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Small Breed Rescue of East Tennessee |
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Hi! My name is Phoebe and I am a 4.5 month old female Pomeranian. I was surrendered to SBRET by a breeder who discovered that I have a heart murmur. I am a very sweet little girl and I am doing GREAT in my foster home. My foster mom has been amazed at how great I am doing in the house - no accidents at all so far! For this reason my new SBRET buddies feel that I was probably sold by the breeder to someone as a pet - and that person discovered I had a heart murmur and returned me. The reason everyone thinks this is what happened is that it REALLY seems like someone has worked with me on my house manners. I mean, really - a puppy with no accidents?! That just doesn't happen every day. Whatever the case, I am a very sweet and loving dog. I really like to be cuddled and get along with my new foster brother. I am still a bit timid around sudden movements and some sounds, but everyone feels I am adjusting well. In case you are wondering, my SBRET buddies did take me to the vet to verify that I did, indeed, have a heart murmur. The vet did determine that I do have a pretty significant heart murmur (grade 3 of 6). The next recommended step is x-rays and potentially an ultrasound to determine more details about the murmur. The reason they are more concerned about me (as opposed to Baby and China, who have grade 4 heart murmurs) is that heart murmurs in puppies are typically different than those that develop in older dogs. A murmur in a puppy can mean a genetic defect. A murmur in an adult can happen with age and may not be a genetic defect. So, as you can see, I am going to need some further tests in order to give everyone as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision about adopting me. Tests like these, of course, will cost money. So, if you would like to help me get these tests I need, please contribute to the Emergency Medical Fund! Update 6/7/04: IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED!!!!! We took Phoebe to our vet for a follow-up examination and for the recommended x-rays. The x-rays confirmed that Phoebe's heart is significantly enlarged. The next recommended step is to take Phoebe to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital for an ultrasound and evaluation by a cardiologist to determine more details about her condition (pulmonary stenosis) and to get a prognosis for her if she were to have the recommended heart surgery. This surgery, in simple terms, would involve inflating a "balloon" in the artery to allow for proper blood flow. In the event that the surgery is successful, and the blood flow returned to normal, Phoebe's heart would return to a normal size and hopefully function properly to allow her to lead a full life. Unfortunately our group does not have the funds to pay for such a surgery, although we would like to take Phoebe for the recommended evaluation to see what her chances would be with the surgery. Our biggest hope is that someone who is financially able would adopt Phoebe and agree to pay for her surgery. Another option would be to find a larger, more established group to take Phoebe and get this much needed surgery for her. If you have any suggestions to help Phoebe, or would like to provide a donation to help defer the costs of the medical testing that we are having performed, please contact us. We know it is a lot to ask, but if you met Phoebe you would understand why we are so desperate to help her. Everyone that meets Phoebe falls immediately in love with her. If you didn't know she was so ill, you would never know that her condition is so dire. We have all discussed it and have agreed that if Phoebe appeared to be suffering, we would be able to painfully make the decision to end this misery and have her put to sleep. However, Phoebe does not act like this at all. She loves life. Everyone that meets her falls immediately in love with her. She is an exceptionally loving, alert, and sweet dog that so much deserves a chance to lead a full life. Sadly, however, without some outside assistance, our group cannot afford to provide this much needed help. The vet estimates that Phoebe has 3-6 months to live without this much needed surgery, so this is a very urgent matter. Phoebe truly does need IMMEDIATE help if she is to survive. So if you can help Phoebe in any manner, please contact us immediately. Phoebe's survival truly depends on it. 2nd 6/7/04 update: Great News!!! HUA (Hearts United for Animals) has just informed us they will take Phoebe and give her the life-saving medical treatment that we, as a small rescue group, cannot afford. We are in process of making arrangements for her trip to Kansas. 