I just heard back from the Animal Trustees of Austin, and it turns out they'll be able to do the surgery for a lot less! Our new estimate is between $300-$900, plus followup costs over the next six weeks after the operation.
The low end is if it has to be amputated, which, although a last resort, sounds kind of likely due to how old the injury appears to be. They'll try to repair it, though, if it looks like they can once they open up her leg - due to the equipment needed (a plate and an FHO) this would be the more expensive option.
This means our new goal is $1,000 - much better than that first number! Thank goodness for shopping around and awesome recommendations! If you can donate anything at all, please do on the right hand side of the page. Anything we raise above the ultimate price of the operation will go fully and directly to God's Little Creatures in Bryan, TX.
They won't know which option to take with her leg until they actually do it, so we will all have to be mentally and financially prepared for either direction. If it can be repaired she'll receive a plate in her leg and an FHO - something to do with the femoral head (I really don't know much about that at all - but Google does!)
She'll need six weeks of strict confinement after the operation, with followups at 1-2 weeks, 4 weeks, and possibly 6 weeks. She won't be allowed even short walks until one month! For this reason we have to plan when to do the operation carefully, so that at all times one of us will be present to care for her. The soonest we can do it is December 6th or 7th, but for fundraising and care reasons we may have to wait until the first Monday or Tuesday after Christmas - we haven't yet decided what would be best.
Since the clinic is in Austin, we might have to make special arrangements to figure out how to best make the appointments, and how to get her home again afterward. We have a little time to figure it out, though!
She's really rounding out nicely! She's only a few pounds shy of being a good, healthy, normal weight, which is important both for building up compensating muscles in her three good legs, and for better health during anesthesia and recovery! :)
 |
| Playing with AJ while we fished at a local river |
 |
| I'm happy because I'm getting my surgery sooner! |
 |
| If that isn't the goofiest face, I don't know what is! |
Penny's favorite thing to do is chew!
0 slobbery kisses:
Post a Comment