Gizzmo my dog has a broken femur bone. For more info on him check out my fundraiser. Please help us!

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No fund raising, asking members for money for your vet bills or otherwise is welcomed on the forum.


***Edited By: lpn169 on 6/30/2009 12:44:48 AM***
Reason: No fund raising

That's just great...this is the 2nd time in less than one month that someone has come here and said their child broke the leg of their toy breed puppy.

I totally agree with everything that both of the above posters have mentioned.

Are you really going to wait for people to send $1500 before you take care of this baby? My dog had her left hind leg amputated all the way to her hip joint, had reconstructive surgery on the hip to replace the tissue AND was spayed at the same time and everything, including antibiotics that she came home with, all was less than $800.00. The very reason she had to have this done was because she was struck by a car and her leg was broken but the emergency vet told us it was not. Well, after a huge knot appeared, we took her to her own vet and found that infection had set up and it went down from there.

I may seek another vet. Also, if my vet did an x-ray and found that one of my dogs had this problem, he would NOT let me bring them back home. He would operate immediately if that is what they needed or set the break and set up a payment plan or post dated checks or something. Ya see, the thing is, if that bone is broken and it is left untreated, it can set up a horrible infection and he may lose the leg all together. No vet with an ounce of compassion for animals is going to take that chance.

Catlover, you are so right. And I can't count the PM's I have gotten because I made the comment on another post that I don't sell to families to small children. People wonder why...

Best of luck in your journey and please find a vet that will assit you in your time of need. Offer to clean their office for 6 months or something but please take care of this baby.

NO! I am not exactly sure what happened. That is all i stated in the fundraser info. NO i am not going to wait much longer before i surrender him. BUT... the only shelter near here is a kill shelter and i dont want to risk loosing my beloved pet because some underfunded shelter cant do the very same thing im trying to do and just euthanizes him. I am contacting every place i have herd of. No vet i have contacted is willing to set up any sort of payment plan... and i was denyed for carecredit which is a medical/vet bill assistance program. We have been to the vet 3 times only to find out that so far only one place can do the surgery and its going to cost 1850 not 1500 which was originally estimated. The first vet i went to took my 50 dollars and told me that he needed another 130 for xrays... and once i got that i was told i needed more. Now i can understand all this. I wish i was back in kansas because gizzmos vet there would take payments. What realy stinks is i will have the money myself for the treatment in two weeks, but by then it will be too late. My heart is breaking, mostly because i may have to just amputate later or surrender him. Now we got a small dog which was my husbands choice... i originally picked a beagle which was a medium dog. We got both gizzmo and the beagle chopper at the same time. But, when my husband lost his job at the end of February, we gave up Chopper. He was easy to find a home because he wasnt mixed breed and he was still young. I orriginally didnt like Gizzmo when we first got him, but now that we have had him i have fallen in love with him. He is also was completely potty traind by 4 months...... He doesnt bite or knock over my little girl and he doesnt jump on her. She is only 18 months old so i didnt think she could do much harm to him. I just noticed him limping when he came inside from going to the bathroom that afternoon, and she was playing with him before he went out. He usualy yipps when she is to rough and i tell her "no your hurting gizzmo, be nice." I didnt hear anything that day. When i took him to the vet the next day i was turned away. I came back after contacting The Shakespear Fund and several other places and got the vet to examine him with the 50 dollar contribution from the shakespear fund Wednesday. Then we only found out that he couldnt tell anything until xrays were done and he also told us that he needed another 130 dollars. He didnt say if it he thought it was possibly broken or sprained or out of place or anything. He basically just sent us home saying come back when u have money. It didnt look abnormal gizzmo just wasnt walking on it. So i asked a friend if he could help and we got the xrays Monday. Thats when we found out is was broken. We found out today, when we went to Reno that it is healing but not properly and needs to be fixed within two weeks. My husband has joined the army and is shipping out monday. He will get his first paycheck on the 15th of july, all bills are payed up till august already. He also will be getting a 12,000 dollar sign on bonus as soon as he finishes basic. You could say this is the most horrible timing for something like this to happen. We are currently live in Fallon, Nevada which is an hour away from Reno. The last vet i talked to is actually in Reno. I started the fundraiser because it is something that was suggested by the vet, and was the most sucessful option i had. Also considering the no kill shelter i talked to in Reno does the very same thing for there animals that need surgery, but they couldnt take him because we live in a different county. Now as for gizzmo we found out he has a fractured femur. The vet told us that this is a common fracture because it occures along the growth plate where the bone is the weakest. He doesnt seem to be in very much pain, and i am watching him closely. Today he was prancing around and starting to use his leg a little. I only ask that you give positive feedback on my post please. Any information on charities or any other positive ideas would be greatly appriciated.

