SASHA
(scroll down for her story)

UPDATE
5-27-08

Hi Everyone!

I know it's been since March in sending out an update. The good news for most of that is that things were sailing along just fine with nothing to report. She had even started telling Caroline and I that she no longer needed to be syringe fed, so we switched to feeding her canned k/d but chopped up in little pieces. However, we are dealing with a few issues with her health.

 

Sasha had some skin issues that we thought might be related to her compromised immune system, but it appears that she may just be having an allergic reaction to something in the environment at Caroline's now that Spring has come and Sasha is outside a bit more.

 

She had a bout of really upset stomach and irregular heartbeat that caused her weight to drop a half pound, and her blood work caused us to think that she may have an infection, so she is being treated for that and is responding well.  With the weight drop, she is back on the syringe feedings.  As always, we will continue monitoring the status of her megaesophagus to make sure these episodes haven't made it worse.

 

We know that Sasha will have some ups and downs with the megaesophagus and the problems it presents, but she remains happy and still likes her chicken! 

 

Please send more prayers.

Thanks

Karen

UPDATE
3-05-08

Sasha is doing wonderful.  She continues to bring joy, inspiration and solace to Caroline and I.  There isn’t much news to tell regarding her health. She is holding steady at 4lbs 7 oz with a little fluctuation one way or the other.  I think her body is just replenishing her bones, muscles, tendons, etc. Her ribs no longer stick out, although her back bone, hips and face still look thin. When you hold her in your arm and cradle her on her back she actually looks like she has a little tummy! Her skin and coat are beautiful and her eyes absolutely sparkle! I actually had a couple of clients at the clinic who met her for the very first time (without knowing her story) comment this week on how “beautiful” she was!!!

Dr. Thedford did take more x-rays of her yesterday and there is definite improvement in her bone calcification. She is a little more flexible now and she was able to take some more detailed shots to look at her joints. Or, what’s left of them I should say.  Normally there is a ball and cup so to speak for each length of bone to fit into. In Sasha’s case there are no cups left except at her hips and shoulders. But the right hip is distorted and explains why she appears stronger on her left side when she is crawling.

Sasha and I did have our sleepover at Caroline’s. Our little girl’s night out consisted of Caroline, Sasha, myself, our mutual friend Tanya and Caroline’s sweet 8 yr old twin daughters, Bryce and Brooks. Caroline’s husband was there, but made himself scarce. We ate, talked, and watched the movie “Game Plan” with The Rock. So all the girls, young and old were satisfied with that!! We did over do the cheese treats with Sasha. We were all taking turns holding her and we found out it was too much movement when Caroline ended up wearing it! Yuk. Other than that all was good. And we have plans to do it again.

Today at the clinic I met, Paxton and Paige, who are sisters that are remarkable young ladies that have taken Sasha into their hearts from the picture I have in the clinic lobby as our CRT poster child. They informed me today they have a club on their neighborhood block, called “The Friendship Club”, which  includes (only girls are allowed) their friends, Noelia, Emma, and Sammy. They had been on the internet looking for a dog in need that they could collect money for their club to help out. They saw Sasha’s picture and heard about her story and decided to choose her to help. So they have collected about $15 so far and are going to try to collect more.  I was so moved that Sasha has once again touched someone’s lives. What special girls they are.

I am attaching photos of her x-rays.  Hopefully you will be able to see the differences. More white in the bones means more calcium although it’s kind of hard to tell. Pics from our sleepover and two members in the Friendship Club holding Sasha. 

This is the xray we took the very first night I got Sasha. We were afraid to move her much so we just laid her down and this is what we got. It’s not the best xray to begin with but if you look on the left side where it looks like there is a stick coming out of her, that stick is her leg. The lack of calcium in her bones is very evident. Also, notice along her rib cage that there is no space between what should have been body mass and her bones. It was skin on a skeleton. I call this her “carcass” xray cuz that’s what my first thought was when I saw it.

This xray is the one that shows us her Megaesophagus. The bright white going down her throat is the barium and if you notice the barium is still in her esophagus which is getting larger and looks like a balloon sitting on her stomach. Her esophagus should be the same width from top to bottom.

 

This is the xray we took last week of her joints.  You can tell on her front legs on the top that her elbow joints are really messed up and the ankles have no joint left.  You can see on the bottom photos the abnormal bending of her bones.  So her prospects of walking normally are pretty much non-existent.  Also notice the obvious flesh and body mass outline around her bones in comparison to the first xray.

 

Me, Bryce, Brooks and Sasha taking our time getting up Sunday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast served hot by Chef Caroline. As you can see Sasha is at the head of the table in her snuggle sack being held by Shannon waiting for her next bite!

 

 

 

 

And last but not least, Paxton, 9 and Paige,  founders of the Friendship Club with Sasha.

