagnose Nymeria's condition.
The breeder I mentioned above isn't willing to help and is denying any responsibility in this situation.
We are willing to do whatever it takes to save our baby's life. We ask that you believe in her as much as we do.
Attached are several vet documents to show the current cost of services she's received and confirm her diagnosis. If, Nymeria does not make it to Colorado any money received will go to the Colorado State Universitie's donation fund to help fund other surgeries for animals like Nymeria.
I am willing to answer any questions you have in the best ways that I can. Thank you so much for your time.
Doctor Orton and his team
Colorado State University Vet
Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia
We brought our puppy Nymeria home from a breeder in Blanchard Michigan on Sept 10th, 2020 for $500, she was 8 weeks old at the time . She is a pure bred German Shephard and not AKC certified. This was a non issue for us since our intention was to raise Nymeria as a service dog for my husband whom is deaf and we did not intend to breed her. The breeder claimed she was vetted already and would "Live a long, healthy life. Guaranteed." This has not been the case.
On Oct 22nd, 2020 I had to leave work early to take her to Advanced Animal Emergency in Clinton Township Michigan because she was very lethargic, vomiting, not eating, and had labored breathing with diarrhea. After 5 long hours and lots of tests (parvo test, blood work, x-rays, stool, and an ultrasound) turns out she had a number of issues going on including an intestinal parasite, an enlarged heart with a stage 3 murmur, fluid around her lungs, overactive clotting factor, low red blood cell count and high liver enzymes. They gave her fluids, a medication called Albon for her parasite, and a referral for a cardiologist. They asked us to bring her back in the morning for another blood draw to check her red blood cell count, if it was any lower they wanted to be prepared to give her blood.
The following morning, my husband took her back to Advanced Animal Emergency for the follow up blood work. Thank fully her red blood cell count was within normal limits but her heart murmur had advanced to stage 5 overnight and she was in cardiac crisis. At that point she was taken to BluePearl Pet Hospital in Southfield Michigan to see an emergency Cardiologist. She was not stable when she arrived and had to placed on oxygen. More tests were done including another ultrasound and an echo and after several more hours we were given her diagnosis.
Nymeria has Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia (TVD) with severe Right Atrial Dilatation. This is a congenital heart disease that she has had since birth. In puppies, this disease is rare and fatal. She's on a couple medications (Furosemide and Enalapril) to help keep her feeling better but eventually they will no longer work. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this disease is not good. At best, she has 6 months left.
Nymeria had already been to our vet twice BEFORE any of this was diagnosed to receive her puppy well visits, shots, and even has had a parasite test done on her stool. But none of these issues were caught.
Recently, I found a board certified cardiologist that believes Nymeria has a fighting chance. He is willing to refer her to Colorado State University where Dr. Orton and his associates have successfully performed the surgeries needed to save Nymeria's life.
Without surgical intervention, Nymeria will die.
This is where we come to you. Open heart surgery starts at $15,000 and can go up significantly if there are other complications. 2020 has been a hard year for my husband and I financially and we have already used our savings (about $2000) to diagnose Nymeria's condition.
The breeder I mentioned above isn't willing to help and is denying any responsibility in this situation.
We are willing to do whatever it takes to save our baby's life. We ask that you believe in her as much as we do.
Attached are several vet documents to show the current cost of services she's received and confirm her diagnosis. If, Nymeria does not make it to Colorado any money received will go to the Colorado State Universitie's donation fund to help fund other surgeries for animals like Nymeria.
I am willing to answer any questions you have in the best ways that I can. Thank you so much for your time.
Doctor Orton and his team
Colorado State University Vet
Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia