Hello! We are Kate and Amanda, and this is our foster puppy, Journey.

Journey is a 12 week old Shepard, weighing in at a tiny 10lbs.

Journey is not able to keep any food down, or gain any weight. She instantly regurgitates everything she eats. She is suffering from a condition called Megaesophagus, or “ME”.

There is also a strong possibility that Journey could be suffering from a heart condition called “Persistent Right Aortic Arch” or PRAA. PRAA and Megaesophagus often go hand in hand.

PRAA results from the failure of a fetal vessel to regress as the puppy grows and develops. Typically, the right aortic arch regresses after birth; but when it does not, it entraps the esophagus as the puppy matures. The stricture around the esophagus causes esophageal dilation, leading to regurgitation as the puppy transitions to solid food. The continued presence of the stricture causes proximal dilation of the esophagus, further encouraging regurgitation. A genetic predisposition has been shown for German shepherds, sadly Affected puppies quickly become malnourished and remain small. A secondary complication is aspiration pneumonia. The sooner this anomaly can be corrected, the sooner the puppy can recover and return to good health.

Without proper treatment, this condition will be fatal for Journey, and time is of the essence. The sooner she can get a diagnosis, and have any required surgeries, the better her prognosis will be.

Journey needs several things at this time.

1. a custom made Bailey chair, to allow her to eat safely and hopefully start receiving some nutrients.

2. further testing. We are waiting on a referral to OVC in Guelph, but if you are a pet owner, you are likely cringing at how expensive that bill will be.

3. continual funding for her special diet, which is evolving and changing every day, as we experiment and try to find what works.

We are so grateful for any contribution to this little girls recovery so that we can get her into good health and find her furever home ❤️ All of your donations are so greatly appreciated.

Lots of Love,

Amanda, Kate and Journey (Because we “won’t” stop believin’” in this little girl!)

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UPDATE

Day 3 with Journey

We continue to try and find what works best for her. For the past 24 hours we’ve been trying this little dog carrier She eats in here, and then has to stay in it for 20 minutes afterwards. This morning, she’s making spaghettis sauce with me!

Her breakfast this morning consisted of dry kibble that sat in water overnight, store bought chicken broth and a couple spoonfuls of wet food, blended in the blender.

Journey is often nauseous and doesn’t want to eat We keep trying different combinations to entice her tastebuds if anyone has any soup bones or homemade bone broth to offer her, she would probably enjoy that!

If anyone has any recipes or other suggestions, we are open to anything at this point! 

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⚡️ DAY 4 WITH JOURNEY ⚡️

We made it! 24 hours without regurgitation!!

This food formula seems to be working for now she will only eat a tablespoon or 2 every couple of hours. But it’s progress!!

This can’t be a forever solution though. Journey will need further testing and diagnostics very soon, and her GoFundMe has gained little traction.

If you can’t donate, you can help by sharing!

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⚡️DAY 5 WITH JOURNEY⚡️

In happy news: She has become quite the sucky baby

I’m not sure she will ever be convinced that she is not a lap dog, even when full grown!

In not-so-happy news: This video shows the sad reality of her condition. This is her reaction to eating 2 teaspoons of puréed food this morning. She cries out in distress every time breaks our hearts

We had been 48 hours without regurgitation, but unfortunately, she regurgitated again this morning. So, that means we reset the “Aspiration Pneumonia Clock” - every time she regurgitates, we have to be on the lookout for symptoms of aspiration pneumonia for 2 weeks (coughing, fever, runny nose, lethargy, etc). Aspiration pneumonia is basically inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaled food. If this happens, it could quickly become fatal and she would need emergency vet treatment.

After this video, Journey got the hiccups. This is usually a good sign that her food has gone down, and she will begin to settle

Journeys expected medical bills are plenty. Please consider sharing her fundraiser and her story, every day, so that we can continue to gain awareness.

****the video can be seen on Amanda Audrey’s personal Facebook page****