The Sanctuary Animal Refuge and Hospice

Healing with Love

Help Shelby!

May 12th update:
Shelby has had a rough trip with her illness . She has a confirmed diagnosis of Blastomycosis.

 

This is a systemic fungal infection that is generally picked up through breathing it in. She needs to take medication for at least six month and up to one year. The medication costs $700 per month!  She also needs more surgery and tests, once she recovers from her infection.

 

She will be in good shape once she gets through this - but she needs your help and support!!

 

Can you donate to her medical fund?

YES! I want to help Shelby! Add my donation to her medical fund!

“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it”

                                                                                           -Margaret Mead - Anthropologist

September 27th update:

 

Shelby has been on Itraconozole for 4 months now and had her first joint tap to test for any residual indication of the Blasto. We are sending out a prayer request for her, as she has had a new, and not too promising development. She has developed skin sores on her back and had two large lumps biopsied yesterday when they were doing the joint tap.

 

She is sore today and has stitches in those areas, She is feeling sort of rough and we need everyone to pull together for hope and help from the Lord! We are hoping that these new sores are unrelated to the Blasto, and that her infection has been eradicated.

 

Please pray for Shelby! She needs your support!!

December 1st update:
Well, the past eight months have been a long road for Shelby! Last Monday, she had her first check up since she finished her medication. She has been off the Itraconozole for 3 weeks now, and she has gotten some of her spunk back! She has many scars on her back from the sores that she suffered from the medications she was on, but with time, we hope that her fur grows back and covers those areas. We jokingly call her “patches” sometimes! The best news so far is that her personality is showing through again, and she has been playing with toys and insisting that her friend Rosie play with her, too. They often play tug-of-war with a toy that I am not sure will survive the next round.

 

We have to watch her very closely for the next six months for any signs of relapse - the statistics say that 30% of dogs that get Blastomycosis relapse in the first six months after finishing treatment. She will go in for check ups and have tests during this time period, so she really needs your continuing support. The Sanctuary heals with love and support of great people like you! I know that if you saw Shelby today - you’d get plenty of Shelby kisses - she certainly loves to give those!

 

She still has lameness in her right front leg, and probably always will. As time goes on, we will decide just how much that lameness is affecting her and make a plan for that. Today, we are watching her play and smile - just seeing the light in her eyes, makes me very, very happy. To think that six months ago, she was lying on the couch, as you can see in the above photo, with a 106.4 fever and very much on her deathbed makes me understand that a miracle has taken place here.