Little baby Babs needs surgery!

Hi all, it's been a while since I started a platform on here- that's not because there have been no fosters, believe me there have been many. This foster is a special little girl who truly needs our help!

"Babs" is an eight-week old poodle mix who came into my life about two weeks ago. She has a condition called a vascular ring anomaly (VRA) or persistent right aortic arch (PRAA, a variety of VRA). This is a condition where a vessel coming from the aorta does not atrophy as it is supposed to before birth. The redundant vessel constricts the esophagus at the level of the heart base. This results in a focal megaesophagus (ME).

Patients with this condition often develop intractable regurgitation - i.e. the inability to hold down ANY solid food, often when they are weaned off of their dam. Little Babs developed regurgitation around 5-6 weeks of age when her breeder was weaning the puppies onto gruel. She was able to hold down milk, but unable to hold down any semi-solid food. She started to fall behind her littermates in size and stature, and that was when her breeder brought her in to my hospital. Radiographs taken that day with her primary vet revealed the abnormality.

Surgical intervention to resect the abnormal vessel is the BEST option to return to normal or semi-normal function and is crucial for allowing the patient to reach a normal body condition, as chronic regurgitation is not sustainable for normal life. CT scan is recommended prior to surgery as there are multiple variations of VRA, some of which as less common BUT they are approached differently during surgery. Some patients will unfortunately retain some degree of abnormal esophageal function, however Babs has many of the positive prognostic indicators for a good outcome (~90% of dogs who undergo the surgical procedure WILL have a good outcome!!).

After reviewing all of this with the previous owner/breeder, as well as costs, etc. they were unable to pursue that option. Humane euthanasia was discussed, but given the opportunity Babs may have with a third option- i.e. surrender to rescue, her previous owner/breeder selflessly elected that option for Babs. I have been fostering her ever since, with smaller feedings every 2-4 hours throughout the day and then maintaining her in an upright (i.e. humanoid position) for at least 20-30 minutes afterwards. As you can imagine, this has been very time consuming for me (an active ER veterinarian/Emergency Resident) and my coworkers and friends have been very supportive during this entire process, especially with crate and potty training (and lots of puppy barking). She has been doing well, is a sweet, smart little girl, and I know that CT scan and surgery are realistically the only options for her to have a good outcome. I hope that she will go on to be a loved family member to an active family in the future after she has recovered from the procedure, hopefully with minimal (if any) long-lasting side effects.

The procedures needed cost anywhere from $4000- $6000, and ideally will be done in the next two weeks. ANY donations help!!! All donations go directly to the rescue facilitating Babs' journey, Runaways Animal Rescue, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me!