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Remington's Medical Fund

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On Monday afternoon at about 3:30 pm, our (nearly) 9 month old Remington suddenly started exhibiting signs of disorientation, anxiety, and excessive drooling. We immediately took him to Matilija Veterinary Hospital where his symptoms quickly worsened. After about 30 minutes at Matilija Veterinary Hospital, he lost the ability to stand, began to have severe tremors and became even more disoriented. The vet made him puke to clear his stomach and began to flush his system to hopefully rid his body of whatever was causing this reaction. To assist with his tremors, which were quickly worsening, the vet gave him a mild sedative to keep him calm. Unfortunately as the evening progressed, it became clear that he would need to be transferred to a 24/7 Veterinary hospital in Ventura to spend the night.

            Upon arrival at the Ventura Emergency Hospital, Remington’s symptoms worsened and he slipped into a coma-like state. At this point, the vet suspected a type of poisoning, possibly from snail bait or Strict-9. However, because we use neither of these poisons, these options did not fit. As we left the hospital late Monday night, the vet did not sound hopeful- he was in a coma-like state without any indication of an ability to respond. However, in the middle of the night on Tuesday, we received a call from the vet asking if we recently dewormed our horses. She suggested that he may have ingested a small amount of the active ingredient ivermectin from horse dewormer (or through a small piece of horse feces that contained the ingredient) that caused this reaction. As we dewormed our horses a few weeks ago, this option fit.

            While researching the toxicity of ivermectin in Australian Shepherds, we found that many herding dogs, including about 50% of Australian Shepherds have the MDR1 gene mutation, which causes the dog to be unable to filter out certain drugs- including ivermectin. Upon further research, we found that often times, dogs are in a coma-like state for days, even weeks before they begin to show signs of consciousness. However, in many cases, especially when the dog is young and otherwise healthy, they are able to make a full recovery if given constant care. Unfortunately, many people do not have the means to give their dogs the type of care required in these situations.

            That being said, Remington is our child and we are willing to do anything possible to keep him stable. On Tuesday night, the vet let us know that he needed to be transferred to Access in Woodland Hills so that they could put him on a mechanical ventilator. He seems to be responding well to the ventilator, and we are pleased to know that he will have continued care around the clock. From here on out, unless his symptoms worsen, we can only wait and put our trust in the vets at Access.

           Emily’s absolutely incredible parents have offered to loan us the money for his treatment. However, the mechanical ventilator, as well as his around the clock care, costs $4,000-$5,000 per day. As of now, our vet bills total about $15,000. Because we do not know how long he will be there if he remains stable, we do not have any idea of the final cost. In speaking with doctors, we found that the coma like state is completely dependent upon the dog and the amount of ivermectin he ingested.

            Those of you who know us know that we are not people who would normally ask for help. However, you  also know how much we love our sweet baby Remington. We waited for years to get him and love him like a child. We know that his condition may deteriorate further and that he may not make it, but we are hopeful. We appreciate any and all contributions no matter how big or small. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Love,
Emily and Sam

Update: 11/11
We are overwhelmed with the amount of support we have received... from family members, friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. From the bottom of our hearts- thank you.
Today Rem is displaying responses to sound and to light. When we were with him today, his eyes, ears and legs were twitching both in response to our touch and on their own. Because of this progress, his vet feels confident that it was ivermectin and not some type of cancer/brain disease. We are hoping that these small signs of progress continue in the next few days.
That being said, he is still on the costly mechanical ventilator. As long as he is showing signs of progression, we are willing to do just about anything to keep him going. We appreciate the continued support and will update his page as we receive any new information. Thank you all ❤️
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Donations 

  • Ashley Holland
    • $40 
    • 6 yrs
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Emily Oakland
Organizer
Ojai, CA

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