*Flower*

Miss Flower UPDATE: 

Unfortunately, I must sincerely apologise that quite a few of our supporters are already aware before BHRR had the proper opportunity to post that Miss Flower was euthanised today.

Sadly, I was at work today when she was taken to the Vet by Poet’s Vision due to rapidly declining health – stopped eating, drinking and walking – and I was not in a position to post an update on our page. 

We believe in full disclosure and our intent was to make a post ASAP. I remain so sorry that our post on our page is coming at this time. 

I truly cannot express to all of our friends, family plus supporters what it has meant to our hearts to have had you rally so strongly around this 7 week old Maremma baby in our efforts to give her the best chance possible. 

We never even made it to the MRI stage. 

An already horrible day has just been that much more devastating with this wee pups loss. 

To the kind angel that donated funds for an XL Costco dog bed, you have now been refunded.

To the other kind angel that donated yesterday, your monies have also now been refunded.

All other generous loving donations that came directly to BHRR for Miss Flower were used towards her Vet Bills including for a fecal, food, de-worming etc. and please do know how incredibly appreciative we remain for your kindness. 

Once, we obtain the credit for the food return – wet & dry, should anyone wish to have their beautiful donation returned, please do not hesitate to let me know – gwen@birchhaven.org

Please do join me in lighting a candle for a sweet soul whose life was over far too soon….

What a really brutally terrible day it has been……

Miss Flower! UPDATE:

Held lovingly in my arms at Alta Vista Emerge.

She had her consult with the neurologist yesterday and Dr. Jull feels she has either hydrocephalus and/or a cyst located in or near the cerebella that is causing pressure on the brain stem.

There is a possible condition that can cause increased pressure and a random pain response they are wondering if that is why there is so much vocalisation. At this time, I do not have the name of that condition. I was not able to be at the consult yesterday and I am very thankful to Tanya for being able to take her and then coming to see me at KAH afterwards!

Her weight was 7.1 kgs at KAH. She has not yet gained since she came into rescue and we are hoping that this shall come shortly. For she is quite skinny.

At the moment they do not feel there is a malformation of the brain stem itself.

Doing a MRI is the next step for Miss Flower.

Depending on what they see – potentially having a stint placed or medical management.

They also found what they believe is none related pain at the thoracic and lumbar spine, at the moment it’s nothing concerning but they needed to mention it.

Attached in the thread is a copy of the estimate provided….there is also a cerebral spinal fluid tap on the estimate.

We did run a fecal, she is being de-wormed and her special food should be arriving today.

I am in touch with Wigglebumz to have a custom balance harness made for her. With her blindness, neuro issues and severe hearing impairment, this is most safe for her.

I am sending to Tanya who is going to temp foster her moving forward – thank you again to Randy/Emily FOR all you have done as her temp fosters!, a Giant stuffie donated to us by the truly lovely Martina.

I am also stealing one of my XL Costco dog beds from one of the dogs here for her yet, if anyone may consider donating one for her, we would be so so so appreciative. Do let me know!

We also picked up another week of meds for her from the neurologist- Keppra, Omeprazole and Trazodone. We will order those moving forward from KAH.

Tanya from Poet’s Vision is hosting a flash auction so please do consider looking over the beautiful items! Link below.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/poetsvision/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2310935585639815

If anyone may consider this 7 week old Maremma’s cause, donations can be made direct to Kanata Animal Hospital 613-836-2848

OR via PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org

OR via email transfer to contactbhrr@gmail.com

On behalf of Tanya, Miss Flower and myself, a million thanks many times over for the love plus support that has been given to date! 

This puppy needs her Army to give her everything that she needs…..we remain deeply humbled for any consideration given.

Miss *Flower* UPDATE & Video #2

As promised, we are now providing the second video and most recent update on the 7 week old Maremma puppy.

At Alta Vista Animal Emergency, the truly wonderful Dr. Jones did a thorough exam including a neuro assessment. She then conversed with Tanya, myself and her amazing temp fosters Randy/Emily.

The next step was for Dr. Jones to reach out to Dr. Jull, the neurologist and discuss a plan to be put in place.

Miss Flower has now been scheduled to see Dr. Jull @ 11:30 AM tomorrow.

Miss Flower was placed on the following medications to help ‘slow’ down the firing of her brain, to calm her down re: agitation and she was also placed on Omeprazole 5 mg – 1 BID. She was put on Keppra 250 mg ½ tablet TID and Trazodone 50 mg ½-3/4 tablet to be given BID and can be given up to TID.

We received the results of her bloodwork a few minutes ago and they are normal for a puppy of her age. Tanya will be dropping off a urine sample as part of the panel that we paid for over the next several days.

I will be ordering special food for her tomorrow and once a copy of her Vet Records are sent to KAH, we can begin her de-worming protocols plus do a fecal test.

This Video was taken the next day after being at Alta Vista Animal Emerge.

She still turns right and she still does cry YET nothing like she was!

Please take note that NONE of this would be possible without EACH of you, her incredible rescue angels that have stood up to help us in her extreme urgent time of need! You are inspirational, you are awesome and you are lifesaving with your kindness plus generosity. Thank you!

Is this a puppy that should have been instantly killed? Does this look like a puppy that does not deserve the opportunity for Poet’s Vision and BHRR and her ever growing team of Vets plus Specialists to first find out what is going on so that we can make the best informed decision re: her future?

