Rescued With Love Inc.

Here is our latest foster girl, with only a very small chance, and she made it!  She is a dear little thing, unnamed as yet, but so terrified, timid and yet so willing to please and be a good girl.  Her foster carer says she is the sweetest little girl, and couldn't believe the matts on her body and the human made wounds on her torso.  We are not sure what has happened to her bark, if she has had trauma there or what, but she meows like a cat.

So in a few weeks, when she is healthy in weight, gained her confidence and ready to go, she will be up for adoption.

This little girl has definitely been "Rescued With Love".

PS.  Alot of people helped get this girl to her safe haven.  I would like to thank each and every one of them.  You are all angels...

Here is Bella after her bath.  She is VERY thin from being neglected.  Most of the matts have been cut off and she is now alot more comfortable.  We aren't sure but she may have damage to one of her back legs as she is limping slightly when using the back stairs.  She will be checked over by a vet soon.

And Bella warm and toasty on a cold Melbourne day, happy to just be warm and sleep sleep sleep.   This girl has had very little love in her life, infact quite the opposite looking at the possible cigarette burn scars inside her ears.  But her faith in human nature is strong, and she will only go to a perfect home when she will be spoilt and loved forever.

When Bella's foster carer came home a couple of days ago, she found Bella having a shocking seizure.  Racing her to the Lort Smith Hospital, Bella, practically in a coma, was admitted into intensive care and tests were carried out the next day.

Bella has a condition known as Liver Shunt and has battled this all her life probably.  More tests are being done, and hopefully through the kindess of some veterinary staff, the extremely expensive operation will go ahead after next week at a vastly reduced price.

Unfortunately if Bella does not have this certain type of shunt then I am faced with a decision that all rescuers have to make at some stage.  If Bella doesn't have the polysystemic shunt then she is not entitled to the discounted surgery.  As the price of this type of operation to cover the other type of surgery is in excess of $3000, I will be unable to save Bella's life.

But she has a chance.  And that is all I can ask.  At this stage I am so grateful to my husband Barry who has decided that we can afford the discount surgery to save her.  And to Janet, Bella's foster carer who keeps picking up more and more medical bills, and won't take a cent for it.  I can't thankyou enough.  Plus to all of those close rescue friends who have offered to donate money to help with Bella's surgery should it come off, you are all amazing, and I can never repay your kindness.  Thank you.

Bella, your life has been full of misery and pain so far, but we will fight hard for you little one.....

UPDATE FOR 6 JUNE.

Bella's foster carer and I took her to hospital yesterday and had her examined by the vet that might be able to save her life.  He certainly seemed to think that the liver shunt was indicated after they did a test yesterday where they sedate her and pump dye through her body to see if it gets diverted from the liver.  Today she was having an acid bile test and tomorrow an ultra sound.  If all goes well, she will be having surgery on Thursday the 8th of June.  Please everybody, keep your fingers crossed for our girl.

Latest update.........

Bella has the external shunt which means she will be having her surgery as we all hoped.  It is risky as we know surgery can be, but it is literally her only hope.  So tomorrow morning Bella will be operated on at the Werribee Animal Hospital by the lovely Dr. Ben Landon, and after that she will be in intensive care should all go well.

Thankyou to all the kind well wishers, and I will keep you informed as of her progress tomorrow.

Good luck Bella.........

UPDATE 9 JUNE

Bella survived her surgery.  Dr. Ben Landon said the shunt was right where it should have been, there were no complications with the proceedure and everything went according to plan.  At this stage Bella is in the Intensive Care Unit on medication to help reduce the risks of life threatening seizures that are a concern at her age.   All in all everyone was really pleased how things have gone, and although we are not out of the woods yet, things are a little lighter on this side.  I will call the vet staff around midday today and check her progress.  If all has gone well, I hope to pick her up as soon as I can.  Thankyou to all of Bella's Angels, (you know who you are) and to those who have so kindly donated money, every bit helps, as you know.

later this morning.....

Bella has developed portal hypertension overnight due to her surgery and is critical.  The vet has rushed her back into theatre to release the band and drain the fluid.  She was in terrible pain due to the fluid pushing on her diaphram making it difficult to breathe and I am unsure as to whether she has a good chance of surviving the surgery or the recovery.  I think of this little one and my heart breaks.  She has had a shocking life, been tortured, endured a life threatening illness and ended up discarded in a pound.  I hope that the circle of Bella's Angels around her can lift her today.

Same Day.....

