4/16/2011
Hello there. It is Attatudie’s mom just sending you an update and thanking you and your staff once again.

Obviously Attatudie aka Tudie, is a very important part of my life as I do want to report that she is doing well. I have kept her separated from the other cats so I could monitor her intake/output; so far so good.

She is eating, drinking and seems to have regained her “Tudie” spark, so neurologically doing better. In fact she had enough sense to hide under the couch when she heard me lift the lid on her carrier, when I was about to take her to my regular vet for the follow up visit.

Luckily she has survived my IV administration and has been taking her antibiotics without much difficulty.

Truly I do want to express my great gratitude to you and your staff. You were correct when you said that it takes a calling and a gift to do what you all do. I am just thankful that I ended up there with people who so obviously care about what they do and the patients that they take care of on a daily basis.. not just the furry ones, but you all do a great job with the two legged ones that also need your care and compassion.

Hopefully my small donation to your HOPE fund will allow some other pet to receive the care that you provided to Tudie. I miss doing foster care, so I felt it was the least I could do to continue to support efforts that help animals.

I hope to be able to provide you with positive updates regarding her progress.

4/22/2011
Hello there again I thought I would share an update on Attatudie.
 
Tude is doing well… I did a follow up with my vet. She is now on daily IVs for a bit… but doing well. Her weight went up about .5 lb.
 
She is now integrated with my other 4 babies, is eating and drinking well, has very good energy, and loving her new dry/wet NF medicated diet… thank goodness so do all of the rest of them.
 
I wish you, and your staff and all of your families a very Happy Easter and continued good health.

5/23/11
I thought you and your staff might like to see what she looks like  vertical. She seems to be doing very well. It is thanks to you all that I get to see her like this again. This was last week and she looks even better now. The second pic is a bit blurry, thanks to the photographer (me), but seems to capture her essence.
 
I treasure every day I get to spend with her and know it is thanks to all of you. I know I keep saying this, but truly I cannot thank you enough. I hope none of you ever get tired of hearing that.

June 20, 2011
Hello everyone. I thought I would provide a 2 month check up progress report for Tudie. She has been a very good patient, allowing me to give her fluids on a daily basis (of course she gets a treat afterwards) and the outcome is obvious from her test results.

I want to thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and support (of her mother), during her initial recuperation period. While she will require on-going care for her lifetime, she is doing remarkably well.

Dr. Noaker, and her incredible team of emergency staff, were responsible for getting Tudie through her critical care needs. I could not be happier to acknowledge their contribution to this success. I only wish all of you lived in Houston and could take advantage of their services if any of your “children” needed it.

7/29/2011
It has been a couple of months but I thought I would give you an update on “Tudie”.

Tudie is doing great!! I could not be more pleased. We have our daily fluid ritual down to a routine. Usually around 11:00 or so I get a visit while I am working to let me know it is time for me to give her attention. I go over to the couch and she follows to wait for me to pet her more. Then she lays down and waits for me to start her IV.(she even lays in the right position to make this easy) .. at which point she gets plenty of personal attention through about the first 50 ccs and “treats” through the 2nd 50 ccs so she doesn’t get antsy. The rest of the “crew” anxiously await this time of day and lend their support since they get treats too. LOL. I am not sure who has trained who, but it seems to work for everyone!

I continue to keep you all in my thoughts and prayers as you returned such a precious gift to me. I would love to hear how you all are doing, and what’s new at VERGI.

10/9/2011

I thought I would give you and update on the “Tudster”. Overall she has been doing well. I had my first trip away from home about a week ago to visit my parents for 7 days. I had my neighbor, who is a registered nurse and also a cat lover, watch her. Unfortunately the little princess had different ideas about someone else being in the house and trying to give her fluids. Luckily Janet was smart enough to just put water in her wet food and she was ok, but has the battle scars to prove she was here.

Apparently the stress (or the dust bunnies under the couch) led to a slight upper resp. infection. I took her to the vet today for some meds for her eye and to have her checked out.

Good news, she is up to 10.98 lbs, her kidney values have all improved. Yippee. Unfortunately she is slightly anemic, which is a new development. For now, I guess the direction is just to watch that and look at meds for that if she declines.

I have been tied up with work so much lately I have not been into the clinic, but still do plan on dropping off a donation.

