Mr. Watson's Medical Fund
Donation protected
Hi everyone,
My name is Catherine and I am the loving dog mom of a velvety hippo known as Mr. Watson.
I adopted Watson from the NYC ACC shelter in Manhattan a little over a year ago, where he was listed on the euthanasia list for the following day. He was found as a stray, and when I picked him up the poor thing was in horrible condition. Click here to read more about it.
Even though Watson had a rough start in life, he grew up to be the most caring pup, and foster brother around. He loves people and other dogs. He is quite popular with our neighbors, and despite the stigma that accompanies being a pitbull, he is able to win over just about everyone he interacts with.
Mr. Watson started acting strange about 2-3 months ago. This highly energetic, playful pup started acting extremely lethargic and out of character. After getting his blood tested and receiving negative results, I began to think he was just depressed. Many of you have followed his hospitalization over the last few days, and to avoid repetition, I will just repost my FB updates below for those of you who are not yet aware of his condition:
Post 1: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209304807272196&set=a.10200825503774908.1073741829.1083090182&type=3&theater
" On a far more serious note, Mr. Watson had to visit the ER this morning. He's been acting very strange the last 2-3 months, and just not being himself. In September I took him in for blood work to eliminate a possible medical issue, and everything came back normal. I was sent home and told that it could just be seasonal allergies. That didn't feel right, but I figured there was no arguing with lab results. Well things didn't get better. Watson went from being the most social dog in the world to being the polar opposite. Trips to the park now consisted of him moping around vs. playing with his friends. In the house, he stopped playing all together and started sleeping more each day.
When we brought two fosters home I was relieved to see my old pup back. He was playing and running around with them like he used to. This unfortunately was short lived, and within 1-2 weeks I saw him falling back into his funk. Believing that the lab results were accurate, I started to worry that he was depressed. I couldn't find anything to explain his depression however. He has all the toys, treats, and attention in the world, and there were no life altering events that could explain this reaction.
Two days ago, Watson stopped eating his food and started acting even more lethargic. The ER conducted blood work today which told us his platelets are low and liver levels are elevated. This doesn't mean much at this point. He could have an auto immune disease, a tick illness that the Lyme test didn't pick up, or some sort of mass (Ie. Cancer) that is causing internal bleeding.
To say that I am in a state of panic right now is an understatement. I'm thinking through all scenarios and blame myself for not digging deeper after the first blood test results. I didn't want to share this publicly, but know that many of you love Watson as much as I do, and we need all of the prayers and positive energy we can get right now.
Mr. Watson is getting admitted to the hospital tomorrow for an ultrasound, X-rays, and further tests. I am hoping we can get to the bottom of this, and whatever he has is treatable. Please keep us in your prayers, and I will update as soon as I have more information"
Post 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209312074733878&set=a.10200825503774908.1073741829.1083090182&type=3&theater
"UPDATE: Thank you all for the kind words. Watson was admitted this morning. His X-ray showed his lungs were slightly inflamed earlier today, but the doctor doesn't think it is related to whatever else is going on and is tabling that issue for now. This afternoon they completed his ultrasound and found that his liver was very enlarged and discolored. His gallbladder and spleen are also enlarged, with some lumps also showing in his gallbladder. His tick disease results came back and showed slight levels of infection, however the doctor did not think that this would explain his current symptoms. Right now I have little to no answers. All I know is that Watson has to stay at the hospital overnight. Tomorrow they are transferring him to internal medicine, and I believe the plan is to have his liver and gallbladder aspirated to try and figure out what is going on.
I honestly don't know what to think right now. I am so frustrated that there are no answers. I know there is only so much that the doctors can do, but I feel like they don't understand how much Watson means to me. It is just another case... and meanwhile I am absolutely losing it.
My only consolation right now is that the staff said he is in good spirits and charming everyone in the office. That seriously makes me so happy to think about. All I can do is pray and hope that we can figure out what is going on in time to give him the treatment he needs."
Post3: https://www.facebook.com/batista.catherine/posts/10209343625922638
"UPDATE: I am sorry for the lack of updates, but the last couple of days have been a roller coaster and the last thing I've wanted to do is sit down and write about it. I got a call from Mr. Watson's vet on Thursday telling me that his platelets had dropped even lower to 11k (normal is 170k) and he was now also anemic. At this point Watson is in critical condition, and even feeding him dry food is a bleeding risk.
I can't even tell you how horrible this was to hear. Even though I know that he is very sick I don't think I've ever truly accepted that I might possibly lose him, until now. It makes me absolutely sick, and I don't know what I would do.
The doctors now think he has an infection called Babesia. It is transmitted through ticks, blood transfusions, or from the pups mother. It is very common in pitbulls and greyhounds, and can cause havoc in their systems. Although we are waiting on test results to confirm this diagnosis, the doctors had to start treating him. We are running out of time, and they are running out of ideas. If the test is negative, we may have to settle on this being an unfortunate case of a very young dog getting cancer. The problem is that we are unable to confirm if that is the case, as taking a biopsy with his platelets so low could be fatal.
