The Facts About Canelo ...

Canelo was released by my vet on Wednesday, after being hospitalized for nine days. He was put on prednisone and a cough suppressant. Other than that, there is nothing else my vet can do for him.

We'll know more by Monday, but it looks like Canelo will need to go to a specialist for a BAL (Bronchoalveolar lavage) with a fiber optic scope. Brush cytology. They'll use a brush to brush the lungs and gather a sample for culture.

This is an expensive procedure ... I got a quote from one internist that the procedure will cost between $1,200 and $1,800.

Also there are possible dangers to this procedure; however, we may have no choice in the matter. The need to find out what is going on outweighs any possible risks. And the belief is that this is a fairly safe procedure.

My vet had Canelo on broad spectrum antibiotics but had to switch him to the most potent antiobiotic that they have--Amikacin. You can't use this drug long-term as it can cause kidney damage. Yet still he was coughing and heaving even with this drug.

As of today, Canelo is still exhibiting very deep breathing. When you hold him, you feel his lungs--his body--heaving. It's the weirdest thing to see and feel--very disturbing

The pred is helping; his coughing is down and he's eating. But he's still deep breathing.

Canelo could have several things going on ... the problem could be:

• fungal
• resistant bacteria
• COPD (lung disease)--Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• PIE syndrome--Pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia; a disease of dogs of unknown origin characterized by dyspnea, reduced exercise tolerance, diffuse pulmonary infiltration by eosinophils and an eosinophilia.

Boy, do I hope it's fungal and can be easily treated!

We will assess Canelo again on Monday. If he is still breathing heavily by then, we will have to go through with the procedure.

Sadly, we don't have the resources to cover this procedure, so once again we turn to you for donations so this sweet boy may get the medical help he needs to recover. And Canelo deserves to live a long, healthy and happy life--he really is a special little dog.

Click Here to donate using Paypal.

Critters in Need now offers dog clothes and accessories, available by donation. So deck out your dog in the latest fashion and help Canelo at the same time.

Thank you so much for caring about this special little boy.

Canelo Needs To See A Specialist!

The vet called me this morning ....

Canelo had been taken off of meds for two days, but the coughing came back just as strong as it had been when he was first admitted to the hospital eight days ago. His little chest is heaving, yet his lungs are clear. I'm sure glad I opted to keep him at the vet that extra day. It was important to know this.

There is no more that my vet can do for him; he needs to see a respiratory specialist. A sample needs to be taken from the lungs to see what is going on. But Critters in Need Pet Rescue, a group made up solely of volunteers, does not have the $1,000 to pay for this procedure.

Canelo will be released today to his foster home with prednisone and cough medicine. I'm hoping these new meds will help manage the coughing. It's important that scarring of the lungs does not occur.

But pred can only be used for a limited time, so it's important that Canelo go to the specialist as soon as possible.

We need your help to raise the $1,000 for this procedure. Please click here to donate.

Canelo Had a Relapse!

Sweet Canelo is back in the hospital!

He never quite kicked the pneumonia and suddenly began struggling to breathe. His whole body heaved with the effort. When I put my ear to his chest, I could hear the wheezing and rattling. Little Canelo also was very dehydrated.

But all through the examination at the vet, Canelo was such a trooper. I put my arms around him while he was on the examining table and he began showering me with kisses. He kissed me so much that he licked all my freshly applied lipstick off!

The vet called me today and said that it was good news. The x-rays show that the pneumonia is not consolidated, which means that it's spread throughout the lungs and is therefore much easier to treat.

Canelo will be hospitalized for at least several days, which again, means a large vet bill. He'll need several x-rays, IVs, antibiotics, breathing treatments, hospitalization ... it all adds up. My guess is that it will end up being what it was the last time--$1,200.

Canelo is such a special little boy. He has to be the gentlest little dog I've ever met, and he has so much love to give. Your donations will help us help Canelo so he never has to go through this again.

Thank you so much for caring about this special little boy.

Click Here to donate using Paypal.

Critters in Need now offers dog clothes and accessories, available by donation. So deck out your dog in the latest fashion and help Canelo at the same time!

UPDATE: May 7 - Canelo will be moved out of ISO today. They'll continue with the breathing treatments, antibiotics, IVs. He hasn't coughed since yesterday. If he continues to not cough, they'll probably be able to send him home tomorrow.

UPDATE: May 8 - Wow. Poor Canelo is "still hacking up a lung." He's coughing and coughing, Dr. Mark Malo said this morning.

They're throwing pretty heavy-duty antibiotics at him, too. He's eating well for them, which is good. He's on IVs.

Dr. Mark wants to keep him over the weekend and see if he can get him to improve by Monday. He's not in danger of dying; it's just a matter of getting him through "this craziness," Mark said.

They'll do another x-ray before sending him home, plus Canelo will need a re-check in a week, which means another x-ray.

