Help Save Ruca

Ruca is a 7 year old terrier mix I rescued 6 years ago. I was a 20-year-old  sophomore in college, and had no business driving 4.5 hours to rescue a feral, skinny pup who was found running on the side of the highway in North Carolina.  But I did. It wasn't an easy journey. She peed on the floor, destroyed pillows and blankets, and tried to sprint every time we tried to walk her outside. She flattened going into any new places and wouldn't go near a stranger.  In the last 6 years, Ruca has gone from a terrified and unsocialized little dog to a confident and friendly girl. She loves new people and to play with other dogs. She's helped me foster other reactive and fearful dogs to go to amazing homes. She is the reason I started working with fearful and reactive dogs. She showed me that I could help. We've traveled in a camper together, moved countless times, and left the east coast to live in Chicago. She's taken it all in stride. She's never been less than enthusiastic to go wherever I want to go and every hardship has been bearable because she is by my side. And now, she needs help. Ruca and I have been avid hikers since she came to me. We were in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan just a week ago, where we think she picked up Leptospirosis: a bacterial infection that attacks the liver and kidneys. When I brought her into the emergency vet on Saturday, 10/10, her bilirubin (liver) levels were at 8.3. Normal range is <0.6. She was immediately hospitalized. She spent 5 days in the Critical Care Unit before we got the worst case scenario news: her kidneys were making less urine and her levels continued to climb, so her care team recommended dialysis. We picked her up from MedVet Chicago and drove her 2.5 hours to Purdue University Vet School to be treated. This was our cheapest option and is still estimated to be $8,000-12,000. After 3 rounds of dialysis, she is brighter and eating a little bit on her own. Her care team at Purdue is expecting her to need at least another week in the ICU there. As you can imagine, almost a week in the Critical Care Unit at MedVet plus dialysis treatment at Purdue adds up quickly. It is $950 a day, plus doctor's fees and other tests. I know we are all under financial strain during these hard times. If you can’t donate, I appreciate you sharing this with family and friends. Any support helps. If you are unable to help financially, please continue to be keep my sweet girl in your thoughts & prayers. She is a fighter and I truly believe through the power of community connection, she will get through this. Thank you!!