May be chilly outside, but our hearts are warmed by Watson! Here are some updated pics of him! If you havent already visited our fundraising page for Watson, heres the link and his story! Were almost half way there! Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! https://loveanimals.org/helping-watson-walk.html Watson is a “prince” among the many great dogs we get into our program. We hate overusing the word “sweet,” but he is just that and more. We knew from the team in Puerto Rico that we were taking on a huge physical challenge, but time and again, you’ve told us to face these challenges with open arms. So, we did. We agreed to accept Watson into our program knowing that surgery would provide a pain-free life. The driving factor was, however, that he would never survive the streets in Puerto Rico, and the likelihood of an adopter in Puerto Rico (or here) willing to provide for the cost of this surgery is even more unlikely. In spite of the fact that his hips must be causing him a great deal of pain, Watson is great with other dogs, playing with them as best he can. He’s a “glass-mostly-full” kind of dog and deserves the chance all of us can give him. Although the surgery he needs is expensive, DVGRR is dedicated to making Watson’s future bright. We are asking for your help in order to do that. In all our years of dealing with Golden Retrievers, we’ve replaced only one hip joint. Our orthopedic specialists tell us that most times a “femoral head/neck” surgery will stabilize the hip, and that keeping the dog in weight and exercised will build the muscle and, many times, forgo the need for the other hip joint to require surgery. We’ve found that to be true over and over again. We’ve reviewed several orthopedic options based on what is best for Watson and what we can afford. We’re deferring to the judgment of Dr. Christine Runnels, an outstanding orthopedic surgeon in Lititz, PA, who is suggesting total hip replacement at a cost of $4,800.00. Dr. Runnels has been handling DVGRR’s extraordinary orthopedic cases since our inception, including rebuilding Cody’s shattered leg… the case that was the impetus for DVGRR’s Cody Medical Fund back in 1995. We know her skills and trust her judgment implicitly. She is practical and skillful, often operating for us in the wee hours of the morning and always calling one of us to tell us the surgery has been successful and our “orphan” is doing well (those calls often come at 3:00 a.m., too!). An alternative procedure involves breaking and then rotating Watson’s pelvis with an additional surgery required on his other hip. That procedure’s cost is $10,000 to $11,000 and is very painful with no guarantees that it will solve Watson’s hip issue. With that research and information, Watson is scheduled for a total hip replacement with Dr. Runnels on Jan. 13, 2015. Because he is young and strong, it is possible that he won’t need surgery on his other hip. We’re asking for help, so Watson can finally live a life without pain and enjoy the fun and activity every Golden should have. If you think you have to donate a lot of money, you don’t. Crowdfunding allows many to do whatever is comfortable for them, with the outcome being that EVERYONE who donates will play a role in his new life… not just those of us at DVGRR. Should we exceed our surgical goal of $4,800.00, any additional money raised will go toward the balance of his care and other dogs like Watson that may need similar treatment, care, or rehabilitation. In 2015, we will be “crowdfunding” for these special cases. This will help you, our supporting family, to fully understand the needs of the dogs that come into the program and how we steward your donations as wisely as possible. We’ll keep everyone fully advised as his surgery is completed and his recovery and rehabilitation progresses. Of course, if any of you are interested in adopting this incredible young boy, please contact [email protected] It’s a big bang going into 2015. Thank you for riding along.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 01:48:22 +0000
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