I have been going to visit Watson every day and spend a couple of hours with him during each visit. The staff at Tufts has been very kind and understanding of the situation and they absolutely love him. Turns out Watson has been refusing all food.. but as his mom and aunties know, the hippo does not refuse peanut butter. On my last trip there I brought a jar of peanut butter and some cheese, which can both be used to disguise his oral meds. We also mixed peanut butter into his wet food and he ate the whole thing! This made my heart jump with hope. I promised him that if he keeps fighting to come home I will have a peanut butter cake waiting just for him. And my roommate promised to never again ban him from her room (he's peed on the bed once or twice).
We got a slight bit of good news yesterday. His platelets went up to 16k. The doctor told me to not get excited as he's not even close to being out of the woods yet. But I couldn't help but think of everyone who's sent positive thoughts and prayers our way. I am such a strong believer in the good that positive thinking does that I have to thank all of you so profoundly for the positive thoughts. I have done my best to respond to messages when I can, but I hope that you can understand that even if I haven't it's not because it's gone unnoticed. But that it is really hard to get myself to do anything these last few days. I am also so thankful to my amazing family and roommates who have been helping me to keep things together.
We are still waiting on the results of his Babesia test, and he will have his blood count tested again today. If we are able to get him out of critical condition, we will then have to see what else is possibly going on to make his liver and other organs so enlarged. It could be a residual affect from his infection but could also still be an autoimmune disease or some other issue. Please continue to pray for Mr. Watson's recovery and for him to come back home.
On another note, and I truly hate to do this, Mr. Watson's vet bills are through the roof. The estimate is looking at just under 5k just to get him out of this current crisis. I am going to be starting a Go Fund me page for him over the next hour or so, and if anyone is able to and would like to donate to his medical bills it would be extremely appreciated. Anyone who has been through something like this knows that the emotional turmoil in itself is unbearable, and then having to deal with the reality of how you are going to pay for the treatment is a whole other issue.
Thank you all for the support, and I will keep you updated once I know more."
I thought I had learned my lesson and got him pet insurance, but as it turns out the plan I have has only been able to confirm $300 that they will cover as of now.
If you are able to and would like to contribute to Mr. Watson's medical bill, it would be unbelievably helpful. Literally anything helps. Contributions add up, so even if you can only donate $1, $2, $5, please do.
If you are unable to donate, then please continue to keep us in your prayers as that truly means just as much, and I am counting on the positive thoughts to pull him out of this low.
Here are pictures of his current bills as of Friday, along with some written estimates on the larger expenses to come over then next few days that he is hospitalized. Please let me know if you have any questions, and know that we appreciate you all so much. Thank you!
My name is Catherine and I am the loving dog mom of a velvety hippo known as Mr. Watson.
I adopted Watson from the NYC ACC shelter in Manhattan a little over a year ago, where he was listed on the euthanasia list for the following day. He was found as a stray, and when I picked him up the poor thing was in horrible condition. Click here to read more about it.
Even though Watson had a rough start in life, he grew up to be the most caring pup, and foster brother around. He loves people and other dogs. He is quite popular with our neighbors, and despite the stigma that accompanies being a pitbull, he is able to win over just about everyone he interacts with.
Mr. Watson started acting strange about 2-3 months ago. This highly energetic, playful pup started acting extremely lethargic and out of character. After getting his blood tested and receiving negative results, I began to think he was just depressed. Many of you have followed his hospitalization over the last few days, and to avoid repetition, I will just repost my FB updates below for those of you who are not yet aware of his condition:
Post 1: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209304807272196&set=a.10200825503774908.1073741829.1083090182&type=3&theater
" On a far more serious note, Mr. Watson had to visit the ER this morning. He's been acting very strange the last 2-3 months, and just not being himself. In September I took him in for blood work to eliminate a possible medical issue, and everything came back normal. I was sent home and told that it could just be seasonal allergies. That didn't feel right, but I figured there was no arguing with lab results. Well things didn't get better. Watson went from being the most social dog in the world to being the polar opposite. Trips to the park now consisted of him moping around vs. playing with his friends. In the house, he stopped playing all together and started sleeping more each day.
When we brought two fosters home I was relieved to see my old pup back. He was playing and running around with them like he used to. This unfortunately was short lived, and within 1-2 weeks I saw him falling back into his funk. Believing that the lab results were accurate, I started to worry that he was depressed. I couldn't find anything to explain his depression however. He has all the toys, treats, and attention in the world, and there were no life altering events that could explain this reaction.
Two days ago, Watson stopped eating his food and started acting even more lethargic. The ER conducted blood work today which told us his platelets are low and liver levels are elevated. This doesn't mean much at this point. He could have an auto immune disease, a tick illness that the Lyme test didn't pick up, or some sort of mass (Ie. Cancer) that is causing internal bleeding.
To say that I am in a state of panic right now is an understatement. I'm thinking through all scenarios and blame myself for not digging deeper after the first blood test results. I didn't want to share this publicly, but know that many of you love Watson as much as I do, and we need all of the prayers and positive energy we can get right now.
