Louie Needs Your Help!-UPDATED 3/8/06 Again 3/16/06

Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 12:50 pm

UPDATE 3/16/06:

Hello Everyone,
I've had a few people emailing me to ask how Louie is recovering from the surgery. I
figured that I would write everyone once more just in case they were curious as well.
Any further updates I will post on the website, so that way you can check in every
now and then to see how things are going.

I picked up Louie on Monday from the veterinarian. When I picked him up, there was no
elizabethan collar on him (cone), and I questioned why because I was pretty sure he'd
have one.
Well, turns out, he somehow started chewing on that too and they decided it was best
to keep that off...don't need any more problems in that department!
Little bugger :) Thankfully he leaves the incision line alone.


He is doing quite well, on his way to better health. He gets a special diet that I
had to purchase from the vet - it's basically a very gentle diet, called I/D, which
he gets 1 1/2 cans per day, and we will work our way up from there.
He has to eat 4 times per day, so that his stomach doesn't get overloaded while he's
trying to heal from the surgery. He will be on this special diet for the next 10
days. He also gets a total of 7 pills, 2 times per day for the same time period.
Having this special canned food has come in handy in hiding the pills, rather than
trying to get that many down his throat!

He hasn't thrown up at all since his return, and his gastro noises are definately
getting few and far between, as his body returns to normal. It will be some time
before he is able to get to his optimum weight, as we have to take baby steps with
the food until he is completely able to handle a regular diet.

Louie is thrilled to be back with the foster family - he had loads of kisses for
everyone and his tail just was thumpin' away. He's definately happy to be out of the
vets and back to his comfy bed.

Thanks to everyone who supported Louie and the rescue through this trying time. We
appreciate everyone's concern for his welfare. If any of you would like to check in
on him from time to time, please feel free to check the website or send an email,
we're happy to answer any questions.

Sincerely,
Anne Marie

--
Cedar Crest Companions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 3/8/06

Hello Everyone,
To those of you who have either graciously donated to Louie's care, and/or expressed
interest to see how things are going, I have an update to share.
We received a generous offer from another fellow good samaritan to put a $400 down
payment on her credit card, so that the surgery could commence, and the vet was
agreeable to that. This was not a donation - she merely is letting us use the card
for that purpose, but we must pay it back with donations received.
The vet's office opened up their ER rooms for Louie this morning.
I had to make the decision to go through with the surgery, even though we didn't have
the funding raised yet because Louie was really getting weak, tiring easily, and
weighing in at 52 lbs. when he should be around 80. I felt that if we waited until
the deadline of March 12th, that he would be too weak to sustain surgery.
Now on to what the vet has found - he just called me: Louie at some point before
entering rescue had eaten sharp/jagged orange plastic pieces. What happened was,
these jagged pieces basically ripped him up inside, causing lots of scarring. This
scarring made the outtake area from his stomach to his intestine much smaller than it
should have been, resulting in food not passing properly...thusly the
regurgitation/vomiting. The vet performed a pylora plasty, which in actuality opens
up the outtake area so that the digestive system can operate as it is supposed to. It
is the vets opinion that this should be the end of Louie's problems.
Not foreseeing any complications from the surgery, I expect Louie to be released back
to rescue anywhere's from 3 - 5 days. I didn't get the exact release date as the
doctor was calling me between rounds just to let me know what he found.
We still have to raise the money to cover this surgery, so if you could please
circulate to try and find others to help, that would be great. We currently have
received $255 towards the goal. So there is still a ways to go.
But the most important thing of all, is we have found an answer to Louie's suffering
and now we can work on getting him back on his feet again, ready for adoption.
Thank you all for your concern and support for him,

Anne Marie



Louie, our newest rescue dog, really needs your help! Louie has been suffering from frequent vomiting to which he has been recently hospitalized at the vets for treatment. A Barium Test/X-Rays were ordered and completed, and showed partial blockage within his stomach. Louie needs exploratory surgery to figure out what is causing the regurgitation/vomiting. We only have until the end of this week (deadline March 12th) to raise the funds, as Louie is dropping weight fast and we can't push this back any longer.

Louie is living with 2 female pit bulls plus a puppy and 2 children, and he gets along with all the household members.. Please dont let him die in vain...
PLEASE, IF YOU CAN DONATE ANY FUNDS TOWARD LOUIE'S CARE PLEASE CONTACT the rescue immediately..
Website: http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/PA441.html
email: cedar-crest@comcast.net
Cedar Crest Companions
Lebanon, PA 17042

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Postby ccc2006 » March 22nd, 2006, 8:58 am

I figured I snap a pic of what got this whole mess started. I have absolutely no idea what this used to be. It's not pliable plastic either - very stiff like a rock. All I know, is it's extremely sharp and jagged. If I were to run a piece down my arm, it would easily cut me.
It's really amazing how such a small amount, can cause such big problems :(

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Postby Maryellen » March 22nd, 2006, 9:05 am

holy crap... i wonder if that plastic is something more industrial, like for lawn furniture or something... he is so lucky it didnt do more damage..
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Postby ccc2006 » March 22nd, 2006, 9:24 am

Maryellen wrote:holy crap... i wonder if that plastic is something more industrial, like for lawn furniture or something... he is so lucky it didnt do more damage..

Yeah, you could be right. It's anybody's guess. It doesn't appear to be a normal dog toy or anything like that.
It's nasty stuff that's for sure. Pretty much like swallowing glass.
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Postby Maryellen » March 22nd, 2006, 9:58 am

an updated pic of mr louie... he looks so much better here

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Postby cheekymunkee » March 22nd, 2006, 10:59 am

Poor baby. :(
There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

Debby
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Postby babyreba » March 22nd, 2006, 11:29 am

awww, poor louie. he looks good, though, much less red than in other pics.
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Postby ccc2006 » March 22nd, 2006, 11:45 am

babyreba wrote:awww, poor louie. he looks good, though, much less red than in other pics.

Yes, he is much less red. Can't call him Louie the Lobster anymore!
He'll be off the special prescription diet in 5 days, and the meds too.
What has me scratching my head is the fact that he did so much better on this special food which has alot of the common allergens I read/hear about: rice, corn, soy, etc.
Too bad he can't stay on it. It's primary component is water. Still leaves me looking for what is going to work for him overall.
At least I've ruled out lamb for him, that's a big no no.
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Postby Maryellen » March 23rd, 2006, 10:05 am

here is louie with his foster sister Bella. Bella hates the camera.. Louie is a big boy, as i know bella and she is a big girl herself..

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