Help Zues Get Surgery!

FUNDRAISER DEADLINE: *****SEPTEMBER 30, 2021*****

 

Earlier this year Zues (AKA Susan; AKA Zuesan; AKA Z') injured himself while pursuing his passion for herding motorcycles and is unable to fully heal without an expensive medical procedure.

 

Zues' Story

Like his dad, Mac 'Yetti' Cox, Zues is very adventurous in his love for the outdoors and is an enthusiast for adrenaline-fueled extreme sports.

When Mac and Z' aren't snuggling they are usually hanging outdoors or on some great exploration.

This bond has been going strong for 12 amazing years.

While twelve can tend to be an old age for many dogs, Zues is taking these years in with stride. He still loves going on long hikes around the local trails of Big Sky or strolling shorter routes like the Southfork Loop.

If Zues isn't hitting the trails he is often found roaming the neighborhood being social and playing with other neighborhood dogs.

A couple of things that get Zues fired up are car rides and motorcycles. If Z' is around a motorcycle when its being started he likes to jump up and raise hell!

This, however, is unfortunately what led to his current injury. Last spring when Zues jumped up for a bike starting he tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee.

 

Knee Injury

In its nature, this is an extremely painful and dysfunctional injury to endure. Due to the sloped surface of the tibial plateau, when Zues puts downward pressure on his leg the femur slips out of place within the knee socket. This is because the damaged cruciate ligament is no longer able to support his weight.

Months of down time and rest have allowed for some healing but the injury remains present. Not being able to bare weight on one leg has been extremely physically demanding and exhausting for Zues.

His daily activities have been greatly limited and he requires assistance to get up onto the couch, bed, or into the car.

Taking hikes are definitely out of the question. Even going on a day trip to the river or camping is too much for him.

Zues' quality of life has been diminished because of this injury and its time to get him fixed up. However, ligament damage to this extent is unrepairable without surgical procedure. And, as many of us are well aware, knee surgeries come at an outrageously high price.

 

Repair and Recovery

Traditionally, ligament repair is attempted via the use of a cadaver. While this option is a little less detrimental to the wallet it can be extremely invasive to the body.

Cadaver repair has a tougher recovery associated to it and has the potential to fail again in the future. This surgery typically runs a bill of $2500.00.

As an alternative, Bridger Veterinary Specialists in Bozeman, MT offer a surgical procedure which has proven to be a permanent solution.

This operation reshapes the surface of the tibial plateau to be flattened so that no slipping occurs when the bones bare weight; eliminating the need for the cruciate ligament all together.

The new surgery, known as a Tibial-Plateau-Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), is much less invasive to the body and has a much shorter recovery time; ideal for our senior, Zues.

This coupled with the guarantee that the procedure won't ever need to be repeated puts this operation at a higher price point. In addition to fees for an initial consultation visit the new surgery has a whopping cost of $4200.00.

This price covers the visit, anesthesiology, and the operation. It does not include take home medications, post care supplies, and travel costs. There may be additional charges to cover extra medical supplies needed during surgery. Also worth noting, this price does not cover future surgery costs in the event of infection or new injury.

 

Extra Info

In addition to Z's knee injury, he also has a few benign tumors that need to be removed. These are very painful tumors because the growth stretches and irritates his skin. Zues licks and rubs the tumors to relive pain but only worsens the situation by creating an open wound.

The veterinary specialists have advised to have Zues' tumors removed during the time of knee surgery to make the most efficient use of the required anesthesiology for both operations.

Zues has been nursing these new tumors and his knee injury for about 6 months now and it has begun to take a toll on him. This is clearly visible in the forms of displacement, atrophy, weight loss, and open sores. 

Being at the ripe ol' age of 12, it's important that Z' gets these surgical procedures as soon as possible. His appointment has been scheduled for Friday, October 1, 2021, however, we still need to raise the funds!

Initial payment of $4200.00 is required IN-FULL at the time of appointment before surgery begins; additional charges for medications, supplies and tumor removals will be calculated after operation.

Still dealing with the aftermath from his own traumatic motorcycle accident last summer, Mac could use a little community support and financial assistance to get Z's medical bills covered.

These guys need our help so lets all rally funds to ensure that Zues gets the medical attention he deserves and get him back to doing the things he loves!

 

 

Notes From The Author

Having Zues in the neighboring unit to me for the last three years has certainly been a blessing.

Z' loves to snuggle but is always up for an adventure and lives for taking trips to explore.

As his god-mom it has been extremely saddening to watch him struggle in getting around with this injury.

I personally can't wait to bring Z' out on hikes, play fetch with sticks, and see his happiness rejuvenated.

And my dog, Atlas, will definitely be happy as well!

An unfortunate coincidence, Atlas went through the exact same surgery last fall. After that experience I couldn't speak more highly of Bridger Veterinary Specialists, as Atlas quickly regained full recovery!


Z' now also needs this surgery to recover and we need your help to be able to afford it.

Zues is a very good dog who still has fruitful years ahead and is eager to start hitting the trails again this fall.


All donations are accepted and greatly appreciated! Special thanks to Lone Peak Veterinary Hospital for the great care they have provided for Zues.

Thank you all very much for your time and support from both Mac and I - and of course, Zues too!