Surgery for Fraser

This time last year Kenny and I took in our very first foster pup. We loved the experience so much that over the next 12 months we fostered 22 dogs from various rescues in the area. On 10/27 I picked up the most rewarding foster yet, a recently rescued mama from Mississippi and her 6, 2 day old puppies. Sadly one of the puppies was struggling. He had what the vet thought was an umbilical infection, he was lethargic and was not latching on to mama to eat. There was little that could be done due to his tiny size and age. I was told to keep him warm, keep the wound clean, try to get him to eat and he might survive. Over the next few days he perked up and over the next few weeks he thrived. The hole in his abdomen slowly closed and he caught right up with his siblings. Around 4-5 weeks old we started to notice that the area where he had the “infection” was starting to protrude from his body. The bigger he got, the bigger it got. At the time it was thought to be a large umbilical hernia and would be corrected at the time of his neuter surgery. This is also when we knew that this precious puppy who was going to need a little extra TLC, now named Fraser, was here to stay. There was no way we could let him go and we officially foster failed!

Frasers first surgery revealed a diaphragmatic hernia – a very rare congenital defect where a hole in the diaphragm allowed his intestines and liver to migrate into his chest cavity. The surgeon was able to move his intestines to their proper place however could not move his liver. The diaphragm was closed as much as possible however his liver remained partially in and out of the chest cavity. We were told we would always need to watch for signs of cardiac distress, respiratory distress, and seizures but that he may live a normal life. In the days following surgery the incision site started to bump back out and again protrude from his body, we also noticed that his breathing had become raspy. At that time, we thought it best to seek out a second opinion – Fraser is a playful, happy, goofy, naughty, smart, loving, typical 3 month old puppy. We felt that if we could correct the issue so he could live a normal life, that’s what we were going to do.

Last week we brought Fraser to Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital in Portsmouth, NH for a consultation with a specialist. The surgeon examined Fraser and felt that there was more going on then what we initially believed. We were brought back the following day for a CT Scan to get a clear picture of what was going on and come up with the best plan forward. The CT Scan revealed structural defects in the sternum, body wall and diaphragm. Frasers liver is adhered to his heart, it will need to be “unstuck” and moved out of his diaphragm. The diaphragm will then be fully closed. The remaining portion of Frasers liver and gallbladder are protruding through the defect in his body wall with little to no protection. This will need to be surgically repaired. Fraser also has sterna bifida, a condition where his sternum did not fully form or fuse together. This will need to be corrected using fascia (connective tissues from a donor dog). The surgery is going to be extremely complex, and the recovery will be hard but at the end of the day Fraser will have no lasting disabilities and will be able to live a long, full life unaffected by these early hardships. Without surgery his fate is uncertain.

Surgery is tentatively scheduled for 2/2/2024. We are waiting on the official estimate from the hospital however we expect the total cost of surgery to be in the $10,000 range. We will be forever grateful for any donations towards the cost of this life changing surgery. I would love to see Fraser live a long happy, healthy life. Free of pain, restrictions, or future complications. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Kristin & Kenny.