Remembering Rikki
Rest in Peace
We haven’t wanted to write this update. Not that postponing it makes it any different, but it’s hard to write, relive, think about how things had been for her before she landed at the shelter, and how things should’ve gone for her from the beginning, 6-9 years ago. Earned her "angel wings" 4/29/22
Rikki, formerly Beatrix, was released from 24 hour care on Thursday. They said she would urinate, then continue to strain without anything coming out, but, with all of the trauma her bladder just endured, it wasn’t super worrisome and we should continue to monitor her. She was on a broad-spectrum antibiotic that would tackle a UTI, which was assumed even though the culture hadn’t come back yet, so that should be kicking in now. She was raring to go (she even had a warning on her ER enclosure, because she wanted to run around outside and would drag the techs through the hospital to get there), was eating, and they thought she could continue to recover from her foster home.
The straining continued when she got back to her foster home. We scheduled an appointment for the next day and hoped we would be cancelling it because she would’ve emptied her bladder later in the day, but that didn’t happen. She continued to strain and whimper, but nothing came out. For the amount she was eating, her fecal output was also very small and concerning.
At her appointment, they noticed that she was swollen “back there,” which was new. They expressed her bladder and what came out was described as almost syrup-like. New X-rays showed a pelvic tumor, which wasn’t seen last Tuesday, as well as lots and lots of fecal matter. They initially thought it could be pyometra and, when the X-rays showed it was, they went into surgery thinking that would resolve everything. She was such a pus filled mess that they didn’t see the tumor over there (she had an open pyometra- her cervix stayed open which allowed the pus to drain from her uterus, which bought her more time, but filled her insides with pus). Sadly, this sweet girl had a lot more issues than we initially realized and all of them were terminal. All of them could’ve also been avoided had she been spayed, because they were all reproductive issues.
The hardest part is that she was so sweet. Her fosters described her as starved for attention and adorable- she was a velcro dog. The straining was clearly painful for her and then seeing her bowels so full and learning she couldn’t empty them, either, along with her bladder, they said it was possible to maybe buy her a week, but it’d be painful and she’d have to come back to the hospital every day to be sedated and expressed. Everyone loved her, which made the decision easier and harder. We let her go, her foster by her side. She didn’t deserve anymore pain.
Rest in Peace, Rikki. We’re sorry that we only knew you for 4 days, but we hope that you felt loved. 💙
You can see the beginning of her story here: https://www.facebook.com/110101032413435/posts/5019272571496232/?d=n
The minimum adoption donation for adults is $375 and the adoption donation for puppies is $500. This amount only partially covers the cost of veterinary care, boarding fees, and other miscellaneous expenses involved in the temporary care and adoption of our dogs and is tax deductible when permitted by law. The adoption donation provides that all dogs will be spayed or neutered, receive current vaccinations, and are microchipped. If not, arrangements will be made on an individual basis ( i.e., puppies who will need to be altered by 6 mos old). Special consideration may be given to those willing to adopt older dogs or dogs with physical problems.