UPDATE: May 12 - Canelo had to go back to ISO. He was taken out of ISO yesterday and monitored. He wasn't coughing really, but he sounds hoarse.

The vet said he could go home. I opted for them to keep him one more day, off of drugs, just to make sure he wasn't going to backslide. So if all goes well, which is should, little Canelo will be released tomorrow!

PLEASE donate for Canelo's vet bill. Click Here to donate using Paypal.

Canelo Released from Vet

Canelo had pneumonia after all. He was released last week and is doing well. He went to a foster home that has two other little dogs. This is what she wrote me today:

The continuing good news is that Canelo is doing fabulously. He is now accustomed to our routine -- even down to the "I must sit like the other 2 before I can have a treat/before I can go through the door/before I eat etc etc" -- you can see him observing my 2 and learning by the day. After a few early intro jitters, Canelo walks with my other 2; it's pretty entertaining to watch -- they walk 3-across in order of height/color (i.e., Canelo in the middle) and look like the tough-guy posse they think they are. Curious but friendly with other dogs and people, big or small. No food issues at all - I touch/move his bowls while he's eating and no reaction...just keeps eating as best he can. And he loves cuddles - from me, my boys and strangers. Oh, most importantly, he has this adorable buck-tooth that sticks out when he tries to close his mouth! Canelo is going to be a great adoption for some lucky family.

Little Canelo is very sick! He's bordering on pneumonia and has been admitted to the hospital. He's hooked up to IVs and will be receiving nebulizer treatments. The poor little boy will be hospitalized for 5 to 7 days.

As many of you know, Critters in Need rescued Canelo from the Carson shelter yesterday. The little fellow is pitifully thin--beyond emaciated. He had dropped a significant amount of weight while at the shelter and could not shake the kennel cough he had picked up there.

I rushed him to my vet in Garden Grove yesterday, where we did a full body x-ray, blood work, urine and a fecal. The lungs are in pretty bad shape and his white count is high.

This is the same vet who saved our little parvo puppy, Nike, and a lab critically ill with pneumonia (also from Carson) last year, so he's in good hands. The thing I'm concerned about most is Canelo's emotional state. He got into this serious health crisis because the family that he loved dumped him at the shelter. He became very depressed and ate very little.

I've let the vet staff know that this little sweetheart needs TLC in order to get well, too. And Canelo is such a doll! He gave me lots of kisses while we were at the vet yesterday--I'm sure he was so grateful to be out of the noisy, cold, scary shelter. I hated to leave him at the vet--I just wanted to keep holding him--but I knew he had to stay there in order to get well.

Here's a video I took while we were waiting for the vet:


But getting him well also means a hefty vet bill--about $1,000. Please help this sick little boy by donating for his vet care. Any amount, large or small, will be greatly appreciated.

You can send donations via Paypal by going to our website:
http://crittersrescueonline.org/

Thank you all so much!

Canelo Rescued from Carson Shelter!

Canelo was dumped by his family in February at the Carson shelter. They held him in their arms while waiting in the lobby to give him up. Canelo was so scared that he began drooling uncontrollably, but did this give them pause? No. They left him there.
Canelo was so depressed at being in the shelter that he couldn't eat. Already skinny, he dropped even more weight. He then got kennel cough. The shelter put him on meds, but the little boy couldn't shake it. He just kept coughing and coughing.

The shelter vet put in his notes that if he didn't get out of the shelter soon, he'd die there. A volunteer kept putting blankets in his kennel to keep him warm--those cement floors can be awfully cold--but for some reason, the shelter kept taking away his blankets. And that's when we stepped in.

I rushed up to the Carson shelter today to rescue this little boy. And what a sweetheart he is, too! He's a quiet little boy--and affectionate too. He showered me with kisses. And he was so grateful to be out of that noisy, scary shelter.

I rushed Canelo immediately to my vet. The poor baby only weighs about 8 lbs. We're doing blood work, full body x-rays, urine and a fecal test--about $300 worth of services so far. We need to find out what's wrong with him. Let's just hope it's not pneumonia! Right now he has to stay at the vet until he can be more fully assessed. We have someone who has offered to foster this little boy. I can't wait until he can go to his foster and get fattened up!

If you wish to donate for little Canelo's vet bills, please go to our website and click on our Paypal link.

http://crittersrescueonline.org/

Nike aka Piper

Well, little Nike/Piper is doing well, as you can see from these photos. She is so adorable and most importantly, very healthy!

As some of you may remember, she came to our rescue group as a very sick 5 lb. puppy. And now look at her! If you'd like to see how she looked when we first rescued her and read about her recovery, check out our August archives.

Here's her mom's latest update on our little one:
Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know that Piper graduated from Puppy Class last Saturday, so she officially knows stuff.

I'm attaching two new pics of her ... one in the backyard showing off her long legs and the other in her yellow slicker.

Piper HATES the rain and pretty much refuses to go out in it. The slicker helps, but we may be getting boots too...

Happy holidays!