Buddy Dog Report

Buddy went and tore his other ACL last night. This time we are fortunately able to afford his surgery and the surgeon was available to do the surgery today. We haven't got him back from the vet yet, but the prognosis is good. He has been down this road before with his other leg and this time we were able to get to the surgery immediately.
I wanted to once again thank everyone who helped Buddy pay for his surgery three years ago. I figured all of y'all wonderful folks would appreciate the update and knowing that he will be ok this time around.


So how did the goof-ball do it this time?
He was running around the yard, at warp speed acting the fool and having a blast. It is such a shame just being a dog and doing what dogs do has such a taxing effect on his legs. Poor guy. But the veterinarian surgeon that fixed the leg the last time expected to see this happen in the other leg. And the surgeon doing the surgery today is the same guy who did the wonderful job on Buddy's other leg. So we are confident that the big guy is in good hands.

So PSA time:
.
Spay or neuter your pets.
Adopt a rescue. (Buddy was a street rescue and he has been the best dog ever.)
If you can donate time at your local pet rescue or veterinarians clinic.

Tomorrow's Buddy's big day!

Tomorrow (Tues 8/13/12) is Buddy's surgery, so today I finished his crate. He's sleeping in it now, and thank goodness doesn't seem to mind it too much.
I cut up an old memory foam mattress topper that we had laying around and stacked two layers of that to fill the whole crate. Then I put his familiar bed (which is a bit smaller) on top of that, and covered all three layers in an old sheet (that I don't care about, so if he messes it up or tears it...no big deal.)
We've got a nice new bed coming in the mail that I found online, and while it's big enough for this crate, it's meant for a dog that weights less than Buddy which is why I intended to keep these memory foam pads under it so he doesn't just sink to the ground.
I put it in our bedroom for the time being so that he's in the quietest part of the house. After about a week post op I think I'll move it into the living room so he can be around everyone.


Just for size comparison...here's Lily in the middle of the crate:


And here's Buddy in it. He's not panting or seeming stressed to be there, so that's a good sign. I only plan to have him in for a few hours at most today, just so he can get used to the space. We'll put a small food and water bowl outside the back wall, and it's enough space for him to stick his head through for water or food. That way he won't knock it over inside his crate.


He'll go in first thing Tuesday for surgery and stay at the vets for observation for two days. I'm so nervous for him. He doesn't handle medicine or medical treatment very well...or hasn't in the past. I'm hoping he'll do fine! I have never been without him in this house...this will be very weird. (I've been without him when we travel, but never at home.)

Buddy's new crate/kennel

Yesterday and today I worked on Buddy's new crate. He had a metal one as a puppy but he out grew it very quickly, and he's such a mellow guy that we generally trust him to behave at home and not need to crate him. We tried to see if he still fit but...nope. He's too big, and can't turn around in that crate. So I had to buy or make him a new one. I had wood laying around and didn't need for anything...so it make the most sense to make one rather than buy one.
I intended it to be big enough for him to lay completely stretched out on his side, and be able to turn around easily; as he'll be limping or hopping post surgery.
I had to rearrange the house a little bit because our home is very very small and the crate is 46in x 33in. I also can't finish it until it's time to use it, because it won't fit through the doorway! Thank goodness I thought of that before finishing the front and the top. Here it is in progress:


I wanted to give Buddy a chance to get used to it some...and as soon as I saw him start stress panting I remembered how much he hates being crated. Oh boy. I can only hope it's somewhat better for him post surgery as he'll have been kenneled at the vet for 48hrs before coming home. I'll also have plenty of treats ready to stuff his kong with and crawl in and snuggle him. The slats on the walls are actually wide enough that he can stick his head out and get water or food. So I don't need to keep those in his crate with him. I'm also hoping to get him a new large bed that will fill the whole space, and be much fluffier and nicer than his current bed.

My buddy needs your help ~Sevan

Cyndi and I don't have any children...we were both sterile before starting transition, and we're certainly sterile now after years of transition hormones. 

We do have fur babies though. Our oldest is Lily (dog) and she's been through just about everything with us. She's our therapy dog...always helpful, always happy, always cuddly. 

We've got two cats; Mo and Meep. Funny as cats always are. 

Then there's Buddy. Buddy came to us by accident. Running around a busy street. We took him in and started to find his home...to no avail. We looked around for a foster home, or shelter that might take him. None would without putting him to sleep because he's part pitbull. We couldn't let that happen. He was such a sweet adorable guy...friendly, smart and playful. He didn't deserve to die!! 

So we kept him. He's been a great pal to me in my darkest times and in my happiest times. He's my hiking pal, he's my snuggly guy, he likes to sit in people's lap (all 95lbs of him!!) he'll lick your face and he's a gentle giant. 

We never planned to add him to our family...but the Universe has provided for him, and we've loved him. Now he's gone and wrecked his body a bit as he ran around in the sun....he's completely torn his ACL ligament in his knee. He needs surgery...and soon.

I know that these are tough times right now...and everyone is hard pressed for money. We're selling what we can, and saving where we can to afford this surgery for my boy. The sooner we can get his surgery taken care of, the better. It will cost us $900, and we're about 1/9 the way there so far. He's in pain...and it breaks my heart. That money will cover the cost of his surgery, his stay at the vet after surgery and his post op visit.

If you can find it in your heart to donate anything...even just $5 we would be eternally grateful.

It's so hard for me to ask for help. It's not like me. However, one can never expect help if one can't swallow pride, and ask for help. So this is my plea. For my boy. 

*No more donations are needed! I've removed the button because we've met our goal. Thank you, thank you to those that were able to help us!!!*

Soon I'll also be offering "Friends of Buddy" patches that I'll make and offer in my Etsy shop. That way, you can have something for your $, if you wish. I'll put a link up for them as soon as I'm done with them.

Thank you for reading, please share this so as many people can see it, and hopefully we can get Buddy taken care of as soon as possible!

Any funds we recieve above and beyond Buddy's needs will be donated to ASPCA

*EDITED* I just got a call from the vet and Buddy has surgery scheduled for Aug 14th. I really hope we can raise enough funds by then. Thank you so much to those who have already donated, and/or shared this post!!!