Join Maverick's Recovery from Multiple Surgeries

No one wants to find themselves writing a GoFundMe for vet care for their dog, but here we are. Maverick is a two-year-old Doberman, and his owners are Ben and Regan. Ben and Regan are two of the most kind-hearted and responsible pet owners I know. Maverick regularly participated in barn hunt, dock diving, obedience classes, and conformation. He's super social, loves to hang and do stuff, and be with his people.

Maverick is one of the sweetest, friendliest, goofiest dogs ever. Did I mention he is also the most stoic dog I've ever met?

He has recently had a few health issues that were thought to be minor, and of the "wait and see" variety. A tad bit of hind-end discomfort, some issues with certain foods, a potential bladder situation. Nothing appeared serious. It was thought maybe he had some allergies, or growing pains, or just really liked to mark his territory a lot.

Regan was very consistent with taking him for vet checks and following up on all of his medical instructions. None of his vets or other pet people thought there was anything to be overly concerned about.

Last Saturday, Maverick had some trouble peeing. Without giving too much detail, Regan was concerned enough to take him to the emergency vet. Long story short, it was determined he had bladder stones and the only option was surgery, which was then scheduled for Monday.

During surgery, it was found that several stones had adhered to his urethra. His urethra had to be reconstructed and another pathway surgically created so he could pass urine. In addition, he was also neutered at that time, as it was deemed surgically necessary to facilitate appropriate healing. That's kind of three major surgeries condensed into one event.

Maverick's recovery afterward was very rough. He was in and out of the vet daily, while they tried to discover the source of the ongoing problem. He wasn't keeping down food, was clearly very painful, and it became clear that there was probably another issue going on which was resulting in these other, ongoing symptoms. On Thursday, he had thrown up blood and an obstruction was suspected.

X-rays and tests were not conclusive and exploratory surgery was performed on Thursday. Maverick was found to have an ulcer that had probably been brewing mildly and undetected for some time, but had decided to rupture. Stomach contents were now leaking into his abdomen. Not only was he now having to undergo another major surgery, his overall health and healing had taken a hit and he was now severely compromised.

At this point, Regan and Ben were very, very concerned about Maverick's quality of life and ability to recover. After lots of questions and contemplation, his vets assured them that he was actually a healthy dog, he had a strong spirit, the heart of a champion, and the absolute will to heal. During all of this, Maverick was a very, very good boy. With all the handling, the traveling, seeing new people, he barely complained and was always happy to see everyone. Did I mention how stoic he is?

By Friday, Maverick was showing improvement. Now that ALL his issues were being addressed and treated, his body could focus on healing everything. But he needed round-the-clock medical care, and he was transferred on Friday night to an overnight hospital. As of this writing, he is beginning his third full night and day there.

And the crux of the situation, and the reason for the GoFundMe, is funds, of course. We are fast approaching $15,000 of medical care accumulated in about one week's time. Regan and Ben did have some emergency money set aside for things like this, and there has been an amazing angel donor who contributed a huge portion of his overnight care. But not all the bills have been paid, and once he does get released, there will be a considerable amount of follow-up care for him. He will need vet visits, special food, and a plethora of other things to assist in his rehab.

Maverick has proven he will work hard to get through this. He so WANTS to get better, and get back to doing the things he loves, with all the people who love him. With time and money, that WILL happen. We just need some help with the money part.

I know everyone says this, but every little bit will help. Even a dollar, or a share, or a positive thought for his recovery will go a long way. If anyone wants to donate directly to one of his vets, or wants more detail on his medical story, just contact us and we will get you the information.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Maverick's story.