A Remedy for Remington

For those of you who do not know us, my name is sandra Williem and my husband's name is Ethan Williem . We are both 22 years old. After 8 years of being together (of which 4 years were long distance), we officially tied the knot this past September (we are middle school sweethearts)! It has always been a dream of ours to bring a pup into our home, as we are both HUGE dog lovers. On December 25, 2020, we drove 6 hours to bring home our sweet Remington. He is an energized, goofy, smart 4-month old purebred English Labrador Retriever. He is a beautiful golden color with bright, gentle eyes. He loves meeting new people and animals, the bathtub, blueberries, and taking long naps.

His health became a concern shortly after coming home. On December 19, he began presenting with alarming symptoms. Remington would aimlessly wander our home for hours at a time. He became clumsy and lethargic; additionally, he had no response to sounds, lacked interest in his toys, hid himself away in tight corners, pressed his head against pieces of furniture and walls, and began having bloody urine. He presented with all of the above mentioned symptoms among others.

After a trip to the emergency room, a routine visit with his primary veterinarian, and a full work-up at a hospital in Grand Rapids, it was determined that Remington has a congenital portosystemic shunt in his liver. It is a condition in which a blood vessel (or several vessels) have re-routed the bloodstream to bypass his liver. Without blood flow to the liver, his body is not excreting toxins or wastes and he is not receiving ample nutrients from his meals. This results in ammonia poisoning (toxicity of the blood) as well as malnourishment and stunted growth.

Remington's condition is treatable, however, his medical expenses are costly. To date, we have already spent thousands just trying to get a diagnosis and keep him stable. All of the funds we collect with this fundraiser will be used to pay for Remi's medical treatment specific to his shunt. This includes hospitalizations, imaging (CT scan), and surgical intervention. The money will not be going towards his most recent emergency room visit or his regular veterinary care, such as medications, a prescription diet, vaccinations, and routine examinations. We hope to be able to schedule surgery within 4-6 weeks.

We understand that our goal is a big one, and we may not reach it completely, however we will be incredibly grateful to receive any and all donations, as Remi has our hearts and his health is our number one priority! We want to give him every opportunity to live a full life, and without surgical treatment, we may not be able to do so, as his condition is chronic and dangerous. With surgery, he has an extremely high probability of living a completely normal doggy life. We thank you in advance for taking the time to read our story, sharing our story with others, and donating if you are able.

With love,

Meghan Williem and Ethan Williem