Heather

Heather

02/19/20

Shih Tzu

Heather was surrendered by a breeder on April 25, 2020 because she had an open fontanelle and vision issues.  An open fontanelle is a soft spot or gap between skull and growth plate.  It can be normal for young puppies but should harden and close by 9 to 12 weeks of age.  

After a few days in rescue, her foster advised Heather seems to circle to the left alot. She navigated around the home pretty well with only bumping into objects occasionally.  A few days later, Heather was started running a temp and was lethargic.  She was taken to the ER.  She was hospitalized for several days with no change.   So the vet contacted Mizzou neurology team with questions.  It was confirmed that Heather needed to see them right away so we arranged for her to be transported to Mizzou the next day.  That morning just before heading to Mizzou, Heather finally broke her fever.

The neurology team arranged for several tests including a CBC, chemistry, thoracic x-rays, & an ultrasound of her brain through the open fontanelle.  It was determined, Heather had Hydrocephalus, a condition where there is increased cerebrospinal fluid contained within the normal ventricles of the brain.  There is a surgery that can be performed to insert a shunt to drain the fluid from the brain to the abdomen.  This surgery is very costly and usually needs to be done several times while the dog grows.  Before making that decision and doing any additional testing such as MRI, it was decided to wait until she got older.  

As time passed, we scheduled an appointment with U of I neurology for a second opinion.  She had an MRI and they concurred, she has severe hydrocephalus.  After discussing all the options, risks, and benefits, we decided to not do surgery and put Heather on Omeprazole and Prednisone.  The Prednisone would reduce the swelling in the brain and the Omeprazole would help drain the fluid.  

Heather is doing well in her foster home. She will remain in their care for the duration of her life, quality of life will always take precedence.   

It costs us about $58.00 a month for Heather's care.  You can help by sponsoring Heather.

Here are her monthly expenses.

Omeprazole - Liquid Compounded - $23.00

Prednisone - Liquid Compounded -  $18.00

Food - Fromm Four-Star Dry Dog Food - Trout & Whitefish Recipe - $17.00