1/2/2012
I had a chance to stop by the office today to drop off a few snacks and see the new lobby. Wow, it is beautiful and I can see where you are all going with the updates. I am sure you will enjoy the improved back office area as well when that is complete.

When I mentioned I was “Attatudie’s mom”, one of the tech’s that happened to be in the lobby said, wow, we have been wondering how she is doing. I hope you will pass along this message and let everyone know she is doing well, and definitely better than I ever thought she would be 10+ months ago. In some ways it surprises me that people would remember her, on the other hand she is quite a force of nature. LOL.

She just had blood work done again on Thursday and all her numbers except her BUN were better. Her anemia seems to have also gotten a little better as well which is a relief. She is down a little on her weight, as I had mentioned to you after my unexpected 10 day trip, but her appetite has come back after a B12 shot. I expect all of those numbers to improve by her next check up.

Words can still never express how grateful I am to all of you for all the hard work you do every day, and for all the hard work you put in on Tudie to return her to me. I am sure there are 100s+ people that feel the same way due to your efforts.

I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous 2012. I hope to visit again soon and get to thank more of you in person… today the lobby was a little full and I didn’t want to disturb those that needed your attention.

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

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

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

Update:

Shelby is doing MUCH MUCH better. She continues to improve and she thrives on attention. You can see her new tuffs of hair on her rib cage and feet. We even took her out side and she barked, which is a good sign. She has gained strength and no longer wobbles about or has to take a nap after walking outside to potty. The vets will keep her another week or so then she’ll be ready to go in to foster care. She is one heck of a pup, coming from a horrible situation and now she is smiling and wagging her tail.

Update:

Shelby went to stay with her foster family and has gotten stronger everyday. She has a full coat of hair and muscles! Her foster family have taught her to sit and stay and down.
Shelby will soon be with her forever family.

If you are interested in adopting a rescue please visit Scout’s Honor Rescue

Tucker, however, became more and more lethargic.  Another trip to the vet for blood work and an ultrasound showed Tucker had some serious problems.  An ultrasound showed his lungs and chest cavity were full of blood and fluid and the poor little guy was struggling to breathe.  In addition, Tucker’s blood was not clotting properly and he was bleeding into his internal body cavities.  Further diagnostic testing revealed Tucker had probably gotten into rat poison.  He was immediately started on the antidote and started receiving plasma infusions.  The first 3 days were really tough and we were not sure if he was going to make it.  Tucker was in an incubator receiving oxygen and intravenous fluids and meds.  It was an effort for him to wag his little tail for us.  But on Day 4, he showed a small improvement and the next day brought even further improvements. His little body was doing its best, along with the antidote and plasma, to recover from the effects of the rat bait. His blood was now coagulating properly and his body was re-absorbing and dissipating the blood and fluids in his chest cavity and lungs.
 
Tucker continued to improve and get a little stronger everyday. He was soon able to go to home. He continues to thrive in his forever home.

Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue

It took a little time for her to adjust in my household with my other dog, Monti, but I could tell right away she liked the food! She began as a very loving pup and followed my every step and still does and, I’m sure, will continue until she just can’t manage it anymore. She is very much “a momma’s baby”.

Her long red hair began to grow in and she grew, too. The girl loves to eat! I call her “Grocery Girl” or “Big Red Snapper” because she snaps her teeth when she’s given something she really likes! I used to call us “the 2 chubby redheads”.

Back then, in late 1998 and most of 1999, one of the treats I kept on hand for both Monti and Trixi was pigs’ ears. They might have been the reason for our coming to know and love all of you at VERGI

One Sunday afternoon in late August 1999, after Trixi had eaten at least 3 or 4 pigs’ ears, she started to vomit and was very quiet. Although I had not given her 3 or 4 pigs’ ears, she picked up the ones I had given to Monti, too! I began to watch her closely and she vomited again. Then, with seemingly no strength left in her body, she collapsed in front of me and her eyes rolled back in her head. I knew we were in trouble.

I quickly phoned my neighbor who came right over and helped me get her into the car. I sped away heading for your much-needed help. When I arrived, in tears, the lobby was crowded. I yelled out, crying, for someone to please help me get my dog out of the car. A young man, a client, came out and carried her through the lobby straight into one of your exam rooms. I don’t know who that young man was but his help was the first in the whirlwind of life-saving events that had just begun.

As Trixi laid on your table, her breathing became labored and she began to ooze blood from her rectum. We called for help. Some techs and nurses quickly came in with a stretcher and took Trixi away.