Bella survived her surgery again.  She is now resting and will recover now that the band has been removed from her shunt.  She is facing yet another operation in a couple of weeks as she will not survive much longer without the band, but couldn't have survived if they attempted to do another band today, hence the wait.

If there is anyone out there that can say good things, and have good vibes for Bella, now is the time.  Thanks again to everyone for your kind wishes.  I will see Bella tomorrow in intensive care and pass on your wishes to her.  Kisses and love little Bella......

Bella is slowly recovering from the two surgeries in two day.  She has started to eat and the vet is very happy with that although he now feels he needs to monitor her as she is displaying some signs of minor neurological damage which she might have had before or occured during surgery.  At this stage she won't be out of intensive care until Tuesday and her foster carer and I will decide whether it would be best to stay with her or come home with me. 

A kind thank you to the family who don't even know Bells, who have lit a candle for her and hope for a safe recovery.  People such as yourselves constantly amaze me with such extraordinary giving and love. Thanks.

UPDATE MONDAY 12 JUNE.

Bella is allowed to come home tomorrow!  I have just spoken to her vet and he is pleased with her progress and feels she is ready to start recouperating at home.  Bells will be going back to her Foster Mummy (who is doing cartwheels as I type) so she can rest, take her medication, eat her special diet, and be a happy little girl with her adopt brothers Stumpy and Tommy. 

She will have three weeks before her next bout of surgery to gain her strength and be fit enough to cope with such a gruelling time for her healthwise.  I will make sure that there are regular Bella-updates for everyone over the next few weeks.  Thanks again...

UPDATE 13 JUNE

Bella's foster carer and I drove to Werribee Hospital today to pick up our beloved little girl.  When we arrived the vet took us into a consulting room and explained that Bell's glucose level is very low.  Normally it should be around 6.  Bella's is 2.9.  With low sugar comes the increased risk of seizures, in the older -ish dogs like Bella who have Liver Shunt.  Most times, when they start having seizures, they have them continuously and as you will understand there is then no life quality at all.

So we left Bella in the care of Dr. Ben Landon and his team, and came home alone, both of us traumatized by seeing her today.  She has suffered more neurological damage to her back legs and is very wobbly and her feet 'flip over' until she corrects them.  This was really distressing for us to see, as it wasn't as bad before, but we knew the risks and she really has no option but to go ahead with the surgery.

I asked the vet if I am giving her unneccessary surgery which he replied to with a definite NO.  She has a good chance to recover from Liver Shunt and can lead a good life, albeit with a funny little floppy walk.  That is provided she doesn't go through what she did last time, with the hypertension.  Or start having seizures, or suffer debilitating neurological damage from the next operation.

So Bella will be hopefully coming home to her foster carer's place tomorrow, but she will ring before she goes to make sure that her glucose level has either risen or stabilized and hasn't dropped further.  She will rest and recouperate on medications for the next three weeks, and be on her special diet so not to aggravate her Liver Shunt.

I can't begin to tell you how gutted I am that this is happening to Bella. She will never be the life of the party, running and jumping and playing ball, but she has a very good chance to lead a quiet and loving, comfortable life with a perfect person for her.  It just seems there are so many hurdles for her to jump over, as if this poor baby hasn't been through enough.  But I will do everything that I can to make sure she has EVERY chance available to her from now on.

Our Bella.....

Late tonight I picked Bella up and brought her home from the hospital.  She still has severe neurological damage, but is managing to get around with her funny little walk.  She is eating well and very alert, checking out the house and our two dogs, the garden and the kitchen.  She is partial to her reflection in my oven door!!

Although we are not out of the woods, at least she can convalesce better at home, have meals every two hours, loads of cuddles, and all her meds in the comfort.  In one week, if she is ok, she will go back to her foster carer and then back to the hospital to get her stitches removed.  The following week after that they will again try the band surgery to close over the shunt.

Here is a pic of Bella, asleep on our couch.  Bless her cotton socks, as her foster carer says....

UPDATE 16 JUNE.....

Bella has been home with us for two days now.  We are making sure she is fed every two/three hours to keep her sugar level up, to avoid the chance of seizures.  She is such a good girl when taking her meds, never complaining, honestly she is the gentlest little soul, and surely the kindest.  I cannot understand how someone could have hurt her in her previous life...

My dear husband is completely besotted with her after coming home and she has him wound around her little paw, as she gazes up to him with her trusting eyes.  She is one special little girl.

