Cora's Medical Fund
Donation protected
UPDATE 12/18: We just saw Cora and the vets think she has Septicemia, which is an internal infection likely cause by the leakage from her intestines. Her heart rate started at 200 bpm, when it should be between 100-120 bpm. After medication it is now slowed to 160 bpm. She made it through the night with only one little spike of a fever, but other than that her fever is gone.
The vet is not giving us much reassurance about her future yet, but we staying hopeful. When we saw her today we got to hold her for the first time since before her surgery on Sunday!
ORIGINAL POST 12/16: We first got Cora almost exactly two years ago. We had no intention of getting a dog, but Bailey and I went to Greenhill Humane Society for a date to play with the animals. We didn't realize that Greenhill was closed due to a power outage. While we were getting back into the car we saw an elderly woman holding a little puppy, she was planning on giving her to the humane society, but they wouldn't let her since they were closed. Long story short, this puppy immediately leaped into our arms and we immediately fell in love and brought her home.

I have been begging Bailey for years to let us get a dog, but she always said no claiming she's not an animal person. Everything changed that day. Bailey and Cora became best friends and we had the happiest little family. It was a love like no other.

On the morning of Sunday December 16, we took Cora to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital because she was shaking, foaming at the mouth and wouldn't move. Our typically happy, crazy, jumping shrimp was not herself. They found that she was extremely dehydrated, but didn't know why. When they did x-rays her intestine was so swollen they couldn't tell if something was lodged inside her or if there was a bigger issue, so they decided to try again later.
That evening we got a phone call saying that Cora's small intestine was distorted and they didn't know why. We could either do a more in depth x-ray, where we would have to wait a day, or go in for emergency surgery. We chose the surgery. They told us there could be three outcomes. 1. Something was stuck inside her, they would remove it and she'd be fine. 2. She has a distortion in a small part of her intestine and they would remove that and she'd be fine. 3. Her intestine was completely distorted and we would have to discuss putting her down. Our hearts were completely broken.

Four and a half hours later we found out that she made it out of surgery alive! The vet discovered that Cora was born with a birth defect, she had a fiber of extra tissue. Due to some freak accident recently, the fiber had wrapped itself around her small intestine and stopped circulation killing six inches of it, which they removed.
Cora is still at the vet healing, but now has a 105 degree fever. She will need to stay there for a few more days before coming back home. It is unlikely that Cora will have issues in the future with this intestine, but if she does they can be fixed with antibiotics.
We write this with a heavy heart, it's very hard for us to ask for help, but we need any help we can get. Currently, we only have an estimate for these emergency vet costs. Before she got the fever they are guessing her visit will cost anywhere from $5,300 to $6,900 (the estimate is attached below). We have put down a $1,500 deposit but need to pay the remaining costs when we pick her up in the next few days. We have been approved for a $4,000 credit care that can help us with the expenses, but our fear is it won't be enough. We also have no idea what her recovery will look like and what needs she will have.
As many of you know we will be getting married in July of next year and hopefully buying a home. This event was completely unexpected, but no amount of money is worth the happiness this little puff brings to us. We are so beyond grateful for all the love we've received and hope that we can find some relief with this financial burden. Thank you all so much.

The vet is not giving us much reassurance about her future yet, but we staying hopeful. When we saw her today we got to hold her for the first time since before her surgery on Sunday!
ORIGINAL POST 12/16: We first got Cora almost exactly two years ago. We had no intention of getting a dog, but Bailey and I went to Greenhill Humane Society for a date to play with the animals. We didn't realize that Greenhill was closed due to a power outage. While we were getting back into the car we saw an elderly woman holding a little puppy, she was planning on giving her to the humane society, but they wouldn't let her since they were closed. Long story short, this puppy immediately leaped into our arms and we immediately fell in love and brought her home.
I have been begging Bailey for years to let us get a dog, but she always said no claiming she's not an animal person. Everything changed that day. Bailey and Cora became best friends and we had the happiest little family. It was a love like no other.
On the morning of Sunday December 16, we took Cora to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital because she was shaking, foaming at the mouth and wouldn't move. Our typically happy, crazy, jumping shrimp was not herself. They found that she was extremely dehydrated, but didn't know why. When they did x-rays her intestine was so swollen they couldn't tell if something was lodged inside her or if there was a bigger issue, so they decided to try again later.
That evening we got a phone call saying that Cora's small intestine was distorted and they didn't know why. We could either do a more in depth x-ray, where we would have to wait a day, or go in for emergency surgery. We chose the surgery. They told us there could be three outcomes. 1. Something was stuck inside her, they would remove it and she'd be fine. 2. She has a distortion in a small part of her intestine and they would remove that and she'd be fine. 3. Her intestine was completely distorted and we would have to discuss putting her down. Our hearts were completely broken.
Four and a half hours later we found out that she made it out of surgery alive! The vet discovered that Cora was born with a birth defect, she had a fiber of extra tissue. Due to some freak accident recently, the fiber had wrapped itself around her small intestine and stopped circulation killing six inches of it, which they removed.
Cora is still at the vet healing, but now has a 105 degree fever. She will need to stay there for a few more days before coming back home. It is unlikely that Cora will have issues in the future with this intestine, but if she does they can be fixed with antibiotics.
We write this with a heavy heart, it's very hard for us to ask for help, but we need any help we can get. Currently, we only have an estimate for these emergency vet costs. Before she got the fever they are guessing her visit will cost anywhere from $5,300 to $6,900 (the estimate is attached below). We have put down a $1,500 deposit but need to pay the remaining costs when we pick her up in the next few days. We have been approved for a $4,000 credit care that can help us with the expenses, but our fear is it won't be enough. We also have no idea what her recovery will look like and what needs she will have.
As many of you know we will be getting married in July of next year and hopefully buying a home. This event was completely unexpected, but no amount of money is worth the happiness this little puff brings to us. We are so beyond grateful for all the love we've received and hope that we can find some relief with this financial burden. Thank you all so much.
Organizer
Cody Valenzuela
Organizer
Springfield, OR