Katalina's Story.

Katalina and PMR would like to say a special thanks to the following people who have donated towards her medical needs: Christina Roy, Toni Webb, Melissa Thorpe, Sandi Ritchie, Michelle Wisz, Joel and Suzanne Brood, and Shelly Reed. Sherri Mossop. Leda Lively and C Talton.

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Update July 17th 2002

Here is one of our more current pics. You can't tell but Kat has
a leaf in her mouth. She has all but destroyed the lily in the
pot...she's been pulling the leaves off one by one...little stinker!!
Mick likes to be her partner in crime!

Suzanne

A very happy ending. I drove to Nashville TN on Saturday and met Katalina's new mommy, daddy, and fur sibs.

Here are some pics that I took while I was there. The first meeting with my new mommy.
Note: The tri colored chi is PMR Mickey that has been home for about a year. Mickey and Kat have a having a ball chasing one another once they got settled in at home.

UPDATE 4/4/02

Well I finally got hold of the specialist that did Katalina's surgery. He had been on vacation.

He said that the results were very good and if they did not improve any from their current levels that she would still have a normal life expectancy but she would have to remain on the liver diet food. We are reducing the amount of lactulose that she takes to a level that allows her a formed stool.

He wants another test ran on the 20th of this month to see how she is doing.

He says that there is a possibility when they close off with the ring that the body will form a secondary shunt. But even if that has happened her levels indicate that she can survive with it. The other way to close off the shunt would have been to tied off the shunt and there is risk that this could have caused the liver to totally shut down. So they opted for the lesser of the two evils and used the ring.

So everyone say some big prayers that the next results also show a big improvement over this last one.

Here are a few new pics of her.

Robin

UPDATE 3/23/02

Boy did she grow!....... blood work reports on Monday but Katalina is doing so well thanks to all who helped this puppy feel the joy of living with out sickness and pain.

Well we are still waiting for the official report, but the message on my answering machine said that the premeal results of the bile acid test were within normal range and the after meal results were 105, normal is less than 25. Her pre-surgery results were 255.5 premeal and over 300 after meal, 300 being the highest number on the scale and her results were off the chart at that time.

Once I get the official results, they will go to the specialist who will tell us what they mean. We were told that it takes approximately 6 weeks for the ring to close the shunt. So I just have to be patient until I get the official results to take into Dr Allan.

In the meantime, Katalina is growing and is one feisty girl. She is up to 6.6 pounds and rough houses with one of the other pups here that weighs about 14 pounds.
Its hard to believe this is the same pup in the pictures below taken only a month ago.

UPDATE 2/23/02

My PALS are Lou & Marilyn Flores, and Chip, Coco, Copper & Candi & Corky (PMR's) - thanks!

Katalina is actually feeling a little better today. She thinks she is being punished by being kept in the playpen. She ate over 2 cups of food today. Her stool is soft but not loose. She wants attention and does her little whining cry to get you to come to her. She is still a little leery of being picked up. We figure that this is from her incision being sensitive.

Dr Allan called today to check up on her. He nicknamed her, Little Bit, while she was there.

Katalina wants to give a big thank you to the following people who donated to her surgery fund today:

Annette Stollman, Toni Webb, Roberta Metalious, Dominga Hults, Elaine Apinis, and Melissa Thorpe and Judith O'Kane.

Katalina's fund is up to $775 with today's donations.

Attached are some pictures taken today.

UPDATE 2/20/02 She is home.

Date: Wed Feb 20, 2002 8:39 pm
Subject: Katalina is home

I picked up Katalina this evening. She is sore but still a little trouper. She whimpered on the trip home. As soon as I put her in her playpen, she had to potty. She then walked around a bit while I got her bed ready and her food bowl ready. Soon as I sat the food bowl down, she decided to eat a bit of it. I have attached some pics and will take some of her incision once my daughter gets home to hold her.

They said that she still has some diarrhea but have now determined that she also had giardia and that it flared up from the stress. I am going to have to read up on this one as her prior stools were fine and also her fecals were negative. They checked the stool as I told them that we have seen several that have tested negative come up positive for coccidia after getting stressed. So she is one meds for the giardia and hopefully that will get under control within the next few days on the meds.

Katalina has to stay on the Hill's LD until her bile acid test are within the normal range. She has to be tested in 1 month and then at 2 months. She is also on the lactalose until that time.

Katalina and PMR would like to say a special thanks to the following people who have donated towards her medical needs: Christina Roy, Toni Webb, Melissa Thorpe, Sandi Ritchie, Michelle Wisz, Joel and Suzanne Brood, and Shelly Reed. Sherri Mossop. Leda Lively and C Talton. Leda Lively and C. Talton

The total cost of her surgery and care at Associated Veterinary Specialists is $1767.37 after they made some adjustments to reduce the costs. If you can spare a little towards her medical fund click here.
Robin

ADOPTION PENDING

She is only 4.2 pounds a sweetheart Italian Greyhound aged 4 months, we thought she had Distemper....NO its Liver Shunt and so serious without surgery she will die. SEE ABOVE.

Donate to honor Dear friends..