Will you help Merry and her puppies?
Click here or on image below for updates on Merry and her puppies.
Merry was pulled from a local kill shelter in December. She was a stray who had come in severely malnourished, and heartworm positive. She had gained a little weight over several weeks, but not a significant amount. Her foster mom began noticing she was beginning to have some difficulty breathing. It was discovered that she was very anemic and to everyone’s surprise, Merry was also pregnant and was further along than anyone could have guessed. She was expected to give birth within about 10 days. Given her condition, the vet’s biggest concern was that delivering puppies naturally would be overly taxing on her system and that Merry and possibly the puppies, would not survive. A plan was made to monitor the anemia, provide supportive care and when she went into labor, she would need an emergent C-section. When the day arrived, Merry was rushed to Bayleaf Animal Hospital, where she received a transfusion from a donor dog and had surgery. Fortunately, Merry made it through and 9 puppies were born. But Merry was still very weak and while the transfusion helped, it did not reverse the anemia. Her hematocrit was still dropping. She was unable to make enough milk to support the puppies and the decision had to be made to bottle feed them, instead of allowing them to nurse. Our staff and volunteers began providing round the clock care and feeding for the puppies. Because Merry was not a healthy mother, these babies had a very rough start to begin with and were very small. Sadly, two did not survive, one of whom had required tube feeding, but the rest appear to be thriving. We are working diligently to give them everything they need.
Merry required a second transfusion, and has had a bone marrow aspirate. Fortunately, there is no indication of cancer, though it appears that her immune system is attacking her red blood cells and has been put on medication to help with that. She is starting to show signs of improvement – her eating and energy levels are better, so we are hopeful that she is finally on the mend. Throughout her ordeal, Merry has consistently been a sweet and loving girl.
Won’t you help us continue to help Merry and her puppies?
Please consider a contribution to help us cover the cost of her treatments and to assist with future expenses for their care. Any amount is helpful and it will go a long way.
It is only because of supporters like you that we are able to provide life-saving care for the animals like Merry. We thank you!