As they say at the end of the Looney Tunes Cartoons..
That’s All Folks!!!

 

 

---

UPDATE
2-11-08

I am so sorry this is so late in coming.  Nothing bad has happened and

Sasha is doing just fine.  Her weight averages about 4-1/2 lbs.  She will gain a little one week and then lose a little the next.  I'm in the process of trying out different canned puppy foods to see what she likes best. She did fine after receiving all of her vaccines, no allergic reactions of any kind.  We are now discussing when to have her spayed; Dr. Thedford said she is going to be very cautious about this due to her condition, so I told her that I would mentally have to prepare myself before we did that.  At this point, it's not absolutely necessary since no unaltered male will ever get near her; at least not as long as I'm alive! She is definitely my baby girl.  Her other foster mom, Caroline, is setting up a sleepover for Sasha with me and another friend. Wine and cheese will be served (Sasha can have cheese, but she will only be allowed a Shirley Temple to drink!). This is how to properly socialize your pet!!

 

We haven't begun the water therapy yet.  I was really hoping to get her to five pounds before starting that regimen since exercise will burn more calories.  She is still too thin.  Maybe by spring we will have that accomplished.

 

I did take Sasha to Houston on a weekend trip in January and she got to meet one of her fans, Charlotte, who stayed the entire afternoon.  We had a wonderful time and Sasha got lots of chicken from Charlotte as we, of course, had to have KFC for lunch!!  And Charlotte was very generous!!!  I believe this was probably Sasha's first night in a hotel, so I do have a picture of her on the bed.

 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

We love you ALL!

Karen & Sasha

---

UPDATE
1-12-07

Pics today are:
 

1 - Sasha eating from her syringe

2 - Licking her lips

3 - Sasha in her New Years Eve Party Dress

4 - Sasha's new Xmas bling-bling necklace

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Now that we know what we are dealing with I think we will be on the road to recovery from her malnutrition. Her attitude is really starting to perk up and she is actually beginning to act more like a happy healthy dog. In the mornings she lays on my bed with about six other Chihuahua's who watch me get ready for work. The last couple of days she has been trying to engage my little Jimmy into playing with her. I think she has a crush on him. He is a handsome guy. But alas, Jimmy loves Princess, so he has not been too interested in her. I'll keep you updated on any future changes in romance.

UPDATE
12-26-07

Today's update is from Sasha's 'other Mom' Caroline! :o)

She was able to spend the weekend with my family and went back to Karen's on Christmas Eve. Karen even sent her with her very own Christmas Stocking - which one of my girls is holding in the attached picture.

She is doing great. Karen is still working with her on her diet. She was having a little diarrhea again - so she is back on a/d and some of her puppy food - and eating readily. She is on antibiotics for the diarrhea, and it has been clearing up! In fact, I was waiting 2 days for her to potty!! Karen and Dr. Thedford also have her on a pain medication called Metacam for her arthritis which seems to be helping. This may also be why she is eating better.

Sasha had some visitors come out last Wednesday - and she loved meeting her new friends! The couple days she spent here she was loved and spoiled rotten - especially by my little ones - who have been singing her Christmas Carols all weekend!! They also LOVE to give her water with the eye dropper. In fact, I sure can attest to Karen's last memo - stating she LOVES KFC. My husband brought some home - and fed her a tiny bit - and her eyes lit up!! She does love it, as she about jumps out of her snuggle sack to get it!!

She was VERY excited to see Karen when I brought her back!!! It's not just her tail wagging - it is her entire body! She LOVES to give kisses too! We miss her!

The first picture is Sasha with my 3 girls (her best friends), and the other two she is on the bed with a tiny stuffed dog - who she snuggled with immediately!! :o)

In the first pic - my Wheaton Terrier mix (15lbs.) - is trying to get in the picture! Sasha seems to be 'okay' in Annabelle's book! Usually Annabelle doesn't like having visitors (competition)! :o) Yet she accepts Sasha & is very careful around her. She will not even get on the couch if Sasha is snuggled in my arms on the couch. Annabelle will just sit by my feet! Very aware - almost as if she knows Sasha is very special!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!
Caroline & Sasha

UPDATE
12-18-07
In this picture you will see Sasha (orange blanket), a dog with spooky eyes, and a guy who isn't going to have his lunch for long.

Sasha is doing wonderful. Caroline brought her to me on Thursday and had managed to get her to gain almost 3/4 of a pound while at her house! She just didn't try to force any of the dry dog food on her even though we had been mixing it in with the wet, so I am thankful she gained the weight. She is definitely a finicky eater. She has to be forced to eat most of the time, but once she figures out you aren't going to give up, she pretty much eats what you put in her mouth.

