Willow's Special Story

UPDATE: 2/22/2012
Well this has been a difficult week for Willow, she graduated to the puppy food sent home from UT for her and she seemed to do all right with that watered down so when she was finished with those cans we moved on to the third set of cans that UT had sent home with her. Watered down to soup level even with the tiniest rice sized pieces she has been unable to keep that down. This morning when I fed her I had mashed the food with a potato masher and when I was in here catching up with my email I heard a sound and went in to find her laying flat out moaning in pain. I picked her up and within seconds she was regurgitating into my hand. I felt so bad and carried her upright for 15 minutes.

I took some of the Solid Gold Wee Bits and put them in a Tupperware container and covered them in water. It took several hours for the wee bits to absorb through but when it did I put it in my blender and added more water and blended until it was smooth and split pea soup consistancy. I gave her a tablespoon of that and she gobbled it up and it stayed down so later I gave her a serving spoon sized portion and she has kept that down. When Dan gets home I'll have him give her a little more and we'll see if this will work. I'm convinced that she will never be able to eat a normal diet without having it run through a blender and then to make sure she doesn't get into anything else that could block her esophagus. She is the most precious of baby's and reminds me of Sister Bertrille, her little ears stick out just like she could take off flying!

Thanks for keeping her in your prayers.

1/07/2012
Willow is an 8 week old Yorkie mix she has a "persistent aortic arch". This condition occurs in puppies when a structure like a ligament entraps the esophagus at area of the aorta where it leaves the heart. It's like a rubber band being placed around the esophagus limiting the passage of food. What happens then is the esophagus gets stretched out 2 -3 times it's normal size due to the back up of food and water. This creates a "megaesophagus", another problem. This is causing Willow to regurgitate her food when she eats. The treatment for this condition is to surgically remove the ligament to free the esophagus.

Willow is on her way to The University of Tennessee to have this life saving surgery and we need your help. Dr Tobias has estimated that it will cost $1600 - $2000, your donations will help us to help Willow back to her happy puppy life.

You may donate money here to help replenish funds for future Surgeries:

or mail a check to:

Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue, Inc.
c/o Mary Elizabeth Dugmore
1065 Lewis Road
Chapmansboro, TN 37035

We appreciate any help you can offer so that we can continue helping these little dogs!

Thank you so much for your donations!

Diane Cuomo Patricia Kushnir Ruth Ann Shultz Alan Nakashima Mary Perini Patricia Lynagh-Kushnir Kathryn C Schuller

Pamela S. MINDT Amalia Spaulding Jackie Barone Beatriz Fernandes Helen Tompkins Elaine Leshnower MaryElizabeth Dugmore