Happy We got Happy from BARC on 5/4/11.

5/3/11: My name is Happy. I am happy DRoH saved me. I was starved and only weighed five pounds when they found me. But I am HAPPY this is the last bad day I will have because DRoH rescued me!

5/10/11: Happy has left the emergency vet and is doing great. He is wiggly, kissy and is taking snacks like crazy. He is absolutely adorable and full of life. He is going to be a real character. He may be well enough to go to a foster home this Thursday.

5/11/11eg:Dr J said that Happy is continuing to improve…CBC was good. He has not had a runny nose for the last 24 hrs. If this continues, he will be ready for a foster 5/12/11.

5/12/11: Happy went home today with his new foster parents! As you can see, Happy is a VERY cuddly boy! Also, in true dachshund style, he found a pillow right away and made himself at home.

5/19/11: I had a follow-up with my doctor today. She said that I have gained 1.25 pounds in the past week! I am now up to 7.75 pounds, and my appetite is great. She also gave me some shots, which I didn’t like so much, but if I keep getting better they say I can have something they called my “boy-surgery” in about 2 weeks!

5/21/11: Happy’s Auntie Claire made him a new blanket and pillow. They’re super cute, but so far he thinks they are really cool toys.

5/23/11: He’s feeling much better today. Look at how nice and level his back is now! Plus, he’s starting to grow very fine hair all over his body. He feels more like flocked wallpaper now instead of bare skin.

5/28/11: Look how much his coat is coming in! He continues to improve in leaps and bounds!

7/23/11: Happy was adopted today!

If you are interested in adopting a dachshund rescue please visit Dachshund Rescue of Houston

We got Becky from Brazoria County on 6/21/11.

6/21/11cc: Becky T. is HW positive, has whips and hooks, and the EU call came earlier. We chose to try to give her a chance. As of this afternoon she is eating a little and becoming more aware. She is a very thin girl with a long row to hoe.

6/22/11cc: Update from Vet; Becky is doing a little better. No iv fluids today. Eating on her own 4-5 times daily. Yesterday she didn’t know where the food was and today she is able to find it and actually enjoy it. She is on Baytril which is an antibiotic.

6/27/11cc: Becky was running a high temperature yesterday so she got sub Q fluids, today her temp is low. They said this is to be expected because of her condition.

She has lost weight and Dr C says she is looking worse–is recommending sub Q fluids daily. (TC)

6/30/11cc: Becky was being transferred to VERGI this AM. (TC)

7/1/11 (SC): Blood work still shows elevated liver enzymes, so she’s got something going on with her liver, but they’re not sure at this point if it’s due to poisoning, dehydration, disease, or what. She is still not fully hydrated; the vet said it can take a while. For now the plan is to keep her on IV fluids until she is well hydrated and encourage her to eat. She is eating baby food and keeping it down. And she stands up and walks around slowly when they take her outside.

7/03/11cc: Becky Update: The vet tried to switch her to a higher calorie food, but she got nauseous, so they went back to the other food. They haven’t done any blood work yet today, but they said she’s looking a lot better and trying to make a little “nest” in her kennel.(FB)

7/07/11 Becky Update: Becky: They are still trying to get the right balance of food and meds for Becky to prevent diarrhea and keep her ammonia levels down (not enough meds = ammonia too high, too much meds = diarrhea). As soon as they get that adjusted, she can go to a foster… and they think that could be as early as today! She will need her meds three times a day (every 8 hours) and she will need a foster who is close to a vet so she can have her blood monitored for ammonia levels (I forgot to ask how often). We might want to have her stay a JV for a while first. Anyway, who ever fosters her needs to be strict with her diet. The temptation will be to let her eat us much as she wants because she’s so skinny, but she cannot tolerate a lot of protein. So she really needs an experienced foster (who won’t overfeed her or give her table scraps), and they need to realize they may be dealing with some diarrhea. The folks at VERGI say Becky is a sweetheart. (SC)

7/08/11cc: Becky is cleared to go “home” today. She has not been spayed yet and she is heartworm positive. Dr. Sutherland said she definitely would not put her through surgery right now. She said give her a couple of months to make sure her liver is going to be ok. Same thing with the heartworm treatment. We need to make sure she’s well enough to go through it. We can give her monthly preventative. She has been spoiled at VERGI. They are letting her sit up at the front desk.(SC) Suzanne’s husband Mike will pick Becky up today and they will foster.

10/10/11: Becky is still in foster and not quite ready for adoption yet!

10/17/11: Sweet little Becky lost her battle with liver disease October 17th. She had been doing extremely well, but suddenly fell very ill and, sadly, we were unable to save her.

