We are making lots of progress with dear Timber. The pictures still show a very emaciated dog, but time and food will take care of that. He is still in danger of re-feeding syndrome, which is why he is only at approximately 80% of the calories he needs. We hope that by the end of this week, he will be meeting his calorie requirement to gain weight. He has received several plasma infusions since his last update, and as of today, he remains stable. His glucose has stabilized, and his blood PCV has gone up since his last transfusion. We were prepared to do another blood transfusion yesterday since his PCV had dropped again, but it came up to 24% during the night. His albumin level has only improved slightly, which is why he will probably need another plasma transfusion.
The biggest issue we currently face is that he is refusing to drink fluids. We have been adding extra fluid to his food to encourage him to consume more fluids. We are weaning him off his IV fluids so he can start to heal without so much intervention. So far, he is enjoying having the extra water in his food, but without food, he is not interested in drinking plain water. Fluids alter electrolytes and blood values, so it is crucial that we get him to drink water.
The next critical aspect of his care is helping him stand independently and move his body around. He can’t stay in one place like he had been, or he will get more bed sores. His ability to move around independently without staff assistance is crucial to his overall care. He is also getting physical therapy several times a day. Yesterday was the first time he was able to hold himself up while standing over a double therapy ball. During the night, he stood up on his own and ate out of a bowl they were holding.
Timber is still critical and in ICU. We are in the early stages of saving his Life. We are not even thinking about him being adopted until he is well. If you would like to be considered for adopting one of our dogs, please complete our online adoption application. We always select the best possible candidate, considering the dog and the Family environment. Currently, we are doing everything possible to save Timber, in addition to attending to the medical needs of the 39 dogs in our care at Noah’s Arks Rescue. I will do my best to do updates on Timber a couple of times a week and more if possible.
Please be patient, and know that our ultimate goal is for every animal in our care to receive the best possible medical and emotional care. Right now, it seems like every dog that woke up at Noah’s Arks Rescue this morning has decided they need special attention today, and we are going to make sure each one gets it. I have a dog with a hole in its heart getting a repair and a pup that needs to have its leg amputated, and one that needs to have its eye removed. That is a typical day for us, and each animal requires funds to be raised.
The best news in this update is that Timber’s body is starting to respond and take over with less intervention. Timber standing on its own is a Miracle. I would like to think we could get Timber out of ICU and the hospital soon, but that is not possible. He needs too much round-the-clock care for his basic needs. Until that changes, we will continue to do so, taking it one day at a time. In the meantime, I have just uploaded some fabulous videos of dear Timber standing and doing physical therapy.
Thank you for caring about Timber and all the other pups in our care who depend on us for all their medical needs and unconditional love.
