That Girl Pearl

I am starting this campaign on behalf of my cousin, Jim, and his fiance, Jen, to assist with the medical bills for their kid with paws, Pearl. This is Jim, Jen and Pearl...
Pearl is one of their four rescue dogs. She was very lucky to find her way into not only their home, but their hearts. 
Unfortunately, finding her furever home was not the end of her battle. Here is Pearl's story...

Pearl, their little bully girl, has had many obstacles to overcome in her life. Before joining their family, she was not well cared for, and her health suffered horribly. By the age of one, Pearl had a whole litter of puppies pass away in utero. Abandoned at a rural veterinarian, Pearl’s tiny body was almost completely septic. The kind doctors and nurses saw Pearly’s fighting spirit and sweet nature, and fought tirelessly toward recovery. Though the odds were stacked against her, Pearl survived. 

Proudly displaying a body-long scar, Pearl slowly began to recover. She not only had battle medical issues, but Pearl was also very depressed over the loss of her babies. The staff knew something had to be done to ease the poor girl’s spirits. Miraculously, the answer presented itself soon thereafter. Another tragedy at the vet had left a new litter of puppies without a mother. Pearl’s maternal instincts kicked right in. She nursed the litter to health; nursing and healing her spirit in the process. 

Pearl went to Jim and Jen as a foster from LoveMuttsRescue in Raleigh, NC about a month following her surgery. She was recovering from her surgery incisions, but also suffered from stress related mange which made most of her fur fall out. The bald, pink, Pearly had to be carried up and down stairs, and was cautious, but desperate for love. As time went on, Pearly became the crazy, loud, and treat-obsessed baby that made them proud to be called “foster failures!”

About a year later, they noticed that Pearl was beginning to lose significant amounts of weight. This observation marked the beginning of an endless quest for answers. While their girl battled through various health issues, they sought out second, third, and fourth opinions. Each veterinarian gave a different diagnosis, prognosis, diets and medications. Some of the medications worked for a while, but shortly after, the negative symptoms would return. This went on for about 8 months. Pearl was now down from her typical weight of around 45 lbs, to 28 lbs. She had very little energy, but kept her sweet nature. Her tail kept wagging through it all. 

Jim and Jen decided to stop looking to local vets, and in the beginning of this month (April 2016),  had Pearl admitted to the NC State Veterinary Hospital in the ICU. They were blown away by the dedication, attention, and love the staff at NC State gave their family. They immediately began testing, and were soon able to correctly diagnose Pearl’s condition as Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Pearl also had hookworms, anemia, an eye infection, and associated ailments. The fact that her diagnosis was TREATABLE was the greatest news Jim and Jen had received regarding Pearl's condition. 

Pearl stayed in the ICU for six days. Jen and Jim went to the visiting hours around the clock. Their admiration for the staff at NC State is incomparable. They felt so lucky to be able to place their baby in the hands of people they think of as our heroes. On 4/10/16, they were able to bring Pearl on her “freedom ride” home. Her fellow four legged brothers and sister were thrilled to have their family back together again. 

Pearl and Lily...
Little Peter, Big Peter and Pearl...

After just five short days at home, Pearl developed a bad bacterial infection, and is back in the ICU at NC State. She knows they will take great care of her there, but that this will be an uphill battle. She is ready to fight, and to get back home in her sunny spot as soon as possible.