She has enough anti seizure medicine for 5 days and then it will be reduced for her to come off it and that is when we really need to pay attention to her behaviour.  I am in contact with the vet and there is not much more that we can do other than diet, medication and loads and loads of love. 

At this stage she is recovering from the surgery with a very big scar on her tummy, and her neck and legs are healing from the catheters, IV's and whatever else she had stuck in her from her hospital visit.  I will try and get some pics of her over the weekend and post them to show how comfortable and happy she is being home.  She does to try play for a few minutes then gets enormously tired and flops onto her bed for a sleep.  Her walk is still staggery, she often falls over and picks herself up, her determination is amazing.  As I have said before I will do everything I can to help her through this, she is such a little trouper, I really really hope she makes it....

And thanks to everyone emailing me.  I can't tell you how much it means to me that Bella has people out there willing her to get better. Thanks so much again.

Bella is hanging on and hasn't had any seizures since she has been on medication and her special diet.  Although her time is running out, I am hopeful that with all the miracles that have come her way have special meaning and she will get through the next few weeks and surgery.

Today she actually had a play with Romy, my little Shih Tzu girl.  She played with a rope bone, and tried very hard to be a part of the pack.  But her energy is low and she returned to her bed and took herself off for a rest and a sleep while the rest of us did the gardening.

She is still eating well, her appetite is good, and although she is drinking an enormous amount of water, this could be due to her medication for seizure prevention.  My husband and I are watching her constantly, she goes nowhere without one of us, and we are monitoring her for any chance which could be significant.

Her walk is still staggery, she gets her toes tangled and falls over and calmly picks herself up and keeps trying, it breaks my heart to see her effort to do what she needs to.  Today she rolled onto her back in her bed on her sheepskin and let me pat her tummy.  She went to sleep with my little finger in her mouth, four paws in the air and my other hand patting her leg.  She was in heaven.  I don't think anyone has handled her with love before she was rescued, she was so happy.

In a week she will have an appointment with the vet to get her stitches removed, and they will no doubt check her over then, but we take it day by day, hour by hour.

I am well aware that Bells could go down hill very quickly at any stage.  Being the age that she is, this could happen.  But every day I breathe a sigh of relief that she has made it through.  And every morning I feel her little face on my hand it brings me joy.  And at night when she isn't curled up on her Daddy's lap, she is with me, loved and cuddled and patted and content with her life.

I took Bella down to get her stitches out from her first two surgeries and the vet and vet nurse are really happy with her progress.  Since going off the anti seizure drugs, Bella has come out of her fugue, and is now playing with Romy my little adopted girl and Ernie our schnauzer.  She has been able to walk alot better and yesterday we hooked a harness on her and she went for her first walk!  It was great excitement!  So things are settling for our Bells, getting her healthy as much as possible for the next fight of her life.

Her surgery for the Liver Shunt is now on the 4th of July.  Independence Day in America which is nice to think that she might be independant of all the nasty liver shunt things for the rest of her life.

I can only hope at this stage that there will be no complications, of course no one knows, but we have many people wishing her well, and I know she has loads of love around her which is always such a great help.

Bella has been holding a good position of eating and drinking and general well being until yesterday when something upset her system so badly she was ill all day.  She had the runs terribly in the morning, I found her sitting in the garden beside it, really quite unaware of her whereabouts and I watched her like a hawk all day but she just wanted to sleep.  I took her everywhere with me, upstairs, downstairs every time I moved, I wouldn't let her out of my sight.

Around lunchtime she started to pace and then started to lick things and I thought she was about to have a seizure.  I was prepared to put her in the car and race to the Werribee hospital, but she slept heavily and came out of it around 6.30 last night and has been her quite normal self today which has been great!

She has eaten well, and toileting normally and very interactive with Romy, and myself, which has calmed me no end.  So I am counting the days, through the weekend and then Monday.  I dare not think about anything going wrong.  I have strong vibes from all of you who are in love with Bells and want her to have a chance of a normal life just like I do.

Here is another pic of the Bella Boub-star....

I took Bella down for surgery at Werribee Hospital on the 4th of July.  As her foster carer suggested, we should make Bella's birthday on that day if all goes well.

I had no idea I would be so stressed about it, as this operation was literally her only hope and I found myself sobbing when Jody, the very kind vet nurse came and took Bella and admitted her.

