We need a new hip for Stormy. He’s the BEST!

Some of you who receive this may already know some, parts, or all of the story. For those who do not let me introduce you to Stormageddon, The Dark Lord of All aka "Stormy". Don't let his grim-sounding name scare you or dissuade you from helping out. Storm is a 2 1/2 yr old fluffy and friendly St. Bernard. Stormy is the 2nd St. Bernard in the family, so they are no strangers to the issues that may befall a giant breed dog.

Stormy is a purebred Saint they purchased from a breeder who made statements to the effect that:Quoting from their web (Facebook) FAQ

"· Are registered with AKC (American Kennel Club)"

"· Do not have history of hip dysplasia or any other genetic health issues"

"· Previous litters (from our Saint parents) do not have any history of hip dysplasia or any other genetic health issues"

There were a couple of testimonials and they thought nothing of the issue and reasonably relied upon the statement. They picked out one of the pups and put down a deposit, later paying quite a bit of money for him and taking him home to meet everyone.

Unfortunately, they took it on face value that those statements were true and now have found themselves with a vet bill of over $9000, excluding the costs I know they have already expensed up to this point. 

As a puppy, Stormy was like all puppies, very playful and excited to see people and have a good time rolling around and playing in the yard. They noticed early after his 1st birthday or so that he was not a big fan of going on walks, even just around the block. They thought nothing of it at the time and knew Saints were somewhat lazy, sometimes stubborn dogs. Towards the next birthday, they noticed he would limp a bit and not put pressure on his left leg, but it wasn't often, so they chalked it up to a minor issue.

Eventually, it became more frequent, and they took him to the vet, who initially diagnosed a sprain, gave him some medication, and ordered less activity (not sure how you can get any less active, lol). The issue did not subside, so they had xrays ordered, and the complete picture of the problem was obvious. Stormy's left hip never developed, and his right hip socket was not fully formed either. They sent the xrays off to a specialist in Frederick (Skylos), who multiple vets and others highly recommended. He was examined thoroughly by Dr. Peter Lotsikas, and his staff at Sklos (https://www.skylossportsmedicine.com). Dr. Lotsikas reviewed the xrays and noted significant muscle atrophy because Stormy carries all his weight on his front two legs. He confirmed this is a genetic issue; unfortunately, the only options were a life of pain or a hip replacement.

Skylos was founded in 2015 by Dr. Lotsikas and is the leader in their field. Skylos works up a flat fee guaranteed follow-up without additional costs. The total bill for Stormy would be a total of $9590.00. 

They, unfortunately, do not have a pile of money stashed in the walls of their house or a rich uncle to call. They have always been generous with others, sometimes to a fault, and hope that generosity will be revisited upon them. I know it is humbling and it pains them to ask for help from others. They, however, in this case, are asking on behalf of little (well, not so little) Stormy. Let Stormy know if you have some spare change, a dollar or two, or a rich uncle we can borrow for a bit. 

If we raise more than needed for the procedure by some miracle, we will donate any remaining funds to local animal charities such as For Otis Sake and The Washington County Humane Society, etc. Feel free to suggest others. Thank you for reading all of this. Please feel free to forward and share this story.