AND to the one person that felt that the Breeder was doing the right thing in wanting to kill her…that Breeder did NOTHING for her, other than threaten to kill her if Rescue did not step up. Puppies are to be de-wormed beginning at 2 weeks of age and every two weeks up to 10 weeks of age after that for starters – this was not done; there were not any fecals done, no progress Vet exams, no monitoring to see if she was gaining/thriving etc. She was kept in a barn. This is not a r/q Breeder that cares about preserving the Maremma breed and to continue to improve upon their own lines.

Thanks to Poet’s Vision and BHRR coming together to step up to help this wee doll, she will lack for nothing and be given all that she needs and any decision regarding her welfare shall only be made based upon all the information possible to be gathered.

Both of our Rescues are special needs groups and we deal with heartache, devastation and horrors daily and we remain deeply humbled plus forever indebted to all those that continue to believe in not just the efforts of our respective organizations YET also believe that animals like Miss Flower deserve this chance…..

For anyone that may consider her cause; donations can be made via PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org or via Email Transfer to contactbhrr@gmail.com

I am working tomorrow so shall not be at the neurologist appointment yet Tanya shall be there and we will then update ASAP after that. After the appointment, with my own home being full right now, Tanya shall take over the temp fostering of Miss Flower for this puppy is clearly not ‘just’ blind as originally told to us. There is a lot more going on. THANK you Randy/Emily for ALL that you have done for her! You are both absolutely fantastic fosters!

*Flower* UPDATE

This is Video #1. There shall be TWO Video’s posted of Miss Flower.

This video is to demonstrate why we were at the really amazing VCA Canada Alta Vista Animal Emergency Hospital yesterday.

I took this video(her lovely foster Mama Emily is holding/rocking her – Miss Flower has already scented off her). Emily and Randy are her wonderful foster parents.

This is her crying and as mentioned in our first URGENT EMERGENCY Post; she cries like this when she is awake, all the time and also continually goes to her right. That is what brought all of us straight to the Emergency Room yesterday.

She is a 7 week old Maremma puppy and two special needs rescues – Poet’s Vision plus BHRR have come together to step up and work together as a team to assist her.

AND THANK you from our hearts to her temp foster parents, to the truly wonderful Dr. Jones and to the equally wonderful tech Kristina at Alta Vista AND to each of YOU, her beautiful supporters of both Poet’s Vision plus BHRR that have come together to surround this girl with love and kindness with your caring words plus life saving donations in her big time of need! 

Both BHRR and Poet’s Vision Aussie Rescue are in a huge financial strain right now and by working together, we work to give Miss Flower the absolute best of both groups.

We were informed by the Breeder that this puppy was blind and it quickly became apparent that there is a lot more going on than just blindness. The Breeder was planning on killing her should she not be taken in by Rescue. We did not even know if she could hear and both Tanya plus I greatly suspected that something neurological was playing a big factor.

Her Vet at Alta Vista concurs – per their notes – 
‘Presenting Concern – Neurological
Diagnosis- open – infection, congenital brain disease, hydrocephalus’

A plan was put into place and we will post our second video to demonstrate in more detail what that plan is and how the implementation of it is going……

Donations to her care can be made via PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org or via email transfer to contactbhrr@gmail.com AND I also know that Tanya is posting on her Rescue page – Poet’s Vision Aussie Rescue.

AND to assure all that our focus in our respective organisations is always about quality over quantity and all decisions being made are informed ones.

 

**URGENT!** **EMERGENCY!**

Yesterday, fellow rescuer Tanya of special needs dogs – Poet’s Vision reached out to myself asking if BHRR could take in a blind 7 week old Maremma pup.

Poet’s Vision is in the same position as BHRR, a big financial crisis yet, together we made the commitment that we would work as a team to give this baby the best chance – we were told that the Breeder was planning on killing the pup – and so we would dig deep and then even deeper to step up to help. We then put a plan in place to rescue this puppy.

Poet’s Vision, if you do not already know them, takes in dogs like BHRR, as their mandate is also to assist special needs dogs – we focus on the giants and they the smaller dogs & we both have the same goal at heart. 98% of the dogs we help are special needs and same goes for them. There are extreme few groups that do this and we are so appreciative of all those that surround these dogs in our respective groups with their caring support…. 

With this kind of rescue comes not just huge time plus emotional responsibilities yet big financial responsibilities too. The commitment and heart that it takes to do this to the quality level necessary is immense.

This little girl was picked up yesterday and not long after it became very apparent that there was more than just blindness going on. She screams constantly while she is awake and turns to the right continually. We are not even sure at this point if she can hear. Her head is misshapen and almost swollen.

On behalf of this sweet baby if anyone has anything they may be able to spare, with the most heartfelt humbled thanks from my heart, we would be immensely thankful plus forever indebted….

Donations can be made to PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org or via email transfer to contactbhrr@gmail.com

Alta Vista Animal Hospital does not collect donations directly any longer.

This pic is of *Flower* laying on my chest at Alta Vista. The only time she is not screaming is when she sleeps….

We are also doing a thorough blood panel on her including UA.

We will post an update ASAP and I know Tanya has also posted a plea on her own group page – Poet’s Vision Aussie Rescue.

I know it is Good Friday and it is time to be with friends plus family and today, I am with part of my cherished rescue family at the Emergency Hospital and thank you to my human family at home for being understanding of where I am needed right now….

R/q rescue is about sacrifice and thank you Sean, Mason & Kinsley for being who you are….