Join Shady's Journey to Recovery

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Pawportunities Inc., and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Pawportunities Inc.: Pawportunities is saving lives through animal welfare by impacting lives of animals and peoples. We save animals from unfortunate situations and provide needed medical treatment. Work in conjunction with local food banks to provide families with needed animal food and supplies. Are the contracted Animal Control agency for our local community. Work in the local school system educating youth on animal welfare topics. We foster and adopt over 1000 animals annually to new and loving homes.

This is the story of shady and why he needs help

Shady came to us as a breeder release. We were told he had been adopted out twice, and returned. He had surgery to open up his nasal passages, neuter, and cleft palate surgery sometime before he came into our care. We were told the only food he could keep down is Fresh Pet, and he came with a months worth.

The Fresh Pet only food definitely caused concern for us. Why would he only be able to keep Fresh Pet food down, and nothing else? We immediately consulted a vet, and were advised a few different options to try. We tried various kinds of wet food, we moistened dry kibble, we used a slow feeder, we tried small portions throughout the day- Shady couldn’t keep any of it down. Immediately upon consumption he would regurgitate everything back up within minutes. Which we realize now is why he was returned twice. The breeder had taken him to a vet to have this seen, but nothing could be determined from it.

We took Shady to K-State last night with hopes they could help figure out what’s going on with him. After conducting a scope, they discovered he has a sliding hiatal hernia. Additionally, Shady has aspiration pneumonia from the severity of regurgitation. The vet said she has never seen a case this severe.

Shady was born on November 22, 2022, so he has suffered from this for over a year and three months. Each and every time he drinks, eats, or gets a treat, his stomach slides through his diaphragm and into his esophagus in his chest. In French Bulldogs, this is usually due to incomplete fusion of the diaphragm during development. Shady happens to have an unusually severe case, and the significant and constant regurgitation has prevented him from holding much food and water down for his whole life and lead to his inability to gain weight/poor body condition.

There is a corrective surgery available, that will change the quality of Shady’s life. The estimate for the surgery is $5,500. This poor baby has already suffered through his entire existence, we really want to help give him a new, healthy start to life. Please help donate to Shady’s care so we can get him the care he has so desperately needed for over a year. If you can’t donate, please share, and like this post. When each of us does a little, we can accomplish a lot!