She brought much joy to her foster family in the short time she was with us. We hope she knew how much she was loved.

If you are interested in adopting a dachshund rescue please visit Dachshund Rescue of Houston

I really appreciate everything. You were all very nice and concerned
about Max. I have recommended V.E.R.G.I. to anyone that has an emergency
with their pet.

Five years ago, I found a little kitty meowing on the staircase in front of my apartment. Her owner, my next door neighbor, threw her out early that morning. I picked up the scared and trembling kitty and knocked on my neighbor’s door to ask her if she had lost a cat. My neighbor didn’t want her or her sister. So I took them both in, and Freckles and Tipsy have been part of my family ever since. They have to be the most affectionate cats I have ever known. Tipsy always wanted to sit by my side with her paws on my lap. Tipsy was very active cat with a mischievous streak because she always tried to sneak outside or find her way into the attic. Freckles liked to jump 5 feet up so I could catch her in my arms and also played fetch as good as any dog could. Tipsy always let Freckles lay on top of her when they slept. Freckles always let Tipsy get the first bite when they ate. They brought so much joy to my life and didn’t mind moving with me from home to home. Last year on Feb 21, a terrible house fire changed things. The electrical fire started in the middle of the night while everyone slept. I woke up to a smoke-filled room and saw a blazing fire in the living room. I yelled for my mom and brother and we all barely made it out with some minor injuries. But there was not enough time to get my kitties out from hiding. As house cats who were normally not allowed outside, their natural instinct was to hide, not to run for the nearest exit. Their fate was left in the hands of the valiant fire fighters.

As we helplessly waited outside, a fire fighter finally brought out one cat, still smoking from the fire. She was alive but badly injured. All of her fur was burned and charred to a point beyond recognition. A fire fighter suggested VERGI, so we called the clinic for directions and prepped them on the situation. We brought her to VERGI where Dr. Southerland was awaiting her arrival. She quickly took her back to triage and assured me that she would do everything she could to save my baby.

Because I could no longer tell which cat she was, my Tipsy was renamed as Freckles that night. It was not until I returned home from the clinic that I saw the real Freckles in a box, fur intact. She had died of smoke inhalation. Meanwhile, her sister Tipsy, aka “Freckles,” fights for her life with burns all over her body, even inside her mouth.

The best news came in the morning with a phone call from Dr. Southerland, telling me that my kitty made it through the night and appeared in stable condition. And to top it off, Dr. Noaker graciously approved the use of VERGI’s HOPE fund to secure Freckles’ long and difficult battle back to health. And since we did not have house insurance, I cannot honestly say that Freckles would still be with me today if it weren’t for VERGI’s HOPE fund and EVERY member of VERGI’s wonderful and caring team.

Freckles spent over a month at the clinic, under intense care and observation. First, they weren’t sure if she would have lung damage from the smoke. Then, they weren’t sure if she would be blind from the heat of the fire. Surgery after surgery was required to remove necrosed tissue from her ears, face, tail, and paws. Next, it was unsure if she would still have ears. She lost all the tips of her toes and paw pads. The doctors weren’t sure how well or even if she would be able to walk after her ordeal. She hadn’t walked for over a month since her all her feet were constantly bandaged. Finally, after her feeding tube was removed,they weren’t sure if she would regain her appetite to eat on her own. It was a very trying time for me and Freckles.

But as a result of the incredible care she received from all the doctors and technicians at VERGI, Freckles made a miraculous recovery. Eyes, ears, paws all still work. She likes to run and play on carpet and will still venture just about anywhere. She’s a little picky about the type of litter she uses, but after everything she’s been through, she is entitled and can have anything she wants. Her spirit is as alive as it’s ever been. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t purr and wag her tail. And it is all thanks to the kindness and expertise of everyone at VERGI. I really cannot express how grateful I am for everything that VERGI has done for my family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Love,
Freckles and Christie Vu and family

My experience was very good. At first I was a little concerned about leaving my dog alone, but you all took awesome care of ‘Rocket’.

I was very pleased with your staff, your veterinarians, and your overall service. I’m so happy that you are around.

I was really pleased with the great care and cordial service! Everyone was really nice and I’ve told everyone I know about you.

I was going to call and update VERGI on my pet’s condition, but they called me first to check on her. I want to let you know how awesome your compassion was to me during my emotional visit to your hospital.

Since my first visit, I have been to VERGI 2 more times. I want you to know that I am happy to have a place I feel comfortable to call on in emergencies.

Doctor was very straight forward, everyone was real nice; would definitely recommend to others.