11/29/07 -
 

“Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives.”
John Galsworthy

3/29/06 - Happy Birthday Cooper...We Are Glad You Made It This Far!

Cooper has celebrated his first birthday!  That is a day that never would have come had NBR not chosen to give Cooper a chance and take him into our rescue program.  If you met Cooper you would soon understand that our decision was a good one, but Cooper also needs you to help with his ongoing medical needs.

Cooper is continuing to do well in his foster home.  He is having very few accidents in the house now (in stark contrast to before) but he is still drinking a lot due to his disease.  Cooper is on many expensive medications along with high priced prescription food.  In addition to his special food he is also eating some apples and carrots.  His foster mom has cleverly created a recipe to make him special biscuits so he is not left out when she is giving the other dogs treats.

Cooper also gets a blood chemistry profile test every month to monitor his liver enzymes.  The past couple of months we were happy that Cooper's liver enzymes were going down, but just this month they began to increase again which prompted the liver specialist to add a few new medications.

The liver specialist also thinks it may be beneficial to send Cooper's liver biopsy sample to another specialist at the University of Pennsylvania for further evaluation, and that has been done.  In addition we are going to test and culture his urine to see if we can detect any possible infections that might be causing his enzymes to increase. We are also going to try acupuncture.

Cooper is a very charming and handsome dog and a total momma's boy.  He also is still the sweetest little man ever.  He loves to give soft kisses and lay with you for hours.  He also loves to run, play ball, have fun with his foster brother and sisters (including the cat) and is very close to them.  Cooper has grown into such a wonderful young man and he touches the lives of everyone he meets.  Everyone is awed by how gentle and loving he is.  We are truly happy to have Cooper with us and everyday we get with him is a blessing.  

Cooper's care is very expensive but it allows him to lead a very normal life, and we are grateful for any donations we receive for him.  Below is a list of food and medications that Cooper is currently receiving and the cost per month.  This is in addition to the ongoing medical tests that Cooper needs for the doctors to monitor his condition.

• Denosyl (S-adenosylmethionine or Sam-E) = $80 per month
• Marin (Silybin/Silymarin) = $30 per month
• Ursodiol = $30 per month
• Lactulose = $6.00 per month
• Metronidazole = $15 per month
• Hill's L/D food = $140 per month

If you can help with the medical care for Cooper

You can send a check directly to: Northeastern Boxer Rescue
P.O. Box 95 Sunderland MA 01375.   
or use

makes it easy and secure to send payments online via credit card.

Please Help Cooper Live

12/16/05 - NOT THE NEWS WE HOPED FOR, BUT WE ARE STILL HOPEFUL   

Cooper has been back and forth to the veterinary specialists several times since our last update.  We have been hoping to report great news but, unfortunately, that is not the case.  On the bright side Cooper is doing well, he is feeling good and is extremely happy, for now.     

When we brought Cooper into our rescue program the preliminary diagnosis for Cooper’s condition from the Animal Medical Center in NYC was a congenital liver shunt that was operable.  However, when the specialists at Tufts University performed the same tests for NBR they determined that Cooper’s condition was much more serious and not able to be fixed with surgery.  A liver biopsy was performed and the findings confirmed their diagnosis.  The only option for Cooper is to treat his condition with a costly diet and expensive medications, and we are still in great need of donations to help with his care.   

Cooper has a rare condition called “multiple acquired portosystemic shunts” caused by “idiopathic cirrhosis of the liver“.  No one knows why this particular condition occurs in young puppies and no one really knows how the disease will progress. Since the blood can not flow through his liver his body has formed blood vessels that go around his liver.  This means that the blood isn't filtered by the liver and the toxins stay in his bloodstream and go to his brain and make him "drunk".  If Cooper was a child he would be a candidate for a liver transplant; unfortunately there is no such option for dogs.   

We feel fortunate to be working with a talented team of veterinary specialists who are doing whatever they can to help Cooper, and so far so good.  Cooper is a very special dog and everyone loves him.  The doctors have prescribed a special (and expensive!) diet that has limited protein (he has trouble processing protein) and salt (he has some fluid in his belly from the condition).  He can't have any other foods or treats or they could make him sick.  He can have the occasional apple or carrot.  When Cooper arrived he was very thin and weighed 42 pounds.  He is now a very fit 51.6 pounds and looks wonderful!   

