Give Bair Hugs
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We need help raising money for our dog Bair's heartbreaking circumstance and treatment. Yes, we know $15,000 sounds like a lot of money, and trust me it is! While putting most of our other expenses on the back-burner, we have managed to scrape together $6,000 in order for Bair to continue to be treated at ISU College of Veterinary Medicine. Here is our story and a breakdown of all of his personal medical expenses since this nightmare began on February 16, 2021
On Tuesday afternoon 2/16, Bair was taken to his primary veterinarian for recent eye irritation and lethargy. We were told that there didn’t appear to be a laceration, no visible damage to his eye, and that the redness and swelling could be signs of allergies. We were instructed to give him eye drops twice a day and ointment in that eye before bed.
By the next day, 2/17, his eye seemed to be clearing up a bit, however his lethargy worsened and so did his demeanor. Upon following up with the vet, she suggested that he could have an infection, thus prescribing an antibiotic. Although his appetite had dwindled over the past 24 hours, Bair received his first dose of antibiotic with food as directed. The medication followed shortly by vomiting. Being reassured that the medication is heavy on the stomach, we stayed up with him all night as he continued to vomit.
As morning approached on Thursday 2/18, Bair developed tiny purple spots on his belly that quickly spread to the rest of his body. We later learned that this is called petechiae and is actually tiny bruises. The first sign of ITP. I’ll get to that later.
The next stop was the Urgent Care Emergency Clinic. At first their fear was; What did he eat? Did he get into something that he shouldn’t have? Does he have an obstruction? Is it chemical poisoning? What if it’s Leukemia? Everyone involved quickly became distraught. With the clinic unable to conduct further tests, we were directed to VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center and told that they should be able to offer more comprehensive diagnostics.
We raced to the VCA and waited in the car for the techs to receive Bair. We explained everything from the beginning and they took him inside. One whole agonizing hour later, while waiting in the parking lot, we got a call from the Emergency Vet informing us that Bair is in a life threatening condition. His red blood cell count was exceedingly low and he would need a blood transfusion immediately. Only then can extensive blood be performed. The problem is, there’s not a single facility in Omaha that is equipped to administer a canine blood transfusion. Our only options within timely reach were Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine or Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine, both roughly 3 hours drive from Omaha. We chose ISU and the Doctor urgently, sent us on our way, wasting no time on discharge paperwork. Our baby was fragile and dying.
We pulled up to the College about 7pm, where they were already anticipating our arrival. They rushed Bair into the Hospital and we were sent, again, to wait in the parking lot for an uncertain phone call. This time we were given some kind of diagnosis; ITP. There’s that acronym again. ITP, or Immune thrombocytopenia, is a disorder that leads to excessive bleeding and/or bruising because platelets; the cells that aid the clotting process, are being attacked by the immune system. Basically our poor little guy is internally bleeding, for no apparent reason. Our hearts collapse. Sidenote, he also appears to have a tiny obstruction in his small intestine that has scraped along his digestional tract, perforating it along the way. Now, this obstruction is so small and insignificant that none of us, including Bair, would have even known it existed. He would have passed it easily, had he not had this autoimmune disorder that is making him extremely susceptible to bleeding out... For no apparent reason.
Before discussing the proposed treatment in depth we are greeted with the financial burden that follows the care. The first projected cost of treatment was between 4 to $6,000, and before they could begin treatment we would be required to put down a payment of half of the higher estimated amount; $3,000. We began scrounging together every penny we could find, and the Bair received both a blood transfusion as well as an artificial platelet transfusion.
Friday morning we received an update that Bair responded well to the blood transfusion, meaning no adverse reaction, however, his red blood cell count had not improved, he was still losing platelets and would also need surgery to remove the obstruction. New estimated medical expense; 6 to $10,000. We would need to cough up another $2,000 to continue treatment.
Everything became risky as the Doctors prepared Bair for surgery. They were facing two different issues, and attempting to resolve one, made the other far worse. They needed him to be stable enough for surgery which meant boosting his immune system. Yes, the same immune system that is attacking his platelets and causing him to bleed uncontrollably. At the same time they needed to lower his immune system so that he was able to hold on to what little platelets he had in order to stop bleeding. It was a catch 22.
More to come...
