Case of the week: Sandra's story

 When the Milligan Family of Summerville decided to add a new member to their family, they had no idea that the next weeks would be spent dealing with unknown medical issues an even surgical care for their new pet.


  The Milligans decided to adopt a dog from a local shelter and when they went in to visit, they immediately fell in love with Sandra, a 1 year old boxer mix. Who could resist those big chocolate eyes and the constantly wagging tale. So, on July 19th, they adopted her and brought her home to be a part of their family.


  From the time she came home something seemed not so right with Sandra. She was a little thin and not as active as a young dog should be.  She also seemed to be having digestive issues and would frequently vomit and was also having loose stools. The family contacted the shelter where they had adopted Sandra, as they were very concerned about her health status. The shelter employees let them know that after adoption, changes in diet and stress can often result in vomiting or diarrhea in many pets and that they should see their veterinarian to follow-up if she was not feeling better within a few days.


  The Milligan's set up an appointment to have Sandra evaluated at a local veterinarian who had included a coupon for a complimentary visit for new adoptees. Shelters and recue groups frequently provide a coupon for an initial veterinary exam to check for any abnormalities and discuss routine care for new adoptees. At the time of the visit, they were expecting to maybe receive some medication for stomach upset or a screening for intestinal parasites, not to be told that something was indeed very wrong inside Sandra. At the time of her exam, the veterinarian was able to tell the Milligan family that something was abnormal in Sandra's abdomen, but without other diagnostics(x-rays, ultrasound, or exploratory surgery) it was uncertain what was making her so sick.


The Milligans were heartbroken. They had adopted an adult dog and purchased all of the food, bedding, collars, toys, etc. that she would need and were not expecting or prepared for expenses that were looking to go well into the thousands of dollars. Feeling at a loss for what to do, they reached out to members of their local community on Facebook looking for recommendations for a regular veterinarian who could examine Sandra and give them a second opinion and make plans for treatments to make her well again.  Someone on Facebook recommended us here at the Animal Medical Clinic of Goose Creek and even provided them with a referral card so that they would not have to pay for an additional exam.


  When we met Sandra, we could see how the Milligans had fallen in love with this little girl. She was obviously so ill, but had nothing but tail wags and kisses for everyone she met.  When Dr. Fay completed his exam on Sandra, the news was not what the family wanted to hear. Sandra had a large hard area inside her abdomen that could be anything from something she had ingested to a birth defect, or even a tumor. No matter what the abnormality was, it needed to be addressed. Sandra was already 5-10 pounds underweight and was lethargic and if this continued, it was unlikely that she would survive the next couple weeks. Incidentally she was also carrying a type of intestinal parasite that is not commonly dewormed for by most rescues and shelters.  They were devastated. The cost for an exploratory surgery would cost over a thousand dollars and it was not within their budget to have the surgery that could save Sandra's life.


  Pets adopted from many shelters and rescues are often provided with a free trial month of pet insurance that will help cover the costs of unexpected illnesses that may be unknown at the time of adoption. Sadly, in Sandra's case, the paperwork went home with her, but the family was not told that to be eligible the insurance had to be activated within 24 hours of adoption. The insurance would not cover any of the surgical costs because it had not been activated the first day. The Milligans had already committed to making Sandra part of their family and decided to find a way to raise the money for her surgery. Dr. Fay explained that based on the severity of her illness she needed to have the procedure within 24 hours to increase the chances that her life could be saved.


  The family were able to find friends and family to loan them the majority of the cost of the surgical cost and the Animal Medical Clinic Angel fund was able to help with some of the surgical cost as well to allow Sandra to go into surgery the next morning.


When Dr. Fay opened Sandra's abdomen, it was obvious that her intestines were very inflamed and there was a large hard structure within a very angry section of the small intestines. When he made the incision into the area, he could immediately see a blue plastic object that was blocking her intestinal tract. Dr. Fay widened the incision and removed not 1, but 2 large Avant pacifiers. The incision was closed, but Sandra's prognosis was still guarded as the pacifiers seemed likely to have been inside her for quite some time and there was no guarantee that her intestines would be able to recover after being blocked for such a long period of time. The Milligan family does not have any babies and it is very likely that the pacifiers were already inside Sandra when she was turned into the shelter on June 11th. That means they were inside her for at least five weeks. There was a chance that even though the blockage had been removed that the intestines would not be able to regain normal function and allow Sandra to absorb the nutrients she needed. It was a time to wait and see if after 24 hours she would be able to eat and keep the food down.


  Sandra did not surprise us at all! She is a true survivor and began eating small amounts after 24 hours and was able to pass all of the food through. She was ravenous!! After 48 hours Sandra was able to go home to her family and we hope for a full recovery. Sandra seems to be doing well and each day that goes by increases the chances that she will make a full recovery.


The Milligan family is so happy to have their little girl back at home recovering with them. They are still looking for ways to repay the loans made by generous family and friends to allow Sandra to receive care.


If you are interested in helping the Milligan family with medical costs or in donating to help the AMC Angel Fund, donations can be made directly by contacting any of our reception team at 843-569-3647.