Tiera

On Monday, 9/13/99, I was headed to the feedlots on a farm road. As I was driving down a desloate section of this road, I saw a small body struggling on the side of the road in the hot sand, I slowed and realized it was a dog. Since there was traffic behind me, I drove until I could turn around and came back. What I saw was absolutely pitiful.  It was a black and white puppy that was dragging itself by it's two front legs with a little help from it's left rear leg. The poor thing was panting, out of breath, in the heat with no relief. I talked to it as I approached and it cowered down. I picked her up and her right leg flopped off to the side. She didn't even whimper. I placed her in my car and headed back the way I had come.

I took this puppy that I named TIERA to the closest veterinarian to my home. As we are new to the area, I didn't know any vets out here. The vet looked at her and told me (I had told him I found her on the road), that since it wasn't my dog it would be better to euthanize her. Well, I went ballistic. I told him it didn't matter whose dog it was, she needed help! That she hadn't given up, she had struggled down that road, that she was breathing in and out and deserved a chance. He continued to try to talk me out of saving her. (incredible!). I finally told him that if I was driving down the road and saw his child struggling along after being hit by a car, would he want me to leave them? Or, if I had picked up the child and taken it to a doctor, was I supposed to tell the doctor to pull the plug??? This puppy had a right to live. He finally said okay and the haggling over payment began. All this time TIERA just laid there, quitely, accepting. 

The vet would not take payments. I had to run to an ATM machine and give him $150 cash to do anything! After I paid, they started treating her! I had to practically sign my life away on paper to pay for her treatment!!

TIERA was in shock so they had to give her fluids, etc. The did x-rays and found that the sacro-something or other that connects her pelvis is broken. Her pelvis is "free floating". Further treatment depended on whether or not her bodily functions were operating. I called to get an update today and she did urinate during the night (good sign), she ate all her food (good sign), but had not had a bowel movement yet. If she has a bowel movement tonight or tomorrow morning, we can then opt for further treatment. 

Further treatment has two options. 1) complete cage rest for 6-8 weeks. Hoping that she mends correctly. 50-50 chance. 2) Surgery to set the pelvis back where it belongs (there is also some other damage, but not as severe). 80 - 100% chance of recovery.

I talked to our previous vet (who knows what a nut case I am about animals and is a good friend). He says that if bodily functions are operating, after looking at the x-rays, he will contact some veterinarian surgeons he knows and get me a discount on the surgery, which is the best option as she is 3-4 months old and stands a better chance of mending correctly than an older dog in the same predicament.

Current bills are at $350.00. Surgery will range from $1,700 to $2,000. The vet still thinks I should put her down because she wasn't my dog. Huh??? She's a TIER dog now!

So, I am doing that thing that I have a hard time doing, asking for financial help. If anyone would like to help us help TIERA get the surgery that will help her to be a happy, cared for dog, we would be most grateful. I am uncomfortable asking, but I just don't have the funds at present to help her.

Update 9/19/99: I picked up TIERA (the puppy I found that had been hit by a car) on Saturday morning (another $155.50) and took her to my old vet. He looked at the x-rays and said "Gail, she is really smashed up. One side of her pelvis is broken off and a chip is floating around, the other side is pushed up. Where her pelvis should make a triangle, with the point being at her spine, it makes a V with the spine in the center because the pelvis is detached and pushed up." Yucko news, huh? He was worried about bodily functions as the bones were pushing on those organs. 

Due to some wonderful folks (thank you everyone!) (Alda, thanks for the phone numbers. Still waiting to hear.) I told him that folks were trying to help TIERA financially. He then told me to hang on while he made a phone call. He called a surgeon, explained that I had found her on the road, that I was a friend of his and that people were sending funds to help this pup. He then asked if this surgeon would take us on. The Surgeon told him to send me over. I loaded up little TIERA again and we headed off. By the way, TIERA kept trying to crawl in my lap on the 1 hour drive over! She is alert and sweet. We are all blessed to have her in our lives!

The surgeon came in, looked at the x-rays and said there was no reason that TIERA couldn't function as a normal dog after surgery!!! Wait...it gets better!!! He also said since I stopped to help her, because I was a friend of Dr. Jeff Weitz of Mile Square Animal Hospital in Fountain Valley, CA (yes, that's a plug!)and because I did rescue, he would not charge us for his services during the surgery, etc. That's not all either! He said he would also take 20% off the cost of care! This was Dr. Rooks of Allcare Animal Hospital in Fountain Valley, CA (Definately a plug!!!). I couldn't help it...I started crying. Wow! Instead of TIARA's surgery/care running $1,700 - $2,000, it should only go to $1,500 or less! Isn't that awesome????? It wasn't until later that I found out that Dr. Rooks is the head honcho of this place that has 102 employees and 28 doctors! Every animal that undergoes surgery has a technician with them from the time they come out of surgery. I saw dogs and cats laying on pallets almost the same size as a twin bed, with I.V.'s, bandages, monitors, with pillows and a technician sitting on the floor with them, stroking them, talking to them, checking them. This was a wonderful animal care facility. There should be more of them.

Anyway, we are contacted daily on TIERA's status. Today (9/19/99) they called and said she was doing well. If she is stable tomorrow, they will do the surgery. If she needs more time to stabilize, they will do the surgery Tuesday. I will keep everyone posted.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just don't have enough words to truely thank those of you who have (as usual) gone the extra mile for an animal in need. Thank you.

