Saving Gator's Hip
Donation protected
On Monday, May 18th, we received a phone call no dog mom or dad wants to receive. It was from our neighbor... "You need to get home, Gator has been hit by a car."
My heart dropped and my mind raced with worst-case scenarios. When I arrived home, I could see Gator was not okay. He saw me and tried to give me his usual smile and happy greeting, but he couldn't stand to come to me. I could tell every fiber of him wanted to, but his body wouldn't allow it. The pain wouldn't allow him to move anything but his wagging tail.
My heart sank.
My neighbor gently helped Gator into my car, and I rushed him to the emergency veterinarian as fast as I could. As they wheeled Gator in on a stretcher, I knew things weren't ever going to be the same for my happy-go-lucky pup.
And I was right. Two hours later, I received a phone call. X-Rays had confirmed that Gator had a dislocated left hip. I was initially thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't broken, but as the veterinarian continued to explain, I realized this was nothing to feel lucky about.
The veterinarian recommended a closed reduction under anesthesia but warned me that the chances of his hip staying in place were a mere 25%. And, if his hip didn't stay in place, surgery would be indicated. Knowing that surgery wasn't a financial option for us, we decided to proceed with the closed reduction and hope like heck that his hip stayed in place.
Unfortunately, our hopes weren't fulfilled. Two days later, while taking him outside to go to the bathroom, he stepped wrong. That's all it took, and his hip had popped back out. I can still hear his yelps now.
We knew what this meant... Surgery would be necessary.
We called our local veterinarian and obtained quotes for the recommended surgery. There are two surgeries that are recommended. An open reduction, which would cost up to $5,000. Or, we could do a femoral head osteotomy (FHO) that would cost $3,000. Whether it's $3,000 or $5,000, neither option is feasible for us.
And that's why we're here. We need help to save Gator.
We know that it's a horrible time to be asking for help. Businesses are closing left and right, unemployment is at an all-time high, and there's so much uncertainty about the future for many of us.
But we have to try.
We have a baby on the way. And, although we are so thankful to be pregnant, we drained our savings to grow our little family. Not only this, but we have to consider all the future expenses that will come with a new baby.
Please help us save our pup. He is the sweetest boy and has his whole life ahead of him. He's only 6 months old. Our daughter, Claire, adores him. And, although she won't be able to lay on his back to hug him like she used to, she still wants the chance to grow up with her "Gator Boy" (as she calls him). His favorite thing is to give hugs, swim, play fetch, chase birds, and follow Claire around the yard. But his most favorite thing is to just be near his family.
Thank you for any help you're able to give, whether monetarily or through prayer. All is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Erik, Kim and Claire Iverson
My heart dropped and my mind raced with worst-case scenarios. When I arrived home, I could see Gator was not okay. He saw me and tried to give me his usual smile and happy greeting, but he couldn't stand to come to me. I could tell every fiber of him wanted to, but his body wouldn't allow it. The pain wouldn't allow him to move anything but his wagging tail.
My heart sank.
My neighbor gently helped Gator into my car, and I rushed him to the emergency veterinarian as fast as I could. As they wheeled Gator in on a stretcher, I knew things weren't ever going to be the same for my happy-go-lucky pup.
And I was right. Two hours later, I received a phone call. X-Rays had confirmed that Gator had a dislocated left hip. I was initially thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't broken, but as the veterinarian continued to explain, I realized this was nothing to feel lucky about.
The veterinarian recommended a closed reduction under anesthesia but warned me that the chances of his hip staying in place were a mere 25%. And, if his hip didn't stay in place, surgery would be indicated. Knowing that surgery wasn't a financial option for us, we decided to proceed with the closed reduction and hope like heck that his hip stayed in place.
Unfortunately, our hopes weren't fulfilled. Two days later, while taking him outside to go to the bathroom, he stepped wrong. That's all it took, and his hip had popped back out. I can still hear his yelps now.
We knew what this meant... Surgery would be necessary.
We called our local veterinarian and obtained quotes for the recommended surgery. There are two surgeries that are recommended. An open reduction, which would cost up to $5,000. Or, we could do a femoral head osteotomy (FHO) that would cost $3,000. Whether it's $3,000 or $5,000, neither option is feasible for us.
And that's why we're here. We need help to save Gator.
We know that it's a horrible time to be asking for help. Businesses are closing left and right, unemployment is at an all-time high, and there's so much uncertainty about the future for many of us.
But we have to try.
We have a baby on the way. And, although we are so thankful to be pregnant, we drained our savings to grow our little family. Not only this, but we have to consider all the future expenses that will come with a new baby.
Please help us save our pup. He is the sweetest boy and has his whole life ahead of him. He's only 6 months old. Our daughter, Claire, adores him. And, although she won't be able to lay on his back to hug him like she used to, she still wants the chance to grow up with her "Gator Boy" (as she calls him). His favorite thing is to give hugs, swim, play fetch, chase birds, and follow Claire around the yard. But his most favorite thing is to just be near his family.
Thank you for any help you're able to give, whether monetarily or through prayer. All is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Erik, Kim and Claire Iverson
Organizer
Kimberly Iverson
Organizer
Montesano, WA