SEVA GRREAT's Gracie Girl (click for a PDF about Gracie)
Meet Gracie, SEVA GRREAT's golden girl at just 18 weeks! Gracie was born with anatomical abnormalities which make it hard for her to control urination, especially when she sleeps. Our rescue is working hard to find a solution for Gracie, but until then, Gracie needs to wear doggie diapers while she is in the house. SEVA and Gracie need your help! If you would like to make a contribution to help with Gracie's medical expenses (including the cost of her diapers), please send a donation online through PayPal by clicking below.
Or send your donation (marked to the Gracie Fund) to:
SEVA GRREAT
PO Box 8014
Yorktown, VA 23693Please continue to check below for updates on Gracie's progress as well as information on adopting this sweet girl:
Updates on Gracie
6/18/08
Gracie was abandoned by a breeder. She has already undergone corrective surgery for an anatomical abnormality which affected the way her kidney passes the urine to her ureters. It bypassed the holding cell of her bladder and left her unable to control urination. Gracie was placed on medication that she takes 2 times a day. We brought Gracie into the rescue today and will evaluate her progress.
6/29/08
Gracie is now in a foster home and she is doing very well. She has a wonderful golden personality. She goes outside and goes "potty" on a regular basis like any good puppy but will dribble when she is taking a break from playing. She has to have a diaper on when she is in the house and when she falls asleep she is so relaxed she urinates in her diaper. She puts on a pitiful face when her foster mom puts on her diaper, but she is such a trooper, she doesn't even try to take it off! This only affects her urine continence, she is able to hold her bowels. An ultrasound was completed and tests were run to check her kidney values because of some observed renal dilation. She still has some dilation but the blood work found her kidney is functioning properly. Our veterinarians are consulting with urologist for ways to help Gracie. She is wonderful 4 1/2 month old puppy, full of life and joy. She is sweet, well mannered, and smart! She plays with reckless abandon and has won over the hearts of everyone who comes in contact with her. Here she is on her new bed!
7/2/08
The veterinarians think Gracie would be a candidate for a procedure when she is around 6 months which will strengthen her urinary sphincter muscles. We are very excited about this option and will update you when we know more. She continues to be a very happy little girl who loves to play with her foster brother.
7/23/08
A Letter from Gracie:
Hi to all of you that have been checking in to see how I am doing. My foster mom said I needed to make sure to say THANK YOU for all the donations, prayers and thoughts! I sure am one lucky dog! I promise you I am worth it! I am happy to tell you that my procedure at NC STATE is scheduled for August 20th. I am a little nervous but know everyone at SEVA GRREAT will make sure I am well taken care of while I am in North Carolina! If you are able, I could still use some more donations to help pay for my surgeryand diapers. I continue to be the happiest little girl in the world. My new favorite things to do include chasing my foster brother around the yard until I get dizzy and trying to catch the water out of the hose. I keep hearing that I must go to the beach and try the big ocean. I’m hoping my new family will take me there one day. Could that be you??? I’m still waiting for you to come and adopt me. Anyway, I need to get back to my chew bones and maybe have a quick nap. Again, I thank you for caring about me.
Love, Gracie
10/6/08
Gracie's rough road isn't over yet. Unfortunately, the specialists at NC State University were not able to complete the collagen procedure on Gracie at her visit at the end of August. After more diagnostic tests, they discovered that her first surgery did not correct one of the ectopic ureters, thus the collagen treatment would not have been effective for her. Gracie also has a urachal diverticulum that is a nidus of infection and is causing her to have severe and chronic urinary tract infections. In this goes uncorrected, she will eventually become antibiotic resistant, and this is a life threatening problem if not surgically fixed. The problem is correctable with surgery, but the surgery must be done by a highly trained soft tissue surgeon and will be very expensive. Additionally, while Gracie was at NC State we found that she has kidney dysplasia. This is a problem that goes hand in hand with her other developmental abnormalities and is not curable. She will likely have a shortened life span, but can potentially have good quality of life for up to 10 years; only time will tell.Though she tries hard not to show any signs of it and does her best to be a "normal" pup, she is suffering from recurring bacterial urinary infections. Also, she continues to be unable to control her urine dribble because of the ectopic ureter, making it necessary for her to wear a diaper that gives her diaper rash.
Our rescue is working very hard to raise the thousands needed for this vital surgery, which we would like to schedule in the next couple of months. No pup deserves it more than this little one! You can find Gracie playing outside with reckless abandon, running after her foster dog siblings until she's dizzy, or chasing lightening bugs at dusk. Her resiliency even in the face of recurring pain and challenge, and the way she lives each moment to the fullest getting every bit of enjoyment out of life that she can, is an inspiration to us all to live in the moment and never take for granted what we are given! With your help, Gracie will have the best quality of life possible so she can continue to infuse every moment of her life with joy and love for years to come!If you are willing to donate financially towards Gracie's medical costs or her diapers, we can use your support. Please donate via paypal or mark the donation to the Gracie fund
10/25/08
Greetings from our Gracie Girl! Thank you to ALL who showed the tremendous, overwhelming support for our special little girl. It has moved us to tears as she has become a very special part of so many of our lives. Your thoughts and well wishes mean the world to us. We are so glad that she was able to participate in this photo contest that seemed to take on a life of its own. For a small rescue group we are humbled by the amount of support shown for SEVA GRREAT (adoptagolden.com) and the appreciation for all the hard work we have done to save MANY abandoned, unwanted, sick/healthy goldens each year. The best part of all is that Gracie's supporters have helped IMOM continue its mission of "Helping people help pets". To better the lives of sick, injured and abused companion animals. We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged." (imom.org)
Gracie and many other animals will benefit from this wonderful contest. Thank you again to everyone!
Gracie and SEVA GRREAT Volunteers
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