TIERA had surgery today (9/21/99). She is doing well and looking good.  They had to put a plate on one side of her pelvis and a screw on the other. The surgeon said it looked like older fracture. She did well under anesthesia and came through recovery without any problems

I went to visit TIERA on Sunday, 9/26/99. I spoke with her surgeon who told me that her pelvis had probably been broken 7-10 days PRIOR to my finding her at the side of the road!! I just cringe when I think of the pain this little puppy was in for so long. Someone, somewhere had to have seen her, and yet, there she was, dragging her little self down a hot, dusty road! Thank God I saw her and picked her up. She would have suffered so much longer and the end might have been quite different.

Anyway, TIERA is doing well except that her right hind leg has lost it's muscle tone (due to 7-10 days of non-use before I found her!!). She is currently having electronic muscle stimulation and therapy in both hind legs. As you will see from the pictures on our website, she has difficulty in getting up. Her right hind leg still drags behind her and she does not have control of it yet. That will change with physical therapy and the stimulation and time.

TIERA will be at All-Care Animal Referral Center for another week.  And...hang on to your hats folks.........The total bill for the surgery, physical therapy, muscle stimulation, board and care, etc. will only be $1,800.00. Isn't that wonderful? Dr. Rooks of All Care informed me that he was not charging for his personal services (surgeon extradonaire) and the All Care Foundation would pick up 35% of the bill!!!!! The original bill would be in the neighborhood of $3,000.00, but Dr. Rooks has gone the extra mile to help us out.

I would like to take a moment to thank all those who have contributed to TIERA's medical bills. Her bills are totalling $2,155.00 and your donations are helping to pay that. $355.00 was to the first vet that I took her to. He stabilized TIERA (she was in shock and terribly dehydrated) and took the x-rays. My old vet (Dr. Jeff Weitz, Mile Square Animal Hospital, 11362 Warner Avenue, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, (714) 546-7676) then looked at her x-rays (no charge) and called Dr. Rooks. Dr. Weitz explained that I was a friend of his, had found her on the side of the road, that I helped rescue horses and that I didn't have much money. Dr. Rooks did not hesitate to tell him to send us over and he would help!

TIERA will be at All Care (18440 Amistad Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, 800-944-PETS (800-944-7387), 714-963-0909 Fax 714-962-1905) until the end of the week. Call if you want a verbal update on TIERA!

All Care's website http://www.acarc.com

All Care contacts me every single day with an update on TIERA. They are open 24 hours so I can call them anytime I want to find out how she is doing! Also, TIERA is a big favorite of the staff. Everytime someone walks up to her she wags her tail and is glad to see them! That's our girl!!

Again, thank you for your help. We have received funds that enable us to pay almost 1/3 of her bill! Still a long ways to go in paying the entire bill, but I truely believe she is worth it! Apparently, so do you! Thank you so much from TIERA, myself, my husband and all the critters for caring enough to make sure TIERA is receiving the assitance she needs. Without you, this would be an entirely different story!!

Update 10/8/99: TIERA is home! Yeah! Many thanks to those of you who are helping us help TIERA. Many people have made an effort to assist this lovely little girl. My heartfelt thanks to you all!  TIERA is doing good. She is confined to a cage for the next 60 days (poor baby!) She does get to go outside, but she is not allowed to run, jump, etc. Her right hind leg is still not bearing weight, although she does use it to balance herself occassionally. And, she does get to lay on the couch and watch TV with my husband at night! HA! I will be taking her to therapy once a week. Ideally, twice a week would be better, but we are unable to travel the distance during the week and arrive before the therapist has gone home for the day. So, we go on Sunday. The therapist will be showing me how to do "joint manipulation" and massage so that TIERA will eventually have full use of her right leg! Isn't this just wonderful news????

Again……….thank you all from myself, and, of course, TIERA.

Gail

On Sunday (10/10/99), TIERA was taken in for her physical therapy appt. From Friday night until Sunday morning, TIERA had lost her appetite and was not remotely interested in food. On Saturday night she had a bad case of diarrhea. The wonderful vets at All Care Animal hospital (please visit their site listed on our webpage!) did testing on TIERA and the results were…Parvo! We had only had her home a week and now she has a virus that gives her a 50/50 chance of survival! They kept TIERA at All Care Animal Hospital, gave her fluids, (she had dropped weight in only 2 ½ days!) (she was dehydrated, even though I monitored her water intake and she was drinking), they also gave her vitamins and antibiotics. A test was run on her white cell count to see how severe the Parvo virus was.   Fortunately, it looks as if we caught this deadly virus before it could do too much damage. TIERA came home today (Tuesday, 10-12-99). She is on antibiotics and a diet of boiled chicken and rice. Her prognosis is good! This girl is a fighter!

The cost of her 2 day stay are astronomical! Although AllCare gave us a 20% discount, (they had also given us a huge discount on her previous surgery for her broken pelvis and the surgeon didn't charge us anything!), the cost was $368.00!!!!! But, the end result is that we have a living, breathing, tail wagging, loving, black & white TIERA in our house! Thank you all for continuing be there for TIERA!