A few minutes later, I peeked around the door and saw that Trixi had on an oxygen mask! I was really frightened. After a while, a young woman entered and introduced herself as Dr. Plumber. She was very calm and professional and began to ask questions that led to the possibility that Trixi may have been poisoned. The pigs’ ears became a possible target. She had eaten more than usual. (One was usually the day’s limit.) And, I had purchased a different brand from a different store.

The night wore on and the medical blur, for me, was inevitable.

At that time in 1999, your office closed at 7 AM. After having spoken to VERGI personnel throughout the night, I returned to pick Trixi up. She was very weak and still a very sick girl. She had made it through the night! Dr. Plumber and the others on duty that night saved my baby’s life! But she was not out of the woods.

Trixi went from your loving and life-saving care to my family vet who nursed her through the rest of our ordeal. She remained at the vet clinic for several days. I took off from my job when Trixi came home. I wanted to be with her and watch her every move. Knowing that she still wanted to take every step with me, I knew that for the next few days, I would lie by her side and not move unless I absolutely had to. She was too sick to be up and down, up and down with my every move.

After a few days, I sort of forgot about Dr. Plumber and VERGI because I didn’t want to relive the nightmare. Then one afternoon when Trixi and I were lying in bed, Dr. Plumber phoned. She called to check on Trixi. (I could tell she wasn’t sure Trixi was still alive!) That was the best phone call ever! I had no idea that anyone would have given us a second thought once we were gone and other pets were coming and going through VERGI’s doors.

Having saved Trixi’s life was quite enough but to CARE, too! I was astounded! Thus began an almost 10-year association with the caring doctors and staff of VERGI August of 2009 will be our “anniversary”.

That very year, the “I Survived” Christmas parties began. I believe Trixi’s remarkable survival story was the nexus for the yearly celebrations! Trixi loves to go especially for, you guessed it, the food!

In the years that have passed, we’ve continued the wonderful relationship with Dr. Noaker and the VERGI staff. Trixi has “visited” again for other issues and several other dogs of mine have received the phenomenal care of the compassionate doctors and staff.

Trixi is in good health. She’ll be 10 on July 4th. Thank you, VERGI for the 10, and I hope many more, wonderful years with Trixi.

I rushed her to my vet and they treated her and sent her home, telling me that she would get better or not, they weren’t sure, but there was nothing else to do.

I held that little thing all night long and all day the next day as she threw up and kept going downhill. Finally, I told my husband we had to get her to the emergency hospital to see if they could do ANYTHING. We went to VERGI and they checked her over and said, yes, there were things they could do and they got to work on her! It was very rough on all of us for the next couple of weeks, but the vets all worked so hard to save Abby and Abby did her part by fighting with all her heart.

This was when VERGI was closed during the day, so Abby would go to the vet during the day and to VERGI in the evening. That went on for a while. We sought help from a number of vets and eventually, Abby started getting better. She came home and was still closely monitored for a relapse as the poison affects the liver and kidneys. While she does have some permanent liver dysfunction and on medicine for the rest of her life, she did get better.

Now, Abby is 5 1/2 years old and, as you can see in the picture, she is very hearty and healthy. She is completely normal in every way, although we do still have some extra testings from time to time, she is in excellent health. We have a lot to thank the vets at VERGI for! We do appreciate each and every one of them so much. Every Christmas season, we go to their Christmas Open House and meet other pets that get to celebrate another year with their families all because of the caring vets at VERGI

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

Sherra and Gordon Miller
and, most of all, ABBY!

The focus of our joy is Phil, our retired, racing greyhound. He was born October 4, 1998, and called Footsy. His dad was Wigwam Wag and his mom was Kiawah Foot, both with impressive bloodlines. Because of leg injury as a young puppy, he never received a racing name due to the eventual reality that he would never be asked to race. Lucky for us, he was given to Greyhound Pets of America/Houston to be put up for adoption at one-year of age.

The breeder had indicated that even though his front leg was crooked and shorter than the rest, he was in fine shape. Due to my husband’s inquiring-minds-want-to-know attitude, we took Phil to Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists to see the orthopedic vet. After 2 surgeries and a rod, a plate and 6 screws, Phil’s leg was still crooked and shorter than the rest but he could now chase a tennis ball with the speed of any racing champion, pain-free.