Mr. Watson is getting admitted to the hospital tomorrow for an ultrasound, X-rays, and further tests. I am hoping we can get to the bottom of this, and whatever he has is treatable. Please keep us in your prayers, and I will update as soon as I have more information"
Post 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209312074733878&set=a.10200825503774908.1073741829.1083090182&type=3&theater
"UPDATE: Thank you all for the kind words. Watson was admitted this morning. His X-ray showed his lungs were slightly inflamed earlier today, but the doctor doesn't think it is related to whatever else is going on and is tabling that issue for now. This afternoon they completed his ultrasound and found that his liver was very enlarged and discolored. His gallbladder and spleen are also enlarged, with some lumps also showing in his gallbladder. His tick disease results came back and showed slight levels of infection, however the doctor did not think that this would explain his current symptoms. Right now I have little to no answers. All I know is that Watson has to stay at the hospital overnight. Tomorrow they are transferring him to internal medicine, and I believe the plan is to have his liver and gallbladder aspirated to try and figure out what is going on.
I honestly don't know what to think right now. I am so frustrated that there are no answers. I know there is only so much that the doctors can do, but I feel like they don't understand how much Watson means to me. It is just another case... and meanwhile I am absolutely losing it.
My only consolation right now is that the staff said he is in good spirits and charming everyone in the office. That seriously makes me so happy to think about. All I can do is pray and hope that we can figure out what is going on in time to give him the treatment he needs."
Post3: https://www.facebook.com/batista.catherine/posts/10209343625922638
"UPDATE: I am sorry for the lack of updates, but the last couple of days have been a roller coaster and the last thing I've wanted to do is sit down and write about it. I got a call from Mr. Watson's vet on Thursday telling me that his platelets had dropped even lower to 11k (normal is 170k) and he was now also anemic. At this point Watson is in critical condition, and even feeding him dry food is a bleeding risk.
I can't even tell you how horrible this was to hear. Even though I know that he is very sick I don't think I've ever truly accepted that I might possibly lose him, until now. It makes me absolutely sick, and I don't know what I would do.
The doctors now think he has an infection called Babesia. It is transmitted through ticks, blood transfusions, or from the pups mother. It is very common in pitbulls and greyhounds, and can cause havoc in their systems. Although we are waiting on test results to confirm this diagnosis, the doctors had to start treating him. We are running out of time, and they are running out of ideas. If the test is negative, we may have to settle on this being an unfortunate case of a very young dog getting cancer. The problem is that we are unable to confirm if that is the case, as taking a biopsy with his platelets so low could be fatal.
I have been going to visit Watson every day and spend a couple of hours with him during each visit. The staff at Tufts has been very kind and understanding of the situation and they absolutely love him. Turns out Watson has been refusing all food.. but as his mom and aunties know, the hippo does not refuse peanut butter. On my last trip there I brought a jar of peanut butter and some cheese, which can both be used to disguise his oral meds. We also mixed peanut butter into his wet food and he ate the whole thing! This made my heart jump with hope. I promised him that if he keeps fighting to come home I will have a peanut butter cake waiting just for him. And my roommate promised to never again ban him from her room (he's peed on the bed once or twice).
We got a slight bit of good news yesterday. His platelets went up to 16k. The doctor told me to not get excited as he's not even close to being out of the woods yet. But I couldn't help but think of everyone who's sent positive thoughts and prayers our way. I am such a strong believer in the good that positive thinking does that I have to thank all of you so profoundly for the positive thoughts. I have done my best to respond to messages when I can, but I hope that you can understand that even if I haven't it's not because it's gone unnoticed. But that it is really hard to get myself to do anything these last few days. I am also so thankful to my amazing family and roommates who have been helping me to keep things together.
We are still waiting on the results of his Babesia test, and he will have his blood count tested again today. If we are able to get him out of critical condition, we will then have to see what else is possibly going on to make his liver and other organs so enlarged. It could be a residual affect from his infection but could also still be an autoimmune disease or some other issue. Please continue to pray for Mr. Watson's recovery and for him to come back home.
On another note, and I truly hate to do this, Mr. Watson's vet bills are through the roof. The estimate is looking at just under 5k just to get him out of this current crisis. I am going to be starting a Go Fund me page for him over the next hour or so, and if anyone is able to and would like to donate to his medical bills it would be extremely appreciated. Anyone who has been through something like this knows that the emotional turmoil in itself is unbearable, and then having to deal with the reality of how you are going to pay for the treatment is a whole other issue.
Thank you all for the support, and I will keep you updated once I know more."
I thought I had learned my lesson and got him pet insurance, but as it turns out the plan I have has only been able to confirm $300 that they will cover as of now.
If you are able to and would like to contribute to Mr. Watson's medical bill, it would be unbelievably helpful. Literally anything helps. Contributions add up, so even if you can only donate $1, $2, $5, please do.
If you are unable to donate, then please continue to keep us in your prayers as that truly means just as much, and I am counting on the positive thoughts to pull him out of this low.
Here are pictures of his current bills as of Friday, along with some written estimates on the larger expenses to come over then next few days that he is hospitalized. Please let me know if you have any questions, and know that we appreciate you all so much. Thank you!
Organizer
Catherine Batista
Organizer
Boston, MA