***Edited By: suspiciouskat220 on 7/1/2009 7:37:27 AM***
Reason: Info Please!

this is the info that was on fundraiser page edited out the asking for donation part.... of course. I would just realy like some info on chairity organizations that could help.

Gizzmo broke his leg Monday, June 22. I am not sure exactly what happened other than my daughter Madelyn was playing with him as usual. She is 18 months old and loves her little puppy a little too much sometimes. Gizzmo is 6 months old and is a very playful and lovable pup. We all enjoy him very much. We got him back in the beginning of February. My husband lost his job at the end of February and has been looking for a new one. He finally gave up the search and joined the Army. He ships out for basic on July 6. But, until the 15 of July we will have no income. We have been relying on family and friends up to this point. We have gotten assistance from The Shakespear Fund of Reno, NV. Gizzmo will loose the use of his hind leg if it is not fixed soon. We managed to collect enough money to get x-rays and found that his femur bone is broken in his hind leg and requires surgery. All vets i have contacted so far require payment up front. We currently live in Fallon, NV and just moved here from Garden City, Kansas hoping we would find employment here.

I seldom jump in with my personal feelings, but this one makes my teeth itch! I understand, accidents happen. OK. But it YOUR responsibility to see that the proper care is given once that accident has happened.

Since you are the one who took on the responsibility of the pup, which includes vet expenses and were the human "in charge" when he was injured, why in the name of all that is holy would you dump the pooch in an injured, untreated condition? Why in hades would you let him suffer with a broken leg?

That leg is going to set wrong and (worst case scenario) he could lose the leg because you have left it untreated. WTH!?

I totally understand that finances are difficult for most of us now, but there is Care Credit (no interest loans) that can be used for vet care. Talk to your vet. Get that pup treated, then do him a favor and see that he goes to a home where he will be properly loved and cared for.

This is why I have always had large breed dogs. I've always had and still have kids in my home. The kids are taught how to properly interact with my pets, but toddlers fall and land on whatever happens to be there. They also poke, prod and pull when they are learning about the world around them. I have always had a dog in my home that is patient, tolerant and gentle with the kids and can handle the child's learning process. However, if any of my pets had been injured by a child, there would be no waiting to raise funds for treatment or dumping the dog.

Many years ago I ended up paying for not one, but two surgeries on a fox (no, NOT my pet, a pet store rescue). The vet worked with me, charged only for materials, not her time and let me pay in installments. I can't tell you how broke we were when I took this on (I was working 2 full time jobs to help ends meet), but it was something I felt compelled to do. Once he was healthy and healed, he was neutered (again, only at the cost to the vet) and sent to a wildlife preservation/sanctuary.

This is your pet, part of your family, a living creature you assumed responsibility for!

Oh and the main reason this particular fracture is so expensive is because the bone has to be wired back into place... not a typical setting of a fracture. Its common for the femur bone to break in this area... but its an extensive case. The end of his femur bone is in place but the other half is pushed forward thus needing to be wired back into place. Also the cost of neutering him is included, which is a requirement for one organization i am looking into. I feel so horrible. I feel like i am loosing my child. Tomorrow (Wednesday) i am contacting more organizations and possibly giving him up for adoption if i cant come up with a solution by the end of the week. Please Pray for us!

