Donation protected
Bella came into our lives with her twin brother Brady, 8 years ago. They brought instant joy to our senior boy Bradley, who had recently lost his sister, Flora, to bone cancer.
From the first moment of making eyes with us from their litter of 12 chocolate lab puppies, Bella and Brady had our hearts and have been inseparable from the beginning.
Bella is the most joyful pup and brings a smile to everyone she meets. She loves her stuffies and will greet every visitor with a toy, a wiggle and a smile. You will find her splashing at the dog beaches of San Diego and posing for pictures with her brother around Balboa Park. Bella and her brother love sharing kindness and making others happy. They have graduated from Therapy Dog Prep School and have spent time bringing smiles to students with special needs.
Bella’s medical journey began 2 weeks ago…
During a routine teeth brushing, I noticed Bella had a stick stuck in her back teeth. We quickly realized it had damaged her back teeth and took her to the vet. Our wonderful doctors at B Street Veterinary Hospital, determined she needed to have dental surgery to remove the teeth and investigate the damaged bone.
After thorough labs and blood work, Bella was prescribed antibiotics, pain medication and Meloxicam to get her on the road to recovery. They got Bella in for surgery the day before her 8th birthday, so she wouldn’t have to have surgery on her birthday.
When Bella was ready to be picked up, she wiggled out with a birthday crown on her head. Bella was recovering smoothly from her dental procedure for the first week. Her 5 day check-up showed she was doing well and healing as expected.
Day 6 it all changed….
Late in the evening Bella began to vomit. She wasn’t able to keep any food down. She continued to eat, drink and vomit for another 24 hours. On the third morning she stopped eating.
We rushed her to B Street Vet and they put her on IV fluids and Barium to view her digestive tract, thus began the investigation. She went home that evening with anti-nausea medication and feeling a bit better. She ate a little pumpkin and slept through the night in her spot on the bed next to her brother.
The next morning she was lethargic and again wouldn’t eat. I rushed her back to the vet and they continued to proactively problem solve her symptoms. She was put on another IV and they did more labs and X-rays. They discovered an odd mass in her stomach and recommended an ultrasound at VCA, the emergency pet hospital. B Street quickly arranged the transport and before we knew what was happening we were taking Bella and her meds to VCA.
VCA was ready for her when we arrived and they quickly arranged an ultrasound. Within the hour, we were told Bella had a septic ulcer that required emergency surgery immediately. We were also told she had a 50% chance of survival and she would most likely require 5-7 days in the hospital for her recovery. They said the recovery was tricky and to be prepared for the possibility of complications.
We learned the septic ulcer was likely caused by a rare reaction to the Meloxicam.
The amazing surgeons at VCA began the 3 hour surgery. Halfway through surgery, we were notified the ulcer was in a delicate spot next to her pancreas and bile duct. They wanted us to be prepared for an increased risk of pancreatitis and other complications.
Strong sweet Bella survived the surgery and did “very well.” We were told the next 12 hours were critical and we would be updated in the morning. “No news, is good news” they said.
After a long, sleepless night, we got the morning call. Bella came out of anesthesia well and was eating! We were invited to come visit her in the afternoon.
They opened the door to the visiting room, and there was our little wiggle butt. Smiling and telling us she is a survivor. We spent a couple hours with her, cuddling and getting updated from the doctors. They said she is, “defying the odds” and doing better than expected. We left her in the amazing care at VCA with hope and joy in our hearts.
Later that evening we got another update that she was off the IV pain medication and taking oral medication with food. They said they were, “cautiously optimistic” and would check her labs and drainage tube in the morning. We were welcome to visit again in the afternoon and take her for a walk to go potty.
So…. Here we are. She is still in the hospital and being monitored and loved by the team at VCA. She is strong and getting better by the minute.
My husband and I are both teachers and our fur babies are our children. This has been, and will continue to be, an expensive road with x-rays, lab work, ultrasound, surgery, multiple days in the hospital and after care. Our current cost for her care has been over 13K. She still has more days in the hospital, medication and after care. We love our girl and would do anything for her. She is still young, strong and full of life. She and Brady have many more years of joy and antics to share.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support of our beautiful Bella.
