Help Keefer Heal

Hi, my name is Dorit and I'm fundraising for my friend's dog, Keefer. Some of you may remember him from when he was still in the care with Forte Animal Rescue and Devin was his committed foster mom. Now, she is Keefer's devoted, caring forever mom, and they both need our help. Here's their story:

Keefer came to Forte Animal Rescue on July 1, 2020, then 3 months old, as a stray with a broken jaw, cuts on his face, and one eye completely closed, all due to mysterious circumstances. He needed a lot of medical care that included having a piece of his jaw and several teeth removed.

During his entire rehabilitation, Keefer had the most happy and energetic spirit. His eyes and spirit always have such a zest for life. The dentist’s tech said when Keefer woke up from having surgery where a piece of his jaw was removed, he instantly wanted to play and bite. She said they never saw a spirit as happy as Keefer’s before.

Because he is missing a piece of his jaw, his very long tongue hangs out, and Devin says people comment on it every single day. Keefer’s uniqueness brings a smile to people’s faces when they’re out on walks or driving past people in cars. He really is such a special boy and he has been living his best life with Devin ever since.

However, in June 2022, Keefer got an infection in his right nostril. His vet and dentist thought it was very suspicious that the infection is only in one nostril and suspected it might have something to do with his original injuries. So, he needed to see an internal medicine vet who recommended a CT scan.

The CT scan showed he had a piece of bone in his nostril. She was able to fully remove the bone during a rhinoscopy. The bone had pieces of teeth in it, so it appears that a piece of his jaw was up his nostril for 2 years! Poor Keefer must have felt such relief once it was removed.

The tissue around the bone was biopsied and the results show that he has a bacteria and fungal infection. The vet expects the bacteria infection to clear up quickly but Keefer is going to be on 2 medications for the fungal infection long term. The only way to monitor the fungal meds is via CT scans, which is pricey when you do it once, let alone every 3 months, which is what the vet is recommending.

We are hoping Keefer is receptive to the medications and can live a long time but there will be hefty vet bills involved in his care. It’s already cost 5K for diagnosis and removal of the bone from his nostril. Each CT scan is approximately $3,600. And he will need them quarterly. Then there is the monthly price of meds and lab work.

Keefer’s spirit is still high as he likes getting his pills in a dollop of peanut butter or chicken. All donations will help with Keefer’s medical care so he can get the care he needs to continue living his best life while bringing smiles to everyone’s faces when they see his hanging tongue.