Help Rusty Get His Groove Back
Donation protected
Two weeks ago, my incredibly rambunctious 7-year-old Yorkie, Rusty, was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Thankfully, his injuries were (mostly) localized to his left front ankle. Unfortunately, the bone was crushed, making a full repair impossible and leaving us with two options: a pancarpal arthrodesis, fusing the bones of the ankle; or a full amputation up to and including his shoulder. As an only-just-graduated student, both surgeries are prohibitively expensive for me, with amputation running roughly $4500, and fusion $5500. Rusty's defining feature, his raison d'être even, is unheeded movement; tearing across the yard, bounding over obstacles and greeting everyone with an astonishingly persistent and infectious vertical jump, as if desperately seeking your lap while you're still standing. While I believe one less leg would not break his spirit -- he's still a handful even with the pictured splint -- it breaks my heart to see him approach, evaluate, and then back away from hurdles he wouldn't have blinked at a month ago. Though essentially locking his ankle, due to the structure of dogs' ankles and toes, an arthrodesis would restore near total functionality to his injured leg and provide him a far less difficult and debilitating adjustment.
The bulk of the campaign's target amount would help me cover the pancarpal arthrodesis (based on the projected estimate, pictured below), and the expenses of follow-up visits for bandage changes and prescription refills (he will require at least six of each, the former running roughly $200, and the latter $114.82, per visit/refill). The remainder would allow me (and my generous family) to recoup the cost of Rusty's initial ER visits (see below for invoices), follow-up appointments ($55 for a check-up; $39.48 for a pain killer refill) and surgical consult ($135). Any amount you are able to contribute would be incredibly helpful and greatly appreciated. We are hoping to schedule the surgery as soon as possible; the longer we wait, the higher the risk of failure.
Thank you for reading and, if you're able, allowing Rusty full access to the world I'll be showing him for another decade or more, no matter where we roam.
Surgical Estimate:
Animal Medical Center of Seattle ER Visit:
Shoreline Animal Hospital ER Visit:
The bulk of the campaign's target amount would help me cover the pancarpal arthrodesis (based on the projected estimate, pictured below), and the expenses of follow-up visits for bandage changes and prescription refills (he will require at least six of each, the former running roughly $200, and the latter $114.82, per visit/refill). The remainder would allow me (and my generous family) to recoup the cost of Rusty's initial ER visits (see below for invoices), follow-up appointments ($55 for a check-up; $39.48 for a pain killer refill) and surgical consult ($135). Any amount you are able to contribute would be incredibly helpful and greatly appreciated. We are hoping to schedule the surgery as soon as possible; the longer we wait, the higher the risk of failure.
Thank you for reading and, if you're able, allowing Rusty full access to the world I'll be showing him for another decade or more, no matter where we roam.
Surgical Estimate:
Animal Medical Center of Seattle ER Visit:
Shoreline Animal Hospital ER Visit:
Organizer
Matthew Campbell
Organizer
Seattle, WA