Libby
ADOPTED!
Libby’s previous owner gave her away for free on Craigslist. It’s a dangerous plight for a dog – “free” dogs on Craigslist often end up as bait for training fighting dogs or in other bad situations. Luckily for Libby, a Good Samaritan grabbed her before she fell into the wrong hands, and then contacted us for help.
It was very quickly obvious why Libby’s previous owner dumped her. This sweet girl was leaking puddles of foul-smelling urine that made it unpleasant to have her in the house. We immediately took her to the vet, who put her on antibiotics for a severe urinary tract infection.
The infection cleared up quickly, but the incontinence continued. The vet was concerned that she might have an ectopic ureter, a birth defect in which the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder enters the bladder in the wrong place. Ectopic ureters are the most common cause of incontinence in young dogs, and make the dog prone to urinary tract infections. Most vets are unable to diagnose or treat the condition, which requires special imaging and tricky surgery.
The vet started Libby on incontinence medication, hoping that it would solve the problem. It helped, but not completely. Our surgeon recommended that we take Libby to the vet school at UC Davis for the special imaging and advanced techniques they have available to diagnose and treat ectopic ureters. The specialists at UC Davis quickly diagnosed the problem. We hoped Libby would be a candidate for a new laser technique, which is much easier on the dog than surgery.
Unfortunately, it turned out that her kidney was failing (probably because her previous owner didn’t have her treated in time.) She needed surgery after all, to remove her failing kidney and malformed ureter and fix her bladder.
We’re delighted to report that, thanks to the excellent care she received at UC Davis, the difficult surgery was completely successful. Libby sailed through it with flying colors and bounced back quickly. She’s been weaned off all medication, and the incontinence has resolved completely.
Libby is a good-natured, joyful Keesie girl. She loves playing with toys, going for walks, cuddling with her foster mom, and chasing squirrels. She’s looking forward to enjoying a happy, normal life!
Libby’s vet bills topped $6500! Can you help?