Hi! Our names are Crystal and Matt and Nova is  our 8 month old Australian Cattle Dog/Shepherd mix rescue. She was found in a field in Merced County with her litter and mama. We adopted her shortly after she arrived at I Love Family Dog Rescue in San Francisco, California. We always like to say that she chose us and came running at full speed nose first the moment she saw us.

When we adopted her, we realized that she was constantly dribbling pee and not squatting to pee to have accidents like any other untrained puppy. We also noticed that the amount of pee varied drastically, sometimes it was a small drop, but sometimes a larger puddle. Immediately concerned, we took her to our vet to find a solution, but to no avail. Since her adoption, Nova has to wear heavy duty diapers with disposable pads.

We were then referred to an internal medicine specialist at Sage Veterinary Center at Redwood City. There, our doctor was able to detect an ectopic ureter. Essentially, one of Nova's kidneys doesn't properly connect to her bladder to store pee, rather her left kidney's ureter bypasses the bladder and urethra. Instead, her pee is carried directly into her vagina, which creates random amounts of pee to leak out. Moreover, her left kidney and ureters are dilated and inflamed due to an extremely resistant bacterial infection. Originally to correct these issues, Nova was to undergo a laser procedure to shorten her ureter to ensure that it empties into her bladder properly. However, during her scheduled laser surgery day, the surgeons discovered that Nova's left kidney is failing and require immediate removal along with the enlarged ureter.

This process has been extremely emotionally and financially taxing. An ectopic ureter is an extremely rare birth defect that insurance companies refuse to cover. As of now, our estimate costs for this process is $10,000 including the initial diagnosis, surgery, and possible post-op medication. Without this surgery, Nova's life is at risk from the failing kidney and powerful infections. 

Nova holds a special place in my heart as our first puppy and has a personality that we can't describe with words. She's unendingly sassy, determined, slightly stubborn, a chicken aficionado, and a sucker for attention from anyone and everyone.

We would so greatly appreciate any donations of any size and thank you all so much for being a part of our journey.

Love,

Matt, Crystal, and Nova