Foster Dog Diaries: Morris

Summer sucked up a lot of my brain.  I realized I had two Morris posts that I had meant to share but completely blanked?  Anyone ever do that?  I shared a photo yesterday and asked for some prayers.  I wanted to explain.

When Morris was picked up from the rescue, he had be hit by a car.  Paralyzed in his back legs and in horrible condition!  Just covered in his own filth, starving and paralyzed.  The rescue picked him up and he was up and walking just days after his surgery.  But even though they had cleaned and cleaned him prior to surgery, somehow he got an infection in between the bone cement used to hold his hardware and spine together.  And as much as we have tried antibiotics, it just wont take a hint and go away.

The only other option the Dr. gave us was to have the hardware removed.  His spine is healed and everything is back the way it should be.  How amazing would that be to just take out all the pins and screws and have him heal up and be ready for adoption.  Its amazing to the tune of $6000.  His first surgery was around the same amount.

We opted to try a different antibiotic regimen until we figured out our game plan.  A few weeks ago Morris started eating less.  He was eating 3 cups twice a day.  And he was only finishing about 2. Then over the last two weeks I have really had to bribe him to eat anything.  I could get him to eat 3 cups but half of that would be ground turkey and veggies that I would add into his food.  And over the last week the weight has just fallen off of him. The part that is puzzling is that most of his weight loss has been in his head.  His temples have shrunk in.  He breaks my heart

If you have been around my blog before, you might remember THIS post about our last foster dog Walter. It was a heartbreaking time for our family.  But we knew that we didn't want to give up on our foster journey. So when Morris landed in our laps, we happily took him on.  We worked though some kennel issues.  And I remember the first time he actually sat on command.  Big deal for a guy with a once shattered spine.  We hoped he would get adopted but have loved him as our own anyways.  I might use the term "Foster"  but in this house, they are always family.

Yesterday we had labs done.  I'm expecting a call sometime today for results.   I am truly hoping for the best.  Holding out for a miracle.  But preparing myself for the worst as well.  The dreadful C word came up and my 10 year old said, what ever it is, I just don't want him to suffer.  Me either son.  Me either.