Critical Care: Urgent Medical Cases on the Rise

As a nonprofit animal shelter that provides a safe haven for animals in need, we take in animals that are abandoned, surrendered, or abused, and provide them with medical care, food, and shelter. As with any animal shelter, Great Plains SPCA faces urgent medical cases daily that require immediate attention. We’ve had several urgent cases come to us in the past month, and their bills are adding up.

Two Pups on the Mend from Fractured Legs

Dumplin and Robinhood are dogs we recently transferred to our shelter from KCK Animal Services in an effort to alleviate some of their large dog population and provide much-needed medical care. Dumplin arrived with a fracture on her left hind leg, while Robin Hood has a fracture on his right front leg. Robinhood’s fracture is healing well, but he will be in a splint for several weeks and requires regular splint changes. Our Shelter Medicine Team determined that Dumplin’s break was healing incorrectly and required amputation. Her amputation, which is a major surgery, was completed on April 27 and was successful. Because of this excellent care, she is now available for adoption.

Including pain management, x-rays, and Dumplin’s amputation, the cost of care for each of these dogs is currently $1,750. We NEED donations from our community in order to provide quality care for every life we save. Over the past 12 months, we have transferred 22 pets from KCK Animal Services alone, and we will continue to take in large dogs when we can.

11 Puppies Battle Parvo

Our Great Plains SPCA HERO Team recently rescued 11 puppies from the deplorable conditions pictured below. These two-month-old babies were forced to live outside in a ridiculously small pen that was caked in their own feces. Many of these puppies are skin and bones, suffering from skin issues, and to top it off, three of these fragile souls tested positive for PARVO. Greta, Gavin, and Gordie. Due to their previous living conditions, where they were all housed together, we are anticipating the worst…that all 11 will eventually test positive. Parvo can cost $500 PER PUPPY, roughly $5,500 total is the least amount treatment services can be expected to cost. All the puppies were in a dire situation and are on the mend, but parvo can be deadly (91% fatality rate without treatment). Our expert Shelter Medicine and Canine Care Teams put a special action plan in place. Caring for 11 puppies in parvo isolation for two weeks requires an incredible amount of time, resources and medical supplies. In addition, we provide these puppies extra toys and enrichment because they are isolated and must throw away all of their bedding every day to prevent infection of other areas in the shelter. Donations of toys, towels and bedding to replace these are appreciated too.

Zeus, the German Shepherd

Zeus is a 6-year-old German shepherd who came to us severely underweight. Despite having thick fur, Zeus’ ribs, spine, and hip bones were clearly visible upon arrival. We have done a multitude of tests to determine what could possibly be causing Zeus to lose weight, and haven’t found a definitive answer. But we will continue to do everything we can for Zeus until we find a solution to his suffering. It’s times like this where we need our community’s help. We will do whatever it takes to give Zeus a better quality of life, but the costs of further testing continue to climb. By donating today, you will be supporting our fight to save Zeus and pets just like him that walk through our doors every day.

We face urgent medical cases on a regular basis. Dumplin, Robinhood, Zeus and all our parvo-infected pups are just a few examples of the animals that require immediate medical attention and recovery care. Thanks to the dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters like you at Great Plains SPCA, these animals are receiving the care they need to make a full recovery. If you would like to support Great Plains SPCA, you can donate now or consider fostering or adopting a pet in need.

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