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Please help Cavalier puppy with hydrocephalus.

F

Fionna

Member
royston_10fortreduced.jpg

Royston, Roi to his pals, is from a backyard breeder & will suffer irreparable brain damage & death if not helped.
Roi has Hydrocephalus and a quadrigeminal cyst.
He had an MRI san and assessment, on 17th February, costing £1,300. Confirming that he needs life saving surgery, to remove the cyst, and fit him with a shunt to drain the fluid.

This will cost a further £5,000 - £5,000

I know it’s a lot of money to spend on one dog, but can you look him in the eyes & tell him his life is not worth it? - I certainly can’t. It really is worth the effort to get his operation done. Roi is one of those once in a lifetime dogs that will make someone’s life complete, he just needs a little help now.

He is in the care of Lizzie's Barn Sanctuary in West Wales. Fionna who runs the Sanctuary has determined to help this little mite,. She already makes enormous sacrifices to help the dogs in the Sanctuary & goes without the basic things in life that most people take as their right.Has spends every penny she has & many more she doesn't on helping the dogs. Her unique way with the dogs is a joy to see & watching once distrustful & traumatised dogs with injured & sick blossom in her care is wonderful. She forms such a special bond with every dog she meets & they shine towards her. The Sanctuary struggles financially because they are prepared to take in on elderly, disabled, traumatised & dogs other sanctuary's reject.

Roi's story would also make a wonderful feature for any TV show/ magazine or newspaper article.
Please, if you can help with publicity or donations get in touch either;

Via our website; www.lizziesbarn.co.uk
By email; [email protected]
Or by phone 07976 538588

To Donate
Through our website sponsorship page;- http://lizziesbarn.co.uk/sponsership.aspx

Via Paypal; to [email protected]

Cheque's should be payable to; Lizzie's Barn Sanctuary
By post to;
Lizzie’s Barn Sanctuary
Glanrhyd Farm,
Trimsaran Road,
Kidwelly,
Carmarthenshire.
SA17 4ED

Roi also Has his own Facebook page;- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002332620963&sk=wall

RoiatLizs.jpg


Lizzie's Barn Sanctuary is the winner of the Wetnose/Burgess Dog Rescue of the year 2011.

Thank you

Fionna Ashman

www.lizziesbarn.co.uk
07976 538588
 
I have made enquiries to find out if Tailwaggers will help this poor little fellow.
 
Hi

And just had this email from Ryan O'Mera of K9



Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: A Special Little Cavalier Needs Help



Hi Brian,

Absolutely.

Will Tweet the link out to our @k9magazine account with more than 10k followers.

Will also ask for our blog partners to cover the story.

Kind regards
Ryan
 
I hate to be devil's advocate but would it not be better for a pup like this with major medical issues that will be life long be euthanized as soon as the problem is evident. I work in rescue myself and seeing many good and healthy animals euthanized so one with severe problems is safe just rubs me wrong. It wasn't that far off in history breeders would cull an unhealthy pup like this. JMHO.
 
Thanks, Sunshinekisses, for sticking your neck out! I had a B/T Cavalier 20 years ago (long before MRI scanning became possible or common) who, with more information now, I'm fairly sure was hydrocephalus and possibly brain damaged (he had a birth defect as well, but this actually never bothered him - it just gave him a bad start in life). I loved Rowley dearly and worked hard to overcome his problems; he lived to be 10, but I did sometimes look at him and think 'You would have been so much happier if you had been put to sleep as a puppy.' Not the least of his problems was that having been fragile as a puppy he missed out on that vital early socialisation both with humans and other dogs and never really caught up. He hated being picked up and cuddled, and grooming turned him into a snapping snarling fury! (Though towards the end of his life he did mellow.) I wonder now if he had CM and experienced discomfort if not pain. But no one ever queried it - just assumed it was all due to his bad start in life. I would hate to think that this is the life facing this little puppy as well.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
It is a very difficult question. This is a complicated surgery and according to neurologists, often there are further problems with keeping the shunt clear. I think decisions need to be made on a case by case basis and what a rescue feels it can manage, as well as the critical issue of who would then offer a responsible home to a more extreme health case dog that will likely need ongoing care and perhaps further surgeries.