Several medications have also been prescribed for Cooper.  When he first came into rescue he was very wobbly and he would trip over his own back feet.  The doctors started him on a medication called lactulose that helps convert some of the toxins to a non-harmful substance.  Cooper LOVES his lactulose by the way.  The liver specialist has added some metronidazole, and a liver protectant called ursodeoxycholate.  This latest medication costs $1 a tablet (the lowest price we could find) and he currently takes one tab a day.  Cooper is being monitored closely.  He is scheduled for periodic blood tests to see if his medications need to be adjusted, and the doctors will decide if other medications should be added.  His last blood results were very promising and showed significant improvement over the initial blood tests so the medications are definitely working.   

Cooper's condition causes him to drink a lot of water, and he will drink anything you put in front of him.  He also has to be brought out to urinate at LEAST every hour or he will have accidents in the house.  He can hold it all through the night comfortably sleeping in his foster mom's bed, and if left in his crate he will hold it for hours. The liver specialist thinks that his water consumption might be part of his encephalopathy (the toxins going to his brain) and he drinks for the sake of drinking.  The doctor thinks the medications could help with this OR this could be part of his liver disease as that also makes dogs drink and urinate a lot.  He can't have his water intake limited or he will become dehydrated.  Hopefully the new medication will help somewhat.   

Since this condition is very rare the doctor’s don't know what to expect for Cooper. They said that some dogs with this condition just seem to grow out of it and get better and never need medications again, and some dogs have to be on medication for life. They can't really say if Cooper will live to a ripe old age or not.  No one really knows. So for now we are playing it by ear, and saying lots of prayers.  Two things we know for sure are that we are happy to be able to give Cooper a chance (with your support), and that Cooper is lucky to have such a great foster mom who is giving him such superb care and affection….he is in wonderful hands!  Below is a report from Cooper’s foster mom:   

Cooper's favorite things are his medicines (believe it or not!), food, and above all else brushing his teeth.  Tooth brush time at my house is everyone's favorite time.  They all line up to wait their turn.  It's awfully cute.  Cooper is such a great dog and I feel very blessed to have him in my home...even if he does pee on my rug sometimes. :) Our boy keeps me real busy!  He's just as happy and sweet as ever. “

11/09/05 - Cooper is a handsome 7 month old who needs lots of prayers.  If you met him his sweetness would melt your heart.  Although Cooper’s prognosis is guarded for now, we decided to take Cooper into our rescue program to give him a chance to live a full life.  The option Cooper faced was death. 

Cooper has already had some testing done at the Animal Medical Center in NYC and the preliminary diagnosis is a congenital liver shunt.  The official name for Cooper’s suspected condition is Congenital Portosystemic Vascular Anomaly (PSVA) which is basically an abnormal blood vessel that carries blood around the liver instead of through it.  The shunt can occur within the liver (intrahepatic) or in the blood supply before it enters the liver (extrahepatic).

We have scheduled an appointment with a board certified surgeon at Tufts University.  Cooper will need to undergo a series of costly tests to confirm a liver shunt, and to determine if the shunt is inside the liver or outside the liver.  We are hoping if he does have a liver shunt, that it is located on the outside because surgery to repair a shunt on the inside can have a less favorable outcome.

Cooper needs your prayers and your financial help.  We were given an estimate of $2,700 to $7,000 for his diagnosis and surgery depending on the severity and complications.  Please keep Cooper in your thoughts and help us pay his medical bills.  We will update you after Cooper’s appointment with the surgeon.

 

If you are interested in adopting this dog, please fill out an online application first.  Then e-mail ALL contacts listed below.  Be sure to include your full name, city, state, and area code in the subject line of your message.

If you can help with the medical care for Cooper

You can send a check directly to: Northeastern Boxer Rescue
P.O. Box 95 Sunderland MA 01375.   
or use

   makes it easy and secure to send payments online via credit card.

Northeastern Boxer Rescue

Jane Scott  -  JaneScott@BoxerRescue.com
AND
Pam Fosco - pam@boxerrescue.com 

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