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Dear Friend of the Hounds,
Thanks to your donations, we reached our fundraising goal for Timo. As I went to get him into the car, I realized I couldn’t do it safely myself and rather than risk an escape, I decided to take Frankie instead. It was equally important that Frankie be seen by the vet and he was next on the schedule. There wasn’t time to do a fundraiser and while it wasn’t ideal accounting, it was the responsible way to not cancel at the last minute and keep a dog from going without care that day.
Frankie isn't doing well and has lost a significant amount of mobility in the last few months. The Beagle who used to “prove his point” by staying outside in the rain and cold (or heat) now heads for his bed. It breaks my heart to see his spark dim. It's unclear whether the cause of his discomfort and declining mobility is disk degeneration or ruptured rear leg ligaments. Frankie has IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) and had surgery to repair two discs in mid-2020. In late-2023, he started having difficulty using his left rear leg and we subsequently learned he’d ruptured his cranial cruciate ligament. In 2024, the same issue developed with is right rear leg and we suspected a second tear.
The surgical treatment options for Frankie’s conditions aren't great. Besides being expensive, the recovery time for CCL repair could be as long as six months for one leg, 12 months for both, and depending on the surgical technique used, that risk of failure could be as high as 25%. Disk surgery is always risky and at roughly ten years of age, it's not the first line of treatment for IVDD, a degenerative disease.
To add to his woes, Frankie needs dental cleaning and extractions. Enzyme chews and other home treatments have failed to stop the progression of periodontal disease. In early 2024, he had ten teeth pulled and three were identified as being at risk. Frankie’s dental surgery is scheduled for early November, and we’ll have x-rays taken of his spine, hips, and legs at the same time.
The cost of Frankie’s appointment was $482.50 including updated vaccines, pre-surgery blood panel and pain and anti-inflammatory meds. Your contribution can make all the difference! The link for PayPal and credit card donations is Medical Care for Beagle Frankie, and the phone number for Central Providence Vet is (704) 844-8387 (8 am to 5 pm).
Gratefully,
Deborah Parrish
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