Help Oliver Heal
Update 9/27: THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE DONATED! WE REACHED OUR GOAL! This is so incredibly helpful at such a difficult time for Serena, Jeffrey and Oliver. In case anyone else wants to donate who hasn't had a chance yet, we'll leave this active for another week or so. But we are sending virtual hugs to all of you- Oliver will have his vet bills covered for awhile now- he has to go frequently for check ups so those add up! We are moved by your generosity and so thankful.
Pupdate 9/26/20:
In the last 24 hours I’d say Oliver has improved 150 percent!
When he came home he couldn’t walk, wouldn’t move at all, slept 23 and a half hours of the day. I had to hold him up to potty. He has brain swelling (traumatic brain injury), if he’s startled or moved too fast his eyes start to rapidly move back and forth. He’ll get dizzy and fall over. He would barely eat. His wounds behind both ears are stapled closed, he had a massive edema on his neck, which is draining into his ear canal. They wanted to put him under to put in a drainage tube, but knew he wouldn’t make it. His entire head was purple and swollen. His right eye was substantially larger than his left and it couldn’t track you or blink. We are giving him meds, eye drops, warm compresses, and lots of love every three hours all day and night long.
Now:
Because we have the strongest old doggy in the world -those things are still true, BUT with us stabilizing him and the help of a supportive leash he’s walking!!! Just wobbly. Jeffrey
has been making Oliver smoothies of bone broth, rice and wet dog food and he’s eating!! Plus his swelling is going down. We have another recheck on Monday, but for the first time in over a week I feel confident saying he’s going to live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We still have a long way to go, but I’m just so relieved I didn’t lose him.
What happened:
On Friday 9/18 Oliver was attacked by a Pit Bull. He spent 3 days in the ICU at the University of MN vet hospital. He’s home now but requires 24 hour care, as he has brain swelling, many wounds around his head, can't stand yet on his own, and can't blink one of his eyes. It is a round the clock, 2 person job to care for him at the moment. Serena has had to take the week off of work, and Oliver may require further surgeries. Serena and Jeffrey are of course exhausted but encouraged by the little bits of progress Oliver has made so far.
The owner of the pit bull is helping with some of the vet bills, but the lost work and complications that this is causing will mean many future trips to the vet as well. Oliver is a magical little therapy dog who has done so much for his mom. Now we want to repay him by taking great care of him and helping him heal. Any amount you are able to contribute is helpful and so appreciated!
From Serena: He’s not out of the woods yet, so please please send him all your healing thoughts and love. If you know me, you know my whole heart belongs to this little fluff. He is my family and my child. He just has to be okay.