At around 6 years old, Phil had his first episode of cluster seizures. The horror we felt was indescribable. Nothing had prepared us for Phil’s suffering with the onslaught of seizures again and again and again. We were familiar with VERGI through our previous greyhounds so we called ahead letting them know we were on our way. The prognosis was not good if medical attention could not stop the seizures. Phil’s temperature was 108. How could our beloved Phil survive this assault.

True to their calling, the caring and knowledgeable team at VERGI brought Phil from his anesthetic-induced sleep (the only way to stop the seizures) to a controlled awakening with no more seizure activity during his 6-day stay. The unfortunate reality was that a year later the veterinarian angels at VERGI would have another test of their skills when they would again save his life after another bout of cluster seizures. Phil now had multiple tenure in VERGI’s “Survivor’s Celebration” held at the end of every year.

Phil definitely has someone watching over him. He is my inspiration for survival. So much so that I have a tattoo of him on my forearm showing him not of this earth but more of an ethereal being.

For a number of years more mundane visits to VERGI involved minor injuries and mishaps when our regular vet’s office was closed…natch! But last year, Phil’s 10th, we brought Phil to VERGI with severe pancreatitis. After another week’s stay, Phil was weak, skinny, and wobbly on his feet but we welcomed him home with the thoughts that our family was whole again and VERGI was a God-send.

That summer of 2008, Phil survived pancreatitis thanks to VERGI, had knee surgery at Gulf Coast, and recovered from pneumonia. But the final insult to our Phil Bert Curlytail, so called because his tail curls up when he runs, was his diagnosis of bone cancer in the fall.

I am aware that VERGI can’t help Phil this time around but I can’t say that it hasn’t crossed my mind to the possibility. They have worked miracles in the past giving us so many more years of pure happiness and love with our handsome and oh-so-charming grey-pup but now Phil’s future will be dominated by boundless comfort and pampering. And I do believe that every time he lies on his back with all 4 legs in the air, he knows that is always guaranteed to bring a smile to our face and joy to our hearts.

I would be remiss if I don’t thank Drs. Hays and Tharp of Voss Road Animal Hospital and Dr. Robinett of the Veterinary Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Clinic for their loving care of Phil when needed.

Note: Sadly, we lost Phil on May 26, 2009. It is amazing to me that a dog of such a quiet and gentle demeanor could leave such a huge void in our hearts and home.

Capone seemed to be ok, but a little sluggish as expected from the shots. Around 10pm, I got up to take a shower. Usually when I get out of the shower, Capone is already asleep on my bed. However, when I got out, he was sitting by my bathroom door scratching uncontrollably at his neck. I thought it was kind of odd, so I felt his neck and thought nothing of it. I sat back down on my bed reading for school, and he came up right next to me, scratching even more, so I took his collar off, thinking that was the problem.

About 30 minutes had passed and he was still scratching. So I felt his neck again, and found big welts and bumps around his neck and I panicked. I decided to call my old vet of 18 years, who is now retired. After telling him the situation, he told me that I needed to get Capone to an emergency clinic as soon as possible because he was having a severe allergic reaction to the Lepto shot. He told us to go to VERGI clinic and he called ahead for us. I never thought, nor was I told, that dogs could have allergic reactions to shots like humans, and had I known this, I probably would have noticed the signs sooner.

My mother and I rushed with Capone to VERGI and when we walked in, a nurse was waiting on us. She immediately took Capone from my arms and took him in the back with no questions asked. VERGI did not know or seem to even care if we could pay or not, they simply wanted to save my dog’s life and they did!

After the nurse took Capone, we anxiously waited and a vet came in after what felt like an eternity to let us know that he was stabilized and that we brought Capone just in time. It was later told to us at the annual Christmas party that Capone had serious problems when we brought him. His neck was swollen to the point that it was blocking his airway, a tube was put down his throat, and many shots were given to him to stop the reaction and bring the swelling down so that he could breathe. Fortunately, we were able to take him home around 3am and he fell asleep with his back paw scratching in the air, but thankfully showing us he could breathe through his normal snoring!

There are no words to express how much VERGI clinic means to us…they gave us many more healthy years with my Capone that can never be replaced. Thank you VERGI Clinic for all that you do and all of the dogs you save…May God continue to bless your place and all those who work so hard to save our family members when we need it the most!

Janikka Bratton and Elaine Timberlake