Follow our story and adventures on [email redacted]la.labtwins
From the first moment of making eyes with us from their litter of 12 chocolate lab puppies, Bella and Brady had our hearts and have been inseparable from the beginning.
Bella is the most joyful pup and brings a smile to everyone she meets. She loves her stuffies and will greet every visitor with a toy, a wiggle and a smile. You will find her splashing at the dog beaches of San Diego and posing for pictures with her brother around Balboa Park. Bella and her brother love sharing kindness and making others happy. They have graduated from Therapy Dog Prep School and have spent time bringing smiles to students with special needs.
Bella’s medical journey began 2 weeks ago…
During a routine teeth brushing, I noticed Bella had a stick stuck in her back teeth. We quickly realized it had damaged her back teeth and took her to the vet. Our wonderful doctors at B Street Veterinary Hospital, determined she needed to have dental surgery to remove the teeth and investigate the damaged bone.
After thorough labs and blood work, Bella was prescribed antibiotics, pain medication and Meloxicam to get her on the road to recovery. They got Bella in for surgery the day before her 8th birthday, so she wouldn’t have to have surgery on her birthday.
When Bella was ready to be picked up, she wiggled out with a birthday crown on her head. Bella was recovering smoothly from her dental procedure for the first week. Her 5 day check-up showed she was doing well and healing as expected.
Day 6 it all changed….
Late in the evening Bella began to vomit. She wasn’t able to keep any food down. She continued to eat, drink and vomit for another 24 hours. On the third morning she stopped eating.
We rushed her to B Street Vet and they put her on IV fluids and Barium to view her digestive tract, thus began the investigation. She went home that evening with anti-nausea medication and feeling a bit better. She ate a little pumpkin and slept through the night in her spot on the bed next to her brother.
The next morning she was lethargic and again wouldn’t eat. I rushed her back to the vet and they continued to proactively problem solve her symptoms. She was put on another IV and they did more labs and X-rays. They discovered an odd mass in her stomach and recommended an ultrasound at VCA, the emergency pet hospital. B Street quickly arranged the transport and before we knew what was happening we were taking Bella and her meds to VCA.
VCA was ready for her when we arrived and they quickly arranged an ultrasound. Within the hour, we were told Bella had a septic ulcer that required emergency surgery immediately. We were also told she had a 50% chance of survival and she would most likely require 5-7 days in the hospital for her recovery. They said the recovery was tricky and to be prepared for the possibility of complications.
We learned the septic ulcer was likely caused by a rare reaction to the Meloxicam.
The amazing surgeons at VCA began the 3 hour surgery. Halfway through surgery, we were notified the ulcer was in a delicate spot next to her pancreas and bile duct. They wanted us to be prepared for an increased risk of pancreatitis and other complications.
Strong sweet Bella survived the surgery and did “very well.” We were told the next 12 hours were critical and we would be updated in the morning. “No news, is good news” they said.
After a long, sleepless night, we got the morning call. Bella came out of anesthesia well and was eating! We were invited to come visit her in the afternoon.
They opened the door to the visiting room, and there was our little wiggle butt. Smiling and telling us she is a survivor. We spent a couple hours with her, cuddling and getting updated from the doctors. They said she is, “defying the odds” and doing better than expected. We left her in the amazing care at VCA with hope and joy in our hearts.
Later that evening we got another update that she was off the IV pain medication and taking oral medication with food. They said they were, “cautiously optimistic” and would check her labs and drainage tube in the morning. We were welcome to visit again in the afternoon and take her for a walk to go potty.
So…. Here we are. She is still in the hospital and being monitored and loved by the team at VCA. She is strong and getting better by the minute.
My husband and I are both teachers and our fur babies are our children. This has been, and will continue to be, an expensive road with x-rays, lab work, ultrasound, surgery, multiple days in the hospital and after care. Our current cost for her care has been over 13K. She still has more days in the hospital, medication and after care. We love our girl and would do anything for her. She is still young, strong and full of life. She and Brady have many more years of joy and antics to share.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support of our beautiful Bella.
Follow our story and adventures on [email redacted]la.labtwins
Organizer
Amy Satter
Organizer
San Diego, CA