As a respons to prymom's post.... I did take him to the vet the very next day and was turned away. When i noticed the injury it was late in the afternoon and the only vet in town was closed. He was fine earlier in the afternoon. I take full responsibility for the dog yes. I dont like to just 'dump' my responsibilities on other people. I would like to find an option that best suits gizzmo and not send him to his demise. We just found out Monday, that his leg was broken... after being turned away from all the vets. I am so sick. I also stated that i had applied for care credit and was denyed. I have called Angels for Animals, i contacted The Shakespear Fund, and Lifeline wich is through the SPCA. We went to Reno thinking we could make payment arrangements (i talked to a receptionist before we went) and instead was told the opposite when we got in the office. I took Gizzmo to the No kill shelter in Reno hoping for some advice or possibly a good place to leave him where he could be cared for. The informed me that they could not take him and gave me some information, which most of which i have already checked. I still have to check some today. I have been in tears almost every night since it happened, and havent slept much at all. I myself like big dogs but am afraid of them in the same sence. I was bitten by a border collie mix in the face when i was 3 and still remember it. We only have had small dogs since then. Gizzmo is loved and cared for... i groom him once a month, bathe him once a week, and brush him almost every day. Frontlined and everything. I Do Indeed Care for My Gizzmo! I am trying to find him HELP!

***Edited By: suspiciouskat220 on 7/1/2009 8:47:12 AM***
Reason: Edit!

I understand that you have made several attempts, but there has got to be a way to help that pup without handing him off, with a serious problem. Don't talk to the office staff, talk to the vet him or herself. Pawn something, see if you can borrow from a family member or friend. Call the local shelter and ask what local vets work with them.

I have nothing left to pawn... thats part of what has gotten us by, also the shelter in town is full and they would euthanize him. I would pawn the very computer i have to get it fixed if i knew it would get enough. Heck i would even take out a loan on my car if i could. But the title isnt a nevada title, and has to be renewed. and that would take about two weeks.

"Oh and the main reason this particular fracture is so expensive is because the bone has to be wired back into place... not a typical setting of a fracture."

What in the world happened??? This is an extensive injury and makes me think that something major had to have happened other than the child going outside and coming back in with an injured dog. The femur is the largest and thickest bone in the body and it would take a major trauma to break it so badly that it needs to be wired back into place.

It is now going on 3 weeks and this poor baby is going to develop Osteomyelitis and possibly DIE if you do not find a vet with 2 ounces of compassion and 1 ounce of sense! I'm sorry for your situation but most vets are going to put the dog's best interest first. I just cannot get it in my head that a vet will let a dog suffer this way for this length of time, knowing the possible outcome.

Offer to clean their office after hours for partial payment, use the barter system. If it is only going to be 2 weeks before you have the money, write a post-dated check. 99.9% of the offices will hold a check if you can show proof of the payment you are going to be receiving.

I'm not looking down on you or anything but the fact of the matter is that this is a serious injury and it needs to be taken care of. Find another vet or work something out.

i have talked to every vet i could contact near my area. The ones i visited just looked at me and told me they could do nothing without payment up front. Every vet i have spoken to be it over the phone and in person i have told that i will have money in less than two weeks and they still turn me down. I dont know what happed. Madelyn didnt go outside with the dog at all. I wish i knew what happened i would feel much better. I would figure with something like this he would have yelped or something but i didnt hear anything. It is so strange. It has only been just over a week, not three. I would not want to wait so long before at least giving my gizzmo a chance by giving him up. NEVADA SUX! It seams like people here are just money hungry and have no care in the world. I just moved here from kansas so i havent had a chance to open a bank account. The place in Reno would not take post dated checks, they wouldnt work with me at all. I spoke directly with the vet and he did tell me of what might happen the longer it goes untreated. I just worry about all of this so much!