From my own years in rescue, this is my perspective: I would always be weighing the individual case, the overall prognosis, the invasiveness of the surgery and possible complications, the quality of life and for how long that might be attained. And then, the overall cost weighted against where a similar amount would go towards helping other dogs (though often funds can be raised separately for a given case and thus are not really 'taking away' funds from the rescue's general work). Then of course added on is the issue of the likelihood of a home.

Such decisions are hard when you have a living animal -- especially a cute puppy -- before you. In my own mind, it is really important for emotional considerations not to outweigh what may be kindest to the animal itself -- major surgery and the potential for ongoing future problems are potentially a very heavy burden of suffering in their own right. People have to make hard decisions sometimes. I know many people dealing with the pain of syringomyelia are constantly left wondering at what point it is best to relieve the suffering of their loved dog and will understand such dilemmas. In short people need to make the best decision they can for the animal involved.

On the other hand if the the prognosis is good and a decent lifespan is a likelihood and the funds can be raised and the full commitment is there for the lifetime of the dog, then that creates a case for a rescue to help.

Just as such issues divide people generally, they also divide rescues and I don't think there's any single right or wrong answer.
 
I often have this puppy to play with my cavs and sometimes over night.With the treatment he has improved and gone from a frightened pup onto a normal little lad who has learnt his name and can sit when asked. He now interacts with people and dogs loving cuddles from us and plays with my cavs but finds the chi too rough.The swelling on his head has reduced considerable and he looks like a normal cav pup now which is great news because the vet thinks that the op will be a success The last few days he thinks he has mastered house training he has a wee then rushes outside.He has taught me well and knows how to get the treats from me doing a whole sequence to get a bit of biscuit.
 
Roi is lucky. He came to us soon enough that medication, only a temporary solution, has prevented many problems. He has a very good quality of life, & is a good prospect for a happy future post surgery.

Although in rescue, he is not kenneled, sleeps in my bed & goes all over the place with me, his life is just as good as any loved & treasured pet. Its not a decision that was taken lightly, but was entirely based on Roi- not on the money or what else could be done with it.

Yes a lot of dogs could be saved with that amount of money.

But how about considering this if 1000 people donated £5 that is little more than a drink, packet of cigarettes, we would have enough to pay for Roi's op - is that asking so much to give a loving little chap a life?

I don't think so. & nor do those who have met him.
 
Tommy, Kayleigh and Lauren have just sent their pocket money, £5, to help this wee man :)

I do hope that people will support him, he is obviously one special wee guy and deserves a chance at life...


I hope that the publicity about Royston raises the profile of this excellent rescue, and also maybe brings the plight of puppy farm dogs to the attention of more people - so that his dreadful suffering may help others.
 
Just the same as with children, we do not euthanize children born with conditions like this. However, we also must remember that these are animals. Animals have different feelings and ways of thinking than the complex human brain does. I am not saying their life is not to be valued at all, just wanted to throw this out into the pool.

I delt with a similar situation with my last dog, a rottweiler. Born with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, walking was painful for him. At 8 months old I was preparing to have him put to sleep as he could not stand up without crying pitifully. Surgery on him to do hip replacements would have been around $12k...money I wasn't prepared to spend.

However, he got lucky. My parents in law adopted him and actually funded his surgery and vet bills. He lived to be 3 years old... I sometimes wonder if it would have been better off to put him to sleep back when I really had considered it.

No choice is right or wrong. Just wanted to share my story.
 
Fionna asked me to thank everyone who has donated to help this lad. She has dropped him off at the specalist today so he can have his op tomorrow so fingers crossed for a good outcome and he comes through ok.
 
That would be brilliant she is still short and going to max up the cards again.The web site is down so please pay through paypal.Thanks again
 
Roi had his op yesterday and has come through it really well. He is bright and alert and has demanded his breakfast. Well he is a cav.
 
Fantastic news!! Thanks for the update and fingers crossed the recovery goes well now. :wggle:
 
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