Save My Soul Dog: Chylothorax Treatment for Vena.
I don't even know where to start this. It's out of pure desperation and love that I have created this campaign in order to save the beautiful greyhound, Vena (Venatrix), who stole my heart and made my day-to-day life a far happier experience. I will try to start at the beginning and hope that it can in some way express just what her life means to me and why I need your help to save her. 
On May the 7th 2018, I went to Russet Greyhound Sanctuary in the hopes of adopting a new family member.My family had previously adopted two greyhounds and from that I knew I would always have one of these leggy aliens by my side; taking up all of the sofa, scoring a race track through the grass in the garden and sticking their snoot in every nook and cranny it can fit. I honestly wasn't prepared or expecting to meet a hound this day and feel an immediate connection to them, but that is exactly what happened.
An all white cowgirl with one black ear patch was lead out to meet me. She was extremely skinny, scared and anxiety ridden. She wouldn't approach me at first and backed herself in to corners trying to look for a way out of the situation. We went outside into a paddock so she could feel less stressed and I knelt down away from her and waited. After a few minutes, she cautiously sidled up to me, sniffed my hand and face with her beautiful snoot and leant her beautiful weight against me. From that moment on, I knew she was meant to be a part of my family and for the next 10-20 minutes, she followed me around the paddock and let me give her all of the attention she so rightly deserved. When it was time for me to leave, she let out a series of whines and I felt something deep in my heart break slightly and the urge to comfort her was overwhelming. Leaving her at the sanctuary that day was gut wrenching and I hated the thought of her being distressed. It was a long and distressing drive home without her.
Three days later, after preparing my home, thinking about her constantly and hoping she would remember me, I went to formally adopt her. I signed all the paperwork and they brought her out to me. Once again, she was terrified, shaking like a leaf and her tail was so far between her legs that it was pressed up against her stomach. As before, I knelt down and patiently waited for her to approach me, which she did and once again I felt the warmth and weight of her leaning into me and that 'knowing' feeling seeped into me filling my heart with instant love.
Vena is and always will be a very timid girl, who needs time, patience and a lot of love in order to fully trust someone, which is what I gave her in abundance. I opened up my heart and my home to a defeated dog and watched as she learnt that she could always find safety and comfort in me. I would always be there to offer reassurance and security. I never really thought about how this bond with her would not only help her, but also help me in ways I never thought possible. Like Vena, I am very reserved and find social interaction difficult to establish and maintain. I've never been a natural people person and always feared meeting new people. However, having her has provided me with the opportunity to talk about something I am fully passionate about - dogs; specifically of the mini giraffe variety. It has allowed me to form connections and friendships with other dog lovers and greyhound owners, that before having her in my life, I was unable to do myself due to crippling social anxiety. 
I cannot explain or express in words the supreme bond I share with Vena, but I know it is unlike anything I have experienced before. On her adoption day, I promised to always look after her, be there for her and do everything in my power to make her life as happy and full of love as possible. I have found a term to describe it though: Vena is my heart or soul dog. In one another we have found our home. I will do anything for her and that brings me to this fundraising campaign and my asking for help...
On December 19th, she became extremely ill. Throughout that day, she was hounding around, tail wagging and snoot in places it shouldn’t be - namely the treat box. However, shortly after Boris made the announcement that Christmas was cancelled in the UK, her breathing became extremely laboured and her tongue had turned blue/purple. From then on, she deteriorated rapidly. There were no warning signs prior to this, no whines, no restlessness, no lethargy, just from perfectly happy to near death in less than 30 minutes.
After rushing her to the vets, it was extremely difficult to hand my frightened girl over to the vet. Despite being critically ill, my hound fought with all the might her failing body could muster to try and get back to me. Watching the vet pick her up and take her away from me was excruciating as I could see the fear in her eyes. I tried hard to get back to the car and out of sight before bursting into uncontrollable tears. I began to hyperventilate and shake uncontrollably. It felt as though I had been physically and mentally beaten but I had to pull myself together and be strong for her.
She was given an ultrasound, which showed a vast amount of fluid surrounding the lungs. This fluid is known as chyle and is a natural part of the bodies lymphatic system and is usually reabsorbed into the body. In Vena, this was not happening or too much was being produced. The condition is known as chylothorax and is life threatening. For Vena, her body had reached capacity and her lungs were unable to inflate. I was losing her.
Immediate action was taken by the vet, who performed a life saving chest drain. The cause of the fluid build up was unknown and I was warned that it may build up again and again. Unfortunately, this was to be the case and even after 3 further chest drains, the fluid built up once again to the point that Vena was unable to breathe.
Vena required a series of examinations in order to rule out any known cause of chylothorax. She has had a specialist ECG to rule out heart disease, she has had CT scanning to check for cancer/tumours, she has had multiple ultra sounds to check for issues with her abdomen and various blood draws, urine tests to check for any other causes. The specialist vet has said she is suffering from idiopathic chylothorax, which means they do not know why it is happening and it cannot be easily treated long term without open chest surgery.
In order to get to this point, I have already spent all of the money I had and this isn’t including any treatment other than multiple chest drains to keep her stable. She now requires medication to control the build up of chyle in the short term, which is £180.00 per month. At some point in the future, she will need to have a pleural port in order to drain the fluid easily once the medication stops working and then she will require the open chest surgery called exploratory thoracotomy ligated cisterna chyli, in order to find where the fluid is leaking from and tie it off. This surgery and the pleural port will cost another £7500 - £8500, which I do not currently have.
During the last CT scan, the specialist vet also found a moderately sized blood clot in her jugular vein. This now needs to be investigated as it could have been caused by an underlying condition as of yet unknown and untreated. Again, this will mean further investigations and tests, which I have run out of funds to pay for.
I had previously set up a fundraiser on Facebook in order to raise the full amount I originally needed for her care, which was £13,400 on top of what I’ve already spent. I decided to switch to GoFundMe as many people have requested I do so as they do not like Facebook. However, through the Facebook fundraiser I was able to raise £4500 leaving me with £8500 still to raise. The £4500 from the Facebook fundraiser has been used to pay for a CT at the specialist vets in Somerset and and two further chest drains that were required to stabilise her before bringing her home to Cornwall to recuperate.
Vena is my absolute world and has brought me so much happiness and love in the last year and a half. As stated before, my promise to her on her adoption date, was to love her unconditionally, give her the patience and space she needed to adapt to life as a retired racer and provide a safe and nurturing home for her.
Within the time we have been together, I have watched her slowly transform from a very scared, timid and defeated individual, to a playful, tail wagging and highly loving member of my family. I want nothing more than to see her continue to grow and experience a life of care, safety and contentment. 
I would ask for everyone to spare a thought for my girl and donate any amount they are able to, as even the smallest amount from a vast number of people could save the life of a soul dog. I cannot imagine my life without her and truly hope I do not have to say goodbye. We have fought so hard to reach this point and she is continuing to fight on a daily basis to be by my side. Now, I need to fight for her. Please help me if you are able by donating or even sharing this cause. 