Annie
Much like many of the other dogs that SND has helped, Annie is a poster child for the cons of backyard breeding. She was adopted in late November of 2002. She was a goofy, gangly, puppy clinically affected by von Willebrands. Her count of 18 out of 180 astounded everyone, and her family said their prayers when she underwent the spaying procedure. But, she pulled through the transfusions and the procedure just fine.
In July of 2003, she was diagnosed with severe hip displaysia and started a regimen of supplements to help build her muscle tone and offset the arthritis as long as possible. In May of this year, she was diagnosed with AIHA (Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia). She initially rejected the steroids she was given to suppress her immune system and got the treatment off to a rocky start. After some adjustments to her feeding and medicating schedule, she started keeping the medication down. Her red blood cell count has been slow to rise and the side effects of the steroids are taking their toll. She is rapidly losing muscle mass which is bound to complicate the hip displaysia. She is now taking Azathioprine in conjunction with the Prednisone. The Azathioprine does not have the side effects that the Prednisone does, but, it takes approximately 30 days to begin working. A luxury Annie did not have at her initial diagnosis. Annie's family hopes that within the next few weeks they will be given the O.K. to start weaning her off the Prednisone, and the Azathioprine will work fighting the disease for her.
Her health problems and veterinary bills have been so on going and Annie's family suffered a big blow to the financial situation with this last round with the anemia. They put the large bill of approximately $2,500.00 on a credit card. The emergency hospital would not offer her treatment without a 60% deposit. Since then, she has been back to the vet on the average of once every week and a half for a PCV and medication. They just spent the 4th of July in the hospital with her after she developed a severe infection from a presumed bee sting due to her suppressed immune system. Annie's family needs help in order to continue to give Annie the treatment that she needs.
8/25/05 - Sadly we must report that Annie has lost her battle. Please read the letter from her family, below.
You can mail us a donation or use the
PayPal button below if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation
in memory of Annie.
Updates:
August 24, 2005 - Letter from Annies Family:
TO: Mr. Martin & everyone that works with and donates to Special Needs
Dobermans,
During the course of Annie's battle with AIHA, she got up and went about
her usual activities everyday, and when she was left at the hospital, even
for a few hours, she protested strongly. Through these actions, I believe
that you helped us fufill her wishes. She went about her usual business
untill the last hours of her life, and she spent her last moments of life
at home. You provided us with much more than just financial assistance.
My last phone conversation with Mr. Martin will remain with me forever.
It greatly eased the pain I felt watching her fight out her last few weeks
of life, and now in her passing. "With all of the love and affection you
give to Annie, although she is sick right now, as far as she is concerned,
she is still in heaven." Those words are so precious to me. We pray that
Annie now is in heaven, restored to her adorable self, dragging a tug rope
around, and free of all the burdens of her multitude of health problems.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your many means of helping
us through this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Heather Gulick
The entire SND family offers our deepest condolences to the Gulick family at this sad time
