Saving RED

Red is a fox red lab. She was born on June 13, 2012. At 5 weeks old Red was diagnosed with a UTI. We got her on an antibiotic but the problem with her leaking urine continued. At 6.5 weeks, she was put on incontinence medication. Her problems persisted. She started her second antibiotic at 9 weeks.

At exactly 10 weeks old Red was given and ultrasound. The ultrasound discovered that she has a rare condition called Bilateral Ectopic Ureters. On top of that, she has a related condition of a short urethra. This is a rare genetic disorder caused by both parents having the recessive trait for this. This is more common in Golden Retrivers and is almost exclusively seen in females.

What this means for Red is that she will require a rather expensive surgery to correct the problem or we have to euthanize her. They will have to go in an re-attach both ureters to their correct positions. There is a possibility that they may also need to do some work on the urethra. Not performing the surgery could mean a very low quality or life for Red. She will continue to have to battle continuous infections (such as UTI as well as skin infections) caused by the urine. This could lead to kidney infections and ultimately death.

There is a 75% chance that the surgery will be successful and that Red could have a long, healthy life post surgery. The other 25% means she could need medication for incontinence the rest of her life, or may need another surgery. We will decide what to do at that road when/if we cross it.

Right now we know it will be impossible for us to pay the $3100 minimum that Red's surgery will cost. Being such a young, active and loving puppy, we hate to give up on her and want to do everything we can to get her well. That was not an easy decision for us, especially financially. Beside this condition, Red is very strong and active and we have high hopes that this will make her better. We are reaching out to our family, friends and even strangers in hopes that they will help us with this task! Every little bit helps! $5 or $50, it means just as much to us and to Red that you are willing to do whatever you can. If you can't help out financially, please just help out by spreading the word, sending good thoughts or praying for us and our endeavor.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Red! Lets see if we can't work together to get her healthy!