Help Dixie beat the odds
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Hello everyone, I am helping to fundraise for a dear friend who's is an animal lover just like myself and my husband. For those of you with pets, you know they are more than that, they are family. We will go to great lengths to do whatever we can for them and however we can. We will exhauste all outlets and take out as many loans as we can to pay for for medical bills. We will put our animals first and hold off on buying things for ourselves because our family members need it more.
Please take a few moments to read Dixie's story. It is remarkable and a tear jerker, have tissues ready. The photos might seem "graphic" but this is Dixie's reality, they are photos of her journey and her healing process.
Meet Dixie!!
Dixie is a 6 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a lovely kind girl that has the most amazing strength and will to live. Dixie started having seizures when she was 14 months old, they were controlled with medication for a few years. Sadly each seizure takes its toll on her, but she is such a fighter. In 2019 Dixie suffered from acute pancreatitis that required 4 days in ICU at a Mississauga emergency hospital. Against all odds, she survived.
This past January Dixie had a run of uncontrollable seizures that landed her in the care of OVC ( University of Guelph ) neurology department. She had an MRI that revealed that she only has 10% brain matter. Again, she carries on like a happy little girl despite the odds. In February 2021 Dixie was a passenger in a car accident that sadly she suffered a concussion which caused a small bleed into her brain cavity. As a result of the surplus of fluid she required a shunt to be placed in her brain to drain her cerebral fluid as the pressure was causing her to lose the ability to walk. The shunt was placed at the top of her skull and a tube was inserted down the length of her body so the fluid could drain into her belly. This procedure landed her in ICU for 10 days. During the stay in ICU Dixie's liver enzyme count went soaring through the roof which hindered her recovery. She was treated with antibiotics that seemed to help.
In September of this year Dixie took a turn for the worst. She had another run of uncontrollable seizures that landed her in ICU once again at OVC. After some extensive tests the team at OVC had discovered that she had bacterial meningitis, and a worsening liver condition. At this point we all figured her future was bleak. She could not walk, she could not see well either.
Upon being discharged from OVC Dixie was not walking or eating on her own. Nobody was confident that she was going to survive. Shockingly after weeks of force feeding her, and carrying her to the yard to do her business one day she literally just got up and walked, then she ate. In the interim of all of this Dixie lost 30 pounds and was skin and bones. With 24 hour home care and many slow cooked roasts ( she likes roast beef ) she managed to put the weight back on and was fine. Dixie remarkable beat the meningitis even though the death rate is 80% in normal dogs. Her antibiotic was $700/month
Many have asked why I didn't put her down and my answer is this: I am a pet owner, I signed up to be a pet owner. I will never put an animal down over money, I will starve myself before I let an animal go. She is a fighter, she has been faced with death half a dozen times and she has chosen to stay. Dixie's vet bills alone have surpassed 50k this year, her meds are $375. per month. I have exhausted my savings, I am struggling now.
Thank you for taking the time to read Dixie's story. I appreciate every little bit of help given, no amount is too small.
Organizer
Daniella Scuglia
Organizer
Hamilton, ON