* 2/16 -
Vet Visit-
$139 PAID
* 2/17-
Follow up + prescriptions-
$118 PAID
* 2/18 -
Urgent Care Emergency Clinic
Exam + Bloodwork-
$700 PAID
VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center-
Comprehensive diagnostics and advanced radiology interpretation-
$977 PAID
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Blood Transfusion + Artificial Platelet Transfusion
$3,000 PAID
*2/19 -
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
2nd Round Blood Transfusion + Artificial Platelet Transfusion
$2,000 PAID
On Tuesday afternoon 2/16, Bair was taken to his primary veterinarian for recent eye irritation and lethargy. We were told that there didn’t appear to be a laceration, no visible damage to his eye, and that the redness and swelling could be signs of allergies. We were instructed to give him eye drops twice a day and ointment in that eye before bed.
By the next day, 2/17, his eye seemed to be clearing up a bit, however his lethargy worsened and so did his demeanor. Upon following up with the vet, she suggested that he could have an infection, thus prescribing an antibiotic. Although his appetite had dwindled over the past 24 hours, Bair received his first dose of antibiotic with food as directed. The medication followed shortly by vomiting. Being reassured that the medication is heavy on the stomach, we stayed up with him all night as he continued to vomit.
As morning approached on Thursday 2/18, Bair developed tiny purple spots on his belly that quickly spread to the rest of his body. We later learned that this is called petechiae and is actually tiny bruises. The first sign of ITP. I’ll get to that later.
The next stop was the Urgent Care Emergency Clinic. At first their fear was; What did he eat? Did he get into something that he shouldn’t have? Does he have an obstruction? Is it chemical poisoning? What if it’s Leukemia? Everyone involved quickly became distraught. With the clinic unable to conduct further tests, we were directed to VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center and told that they should be able to offer more comprehensive diagnostics.
We raced to the VCA and waited in the car for the techs to receive Bair. We explained everything from the beginning and they took him inside. One whole agonizing hour later, while waiting in the parking lot, we got a call from the Emergency Vet informing us that Bair is in a life threatening condition. His red blood cell count was exceedingly low and he would need a blood transfusion immediately. Only then can extensive blood be performed. The problem is, there’s not a single facility in Omaha that is equipped to administer a canine blood transfusion. Our only options within timely reach were Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine or Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine, both roughly 3 hours drive from Omaha. We chose ISU and the Doctor urgently, sent us on our way, wasting no time on discharge paperwork. Our baby was fragile and dying.
We pulled up to the College about 7pm, where they were already anticipating our arrival. They rushed Bair into the Hospital and we were sent, again, to wait in the parking lot for an uncertain phone call. This time we were given some kind of diagnosis; ITP. There’s that acronym again. ITP, or Immune thrombocytopenia, is a disorder that leads to excessive bleeding and/or bruising because platelets; the cells that aid the clotting process, are being attacked by the immune system. Basically our poor little guy is internally bleeding, for no apparent reason. Our hearts collapse. Sidenote, he also appears to have a tiny obstruction in his small intestine that has scraped along his digestional tract, perforating it along the way. Now, this obstruction is so small and insignificant that none of us, including Bair, would have even known it existed. He would have passed it easily, had he not had this autoimmune disorder that is making him extremely susceptible to bleeding out... For no apparent reason.
Before discussing the proposed treatment in depth we are greeted with the financial burden that follows the care. The first projected cost of treatment was between 4 to $6,000, and before they could begin treatment we would be required to put down a payment of half of the higher estimated amount; $3,000. We began scrounging together every penny we could find, and the Bair received both a blood transfusion as well as an artificial platelet transfusion.
Friday morning we received an update that Bair responded well to the blood transfusion, meaning no adverse reaction, however, his red blood cell count had not improved, he was still losing platelets and would also need surgery to remove the obstruction. New estimated medical expense; 6 to $10,000. We would need to cough up another $2,000 to continue treatment.
Everything became risky as the Doctors prepared Bair for surgery. They were facing two different issues, and attempting to resolve one, made the other far worse. They needed him to be stable enough for surgery which meant boosting his immune system. Yes, the same immune system that is attacking his platelets and causing him to bleed uncontrollably. At the same time they needed to lower his immune system so that he was able to hold on to what little platelets he had in order to stop bleeding. It was a catch 22.
More to come...
* 2/16 -
Vet Visit-
$139 PAID
* 2/17-
Follow up + prescriptions-
$118 PAID
* 2/18 -
Urgent Care Emergency Clinic
Exam + Bloodwork-
$700 PAID
VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center-
Comprehensive diagnostics and advanced radiology interpretation-
$977 PAID
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Blood Transfusion + Artificial Platelet Transfusion
$3,000 PAID
*2/19 -
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
2nd Round Blood Transfusion + Artificial Platelet Transfusion
$2,000 PAID
Fundraising team: Life is unBAIRable without you ❤️ (2)
Laura Jehlik
Organizer
Omaha, NE
Bair Skin
Beneficiary
Ali Ferry
Team member