Hi, my name is Ruca, I'm a 2 year old Catahoula Leopard Dog and I have the best doggy parents ever, CeCe Collins and Luke Tenbrook, but they need some help paying for the vet bills that saved my life!! Right now my vet bills total about $5,000!! Normally I look really pretty and take time to smell the flowers like the photo above.  Today, I look like a really sad cartoon character because on Friday April 15, 2016 a really big rattlesnake bit me when I was hanging out in my grandparent's front yard.  I tried to sniff him and thought maybe he wanted to be my friend, I love making new friends! I even have a squirrel friend that visits me daily in my backyard at home.  But anyways, the rattlesnake did not want to be friends with me and he bit me several times in the face. It hurt SO BAD!!!! The next thing I know I felt really sick and my face felt like a big balloon. I was raced to the emergency vet because I had only gotten my first Rattlesnake vaccine ONE WEEK AGO! Really bad timing. Not enough to help me create antibodies against the venom yet. I am so lucky I have really smart pet parents.
The big mean 5-foot long diamondback rattlesnake really got me good, they said. I needed  special anti-venom and a lot of supportive care, antibiotics, special blood tests and more at the Emergency Vet to survive. The anti-venom is about $1000 per dose and so far I have had to have two vials so that is $2000 for the anti-venom alone. It is also expensive for me to stay in the hospital over the weekend but because I got bit in the face there is a chance the swelling can compromise my breathing so the vets decided it would be best for me to stay for awhile in case the swelling blocks my airway. My humans say I am one very special dog but I am just having a bit of bad luck and they won't give up on me. This past year has been tough especially for my mama because she has was sick and I even went up to Minnesota with her last Christmas when she had her tumor surgery at Mayo Clinic. **This is me taking care of CeCe on the 20 hour drive back from Mayo after her surgery last Christmas. Everyone says I am THE BEST therapy dog :)
I watched over her while she was recovering because I love her and I know they will take great care of me while I recover from my this really painful rattlesnake bite.

Some may even say I am sort of a miracle dog because when CeCe and Luke rescued me in Arkansas I was about to be euthanized at only 7 months old because I was really sick with several very bad parasites, including a rare lungworm and a corneal abrasion. They spent a lot of time and money nursing me back to health and decided to add me to the family. I really want to go home especially to be with my big sister, Harlo, but I have to spend one more night in the hospital because I am in so much pain and my whole front of my body is still starting to swell up. The vet says it is good that the swelling is going down my body but it is really painful.
My mama and dad came by and handfed me chicken.  They say I'm a good girl and I've been through a lot so they know I am one tough puppy and I will survive!!! I need expensive antibiotics, a lot of pain medicine, and lots of love to get better. (AND LOTS OF CHICKEN!!!!!)  I know it would mean a lot to my whole family if we could get some help paying for the expensive anti-venom.  I PROMISE TO NEVER EVER GO ANYWHERE NEAR A SNAKE AGAIN I HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON!!!
I want to thank my humans, my grandparents, and all my doggy squad friends, furry and human, for sending me a lot of love and support. If you can spare a few dollars to help my humans I will send you a personalized thankyou note with my pawsignature. I will also take doggy treats, hugs, or kisses (AND CHICKEN!!) Thank you for everyone's thoughts and prayers I know the support means a lot to my humans and I could feel all the Ruca-love you all were sending me from all over. I also want to thank the amazing staff at Austin Vet Care (even if they kept trying to poke me with needles and put a thermometer in my bum...I am sorry I am such a big baby thank you for saving my life!!) #rucasonthemend #rucasrattlesnakerecoveryfund






With Love,
Ruca-Roo, Harlo-Bell, CeCe, & Luke
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