6/14/04 Update: Great news! Phoebe is scheduled to be transported to Hearts United for Animals (HUA) on 6/17/04. A SBRET volunteer will be driving Phoebe all the way from Knoxville, TN to St. Louis (approximately 475 miles). A HUA volunteer will drive Phoebe the remainder of the way to the HUA facility in Nebraska. Shortly after this, Phoebe will be taken for further medical examinations at Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Hospital. Please stay tuned for further updates. 6/21/04 Update:On Thursday night, 6/16/03 (only 8 hours before Phoebe was scheduled to leave for her long trip to Kansas City) Phoebe had a little accident. She jumped and landed on her leg wrong. As a result, she had to take an impromptu trip to the Pet ER, where x-rays confirmed that she had not only one, but two bones in her leg broken. All the veterinarians at the Pet ER could do was splint the leg for the time being. Since we were scheduled to begin her transport at 7AM the next day, we were left with the difficult decision as to what to do. Since the appointment had already been made for Friday at Kansas State University Veterinary Hospital, and the meeting had already been set to occur around 2 PM central standard time, we decided to go ahead with the transport on Friday morning. We would have liked to have had that leg examined further (since the ER staff said she may need further medical care - but was okay to travel), but we made the decision that the heart examinations were first priority - and the appointment already made. We emailed HUA to let them know about the situation and proceeded with the transport. A SBRET volunteer met Karen and Brett, Phoebe's foster family, at 7 AM in Knoxville. Everyone said their goodbyes and the journey began. Phoebe did very well during the trip and slept for almost the entire 7 hour journey. Despite her unexpected and unfortunate accident, Phoebe didn't act very stressed during the trip and slept almost the entire. She made the best out of a bad situation and found some very interesting sleeping positions with her new cast! Are these the cutest pictures you've ever seen or what? Our SBRET volunteer made several stops so Phoebe could stretch her legs - here is Phoebe taking a break in Kentucky. FINALLY, about 7 hours later, and after driving through 3 states (Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois), Phoebe arrived safely to meet her new friend, Judy, a HUA volunteer and supporter, who agreed to foster Phoebe overnight, and continue on with Phoebe for the rest of her journey. SBRET wants to thank everyone that participated on this transport! Transports are a very important, but often behind the scenes rescue activity, that happen all the time - but yet many people are unaware of their occurrence. Without volunteers that are willing to take vacations from work and their personal lives, and put those miles on their cars and those dollars in the gas pump, Phoebe would not have had this one and only chance at life. On Friday, 6/18/04, Phoebe was transported to Kansas State Veterinary Hospital for testing. The good news is that Phoebe's condition is reparable by surgery! Of course complications can always happen, especially during a very complicated surgery, but she definitely has a chance! The bad news is that the leg injury is complicated. The Kansas State Veterinary Hospital specialists felt that the splint was insufficient and that the two broken bones will require a "disc". HUA has taken on a VERY big responsibility by agreeing to take Phoebe. Our vet estimated that the heart surgery alone could range between $1,000 to $4,000. And now Phoebe will also require leg surgery. So, if there is anyway that you can afford to donate to HUA on behalf of Phoebe, PLEASE do so. Their website is www.hua.org. You can also contact carol@hua.org. Please tell her you heard about Phoebe from us and that you would like to help. I'm sure that they will be thrilled with a donation of any amount for Phoebe. HUA is a 501c3 organization, so your donation WILL be tax deductible. Thanks! And please keep an eye on our website for further details and say your prayers on Phoebe's behalf! 8/21/04 Update:Phoebe went to Kansas State University where she had heart surgery. Now she is almost as good as new, and her broken leg is healing well. She has a few weeks of cage rest left before she can run and play like the happy little girl that she is. Her life expectancy has changed from just a few months to many years. Surely it won't be long before Phoebe is adopted from HUA - she is a very popular little girl. You can see updated pictures of her at www.hua.com. SBRET is so glad that HUA provided the very expensive life-saving surgery for Phoebe.December 2004 update: Check out the success story on Phoebe in the HUA Magazine. 
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