Unable to concentrate on anything I finally got a call 6 hours later and Bella had done well in her surgery.  We knew that she wasn't out of the woods by a long shot, but at least she had survived.  One thing they were pleased about was she had gained a little weight, which boded well for being a little more robust and may help her through her tough time.

I rang again that night and the next morning and Bells was doing VERY well.  I dared not hope, we were nearly through the first 24 hours and that was something that hadn't happened in the first instance.  Again I rang the hospital and that night Bella was very alert and eating even though she was in Intensive Care still.  I kept my fingers crossed, and so many people emailed and phoned, all with positive vibes for "our Bells".

Here is Bells the night before her surgery.  She was having drooling attacks, large puddles of saliva ran from her mouth.  She didn't have very long, that's for sure.

Bella Boub-Star came home today after being released from Intensive Care yesterday into a normal ward, she was allowed to leave and so her foster carer and I went and picked her up!!!  We couldn't wait to see the little sweetie, and although we are still hesitant about things, we are quietly happy that things have worked this time (we hope, fingers crossed).

Bells is still on medication and special diet, and will need to be quiet, but we think that she will recover quite quickly now wrapt up in the love of her foster carer who adores her.  Plus she is with her two doggie Maltese brothers Stumpy and Tommy who love her, I'm sure she is in the best place.

Next week she goes back for a check up, and the following week she will get her stitches out.  When Ben and Jody bought Bells out we couldn't believe it.  Her back legs worked really well!  There was very little ataxia in her legs (stumbling walk) and she seemed more alert than ever, so the dementia is hopefully diminishing.

Bella's band has been put on loosely around her liver shunt and will take a long time to constrict, it is unsure as to whether it will actually fully close.  But even if it doesn't she has the chance now to lead a normal life, and a decent life span now, something that was denied her from birth.

I cannot thank the Staff at the Werribee Hospital enough, Ben and Jody, who are THE most amazing people, dedicated and exceptionally kind and so, so knowledgeable.  They are Bella's saviours without a doubt. 

Thanks to Janet, her foster carer who had the forsight to be in the right place at the right time.  Bells and I love you, don't you dare think you are going anywhere my girl, you will be fostering for a long long time!

To Jacky, Rhona, Melinda, Linda, Denise, Jen, Jen, Judy, Grant, Tracey, Anne, Norma, and all of the others who have lit candles, said a quiet prayer, offered kind words of hope and have been there when I cried so hard I nearly flooded the car, thankyou.

And to my husband Barry.  You have done a noble thing saving this dog's life with your generosity.  Thanks.  I love you.

K.  

 .

Bells was taken to Werribee again by her foster carer today.  She was due for her check up after her surgery and to see how she was getting along.

The poor little thing is so terrified of the hospital she started shaking and actually wet herself in her cage due to fear.  Thank goodness her Auntie Janet was there to take care of her, and calm her down...

Dr. Ben Landon saw Bella and thought she was doing amazingly well.  She has put even MORE weight on in a week, which is great news...When she came to us, she was 3.7 kgs.  Now she weighs in at a hefty 4.8 kgs!!

Ben was so happy with her recovery he took her stitches out early and now it means that she will only have to go back in 10 weeks time.

Bells has a shocking ear infection which is due to neglect and needs another anaesthetic to clean her ears out properly.  She also needs her teeth cleaned and to be desexed.  None of this will be done for months.  She has meds for her ears to help reduce the infection and make her comfortable, and all that she needs to do now is just get better. 

After alot of strain, I think she is actually on the good side of recovery now.  She has had no drooling, no zoning out, no seizures, and is able to walk properly like a normal healthy little dog. 

And on of the things that nearly broke my heart was that she grabs a soft toy and head butts Tommy (her doggie brother) for a game.  Something that none of us have seen her do in all the time she has been here...

So go Bells go! Life is there for your enjoyment....

Bella has been so well, it was decided it was time to have her desexed.  Both her Mum and I thought the day would never come, but she is such a remarkable little girl, and her recovery and tenacity for life, she has astounded us all.

So Bells went in and had her surgery, at the same time, her teeth cleaned (and her Macleans are showing!).  Her ears were also attended to, and she although she has collapsed ear drums and her hearing is low, it has been decided due to her not being in any pain that no further surgery will be done on her ears. (or any other part hopefully!)

Four hours after surgery, our Bella was stamping her foot at her Mummy demanding her dinner!  What a gal!  So Bells is great, happy, and recovering again like a little trouper.  She is so loved, so cherished and so special.  Bella has a great life ahead of her now, thanks to much kindness from many people......