I am sorry that you are going through all of this and I wasn't trying to be mean or anything. I just can't imagine a vet being so heartless that s/he will not help in some way. I can honestly say this is one time in my life that I am grateful I live in Alabama. These vets around here will take the best interest of the animals at heart before the almighty dollar.

One more suggestion I can make for you. Here in Alabama, we have the UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) School of Veterinary Medicine. They will allow students to perform certain operations under the supervision of the instructors. I think they allow students to do bones and spay/neuter. When my mom's maltese broke his hip, they did the surgery at the university and she only had to pay $25.00! He is 5 years old and this was more than 2 years ago so I would say they did an excellent job. Maybe check with your state and find out what colleges offer veterinary studies. It couldn't hurt anything to ask!

Hope this helps and if I find out anything else I will post for you. Best of luck!

Can you look outside of Reno for a vet that will take payments?

Excellent suggestion Oxford!
http://www.unr.edu/programs/cabnr/prevetmed.html

So you wont drop him of to be euth'ed, thus out of pain, which he must be in if the break is as bad as you say? And you call yourself a good pet owner??? Dear dog woman give the dog away to someone who can afford to fix him!!! Call a rescue there are plenty, any of which would take him to a vet, pay for his operation and find him a great home. This is better than dieing a slow painful death of some blood infection.

Thank you, Pyrmom!

I called my mom and found out that she took Bosco to her vet and he needed hip surgery that was going to cost around $650.00, which she didn't have. She contacted the college and he was scheduled for surgery within 2 days! She only paid a $25.00 administrative fee and she did have to sign a waiver stating that if he did not live through the surgery, she could not and would not attempt to sue the school, instructors, students, or anyone else she could find! He is doing great!

OP, I really hope that you find peace within this situation and very soon, for Gizzmo's sake. I am willing to bet that your local university will help you but please, act quickly!

Best of luck!

I have very limited resources. But thanks for all the suggestions posted. Our transportation is limited, and the shelter is outside of town. I am going to go to the neighbors church tonight and seek assistance in any way possible. Thanks for the ideas. I will look into the nearest university. Sounds like a Great idea! I have been giving him some pain medicine so he isnt entirly untreated. I went to neighbors to use phone, but no one is home. My phone is prepaid and i used up all the time calling vets and shelters. I even told the neighbor about the dog and asked if they could help. They couldnt and had no suggestions. It doesnt help at all with independance day is this weekend. Please understand my situation... i am not uncaring and am willing to let him go. I am just so heartbroken. I just moved here and know only one person living here in Reno, and barley know my neighbor.

OK, I really hope I'm not out of line here but I'm beginning to wonder. You say you have limited resources, yet you clearly have access to the internet. To me, that's UNLIMITED! No transportation, you're new in town yet you are going to a neighbor's church for benevolence. Are you a member of this church or have you even attended any services there? I'm really sorry for all of this but let me tell you that I am a true Southern Baptist and I am very active in my church. However, if someone came to us and asked for money to take care of their dog, knowing all of the information we have given you, including the suggestion from Ruffian, I would have my doubts. Our church would not help someone like that when we have MEMBERS who are struggling with things such as mortgage payments, electric bills and groceries. Yes, my dogs are like my children and I love all dogs but my church would not pay for something like that for me, let alone a stranger.

I think ruffian is right on. What you really need to do is call the shelter, explain the situation and ask them to take the dog. They will get him the medical care he needs and adopt him out to a nice family. Later on, when your family is more financially stable and your daughter is a bit older, you may think of getting another dog.

I apologize if I am now sounding rude but it seems that every idea we post, you have a reason why it won't work or is impossible. Are you just a negative person or is there more to this story?

Looks to me like someone was wanting donations for money and only God knows what it's really for! Having said that, you may not wish to upset Him by using His church to seek assistance for your financial problems. I've said enough and I'm truly sorry if I've hurt your feelings but come on...I gave you excellent information regarding the colleges and yes, they are in school during the summer; and yes, they will do this for you.