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Branson's Medical Emergency:
Update from his foster mom
Branson came into our program at 5 weeks old. Now he has approached the 10-11 month mark. Around December/January we noticed that Branson was looking very thin. Thinking it was a parasite, we began the dewroming process. No parasites were present, and he stopped putting on weight. He was getting taller which made him look worse. Now he was just skin and bones. Upon taking him to the vet, and having xrays, it was thought that he had Megacolon Syndrome. Meaning that his body fills with fecal matter, and can't pass it thorough his body, causing mass amounts when it does pass. We changed his diet, and put him on a premium food. In my opinion he started to look better.
He then started to go downhill again. The decision was made to take him to K-State. Upon presentation to the staff there, they did not feel that it was Megacolon. They believed that it was Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficieny. Meaning that his pancreas is not functioning, causing his body not to be able to absorb protein. The reason why he appeared to gain weight, was do to a growth spurt, the weight was bone density. They took a blood sample and sent it out to get a diagnosis. When the result came back, it was negative. Now we are back where we started from. We are in the process of elimination, and we are doing everything that we can to try and save him. He is now on a perscription diet, in the hope that it will help him.
His blood levels will have to be monitored, for his liver and kidney function. We need to make sure that his internal organs do not become compromised.
Branson is one of 11 puppies, and they are all doing well. He is the only one that has this problem. On the body scale they are rated from 1 to 5, 5 being the ideal condition. Branson score is a 1. He appears to be nothing but skin and bones. His weight at this point is 31 pounds. The average weight of his siblings is about 50 pounds.
Branson is a very special dog. He has not been dealt a fair hand in life. On top of all of this, Branson was born deaf. Please do not say awwww poor dog. He is probably smarter, and more willing to please than my dogs that can hear. When you have his attention, he is rite on. It took alot of patience on my part to "deal" with him, but we made it. He knows most of his hand signals. He can sit,stay,lay down, and come. We still have our ups and downs, because do to his medical condition, it has been very hard to potty train him. It is not his fault, so there is no scolding. We deal with it,with a smile and a pat on the head. And say there is always tomorrow.
Please find it in your hearts to help us help him. He deserves to have a long and happy lfe free of pain. We need financial help to be able to continue to try and find a cure.
My Story:
Branson came to us along with his 10 brother's and sisters after being abandoned in a local shelter. When MABBR heard about this goup of 11 tiny babies we couldn't bare to see them all be put to sleep. Thanks to some very dedicated foster families, MABBR was able to take all 11 of these pups into our program. They have all been in foster care since August. They are getting tons of socialization and love. Each of them is growing up to be fantastic young dogs.
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