She did surprise me Saturday night - my husband brought home KFC for dinner and she definitely liked the fried chicken!! So, I thought, "Great!  I'll do a chicken and rice combo tomorrow." Nope, didn't work. Thursday night, I went out to Petsmart and got every kind of canned puppy food they make. After several attempts, she finally decided Little Cesar's was o.k., but at 4:00am in the morning, I discovered her doing her army crawl toward the bathroom (where she always does her business). Turns out I let her eat too much of a new food and it turned nasty.

I'm sure everyone is wondering why we are trying to get her to change to a regular puppy food. One, the canned Science Diet a/d is not intended to be used long term; and two, the end result of that food coming out the other end has a smell that even the most forgiving animal lover does not want to experience!!!! Oh it was baaaddddd. Last night she had a really bad bout of diarrhea at 2:00am; I never heard her whining to notify me. The smell woke me up and this time it was everywhere!  I know now why my husband is so wonderful - he snored thru the entire event, including the SMELL, the RUNNING water as she was bathed, the HAIR DRYER as she was dried, and my WALKING to the washer which then roused the BARKING of awakened pups. Then the scenario was repeated at 4:00am and still he snores.  Thank goodness we have no human babies together! Guess who would be doing what!

Also, I want to thank everyone for the cards, emails and well wishes. Some of you I have come to call my "Regular Responders." I was telling a friend the other day that I have to reclassify my role in Sasha's life; not only am I her foster mom, but I'm becoming her personal secretary too!! I read all the cards and emails that are sent to her, coordinate her travel plans with Caroline, type her email updates, make her doctor's appointments., pick out her blanket or snuggle sack for the day, and of course do her nails!! LOL.

During the holidays, I always put up the cards that we receive and try to shape it into a Christmas tree of sorts. Well, this year Sasha has her own card tree with lots of Chihuahua and other dog pictures and it is great! However, she currently is getting almost two cards to our one! The race is on. Her cards are coming from everywhere in the country. It's so wonderful.

The pics today are Sasha in her new Mrs. Claus suit and some of her foster family including my Saint of a husband. Sasha is in the bed on the coffee table.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Sasha & Karen

UPDATE
12-11-07

Hello Sasha Fans,
Sasha is doing fine. There are no real significant changes to report at this time. I was trying to wean her off the canned food and put a little more of the puppy food into her diet but she has lost another 1/8th of a pound in doing that. She is a picky eater and she sometimes has to be kickstarted into eating. My instinct tells me that she has been conditioned to not eat, or not to expect a meal therefore we are also overcoming three years of this and therefore will take some time to retrain her expectations.

Since her weight has dropped I have not begun the water therapy yet. I would like to see her gain another half pound if possible, just in case the exercise saps her strength. Dr. Thedford is not concerned about this yet and has said that allowing Sasha to set her own pace in the department of eating is just fine. She checked her over on Friday and said that her heart was improving due to a consistent diet and the Taurine supplement. I would really like to send out pics of xrays before and after her new diet too. I think you will all be amazed and be able to see the difference. Hopefully this week I will be able to pick up the xrays at the DVSC.

Sasha's spirit is very upbeat and she now has two official foster moms. Caroline, who has been coming to see her since the day after I got her, is now a CRT volunteer and is helping me with her. That's great because I got a nasty cold last week and needed some help. Caroline took Sasha to her house for a few days so that I could rest. And Caroline informs me that Sasha is very mobile in crawling across the floor!! She calls it her army crawl.

Sasha has received several gifts in recent days and I have attached some pics with those gifts in them. They are greatly appreciated! One of them is a Spa Robe!! Talk about having the right kind of friends. She will have something to be wrapped in once the water therapy starts! And the other two were snuggle sacks. Definitely a good thing to have for this little one. She has also received two life vests but both were too big so I'm waiting to see what the next one is like. She is only four pounds so it's been difficult to find something appropriate. And she now has a new cuddle pal - a stuffed dog from her foster mom, Caroline.

Thank you all again for your support and prayers. Keep them coming.
Karen & Sasha

Hello Sasha's Angels!

This past week has been good. Sasha continues to improve and has no new problems. It's been three weeks since her life has turned around and she is looking much better.

We took an x-ray yesterday at the clinic to monitor changes in her calcium level. She definitely has improved!! Dr. Thedford told me yesterday that it takes a long time of deprivation (years usually) to deplete the bones of calcium. So she has probably never been fed properly from the very beginning. We noticed in the x-ray that even the bones in her sternum are no longer connected. There is definitely arthritis in her joints and if she ever walks again it will not be a normal walk. I did, however, dream that she would walk again! The x-ray also confirmed an enlarged heart, which Dr. Thedford suspected, as she had heard an arrhythmia in the beginning. This is common in cases like this. We have her on a Taurine supplement to help her heart.

She still doesn't eat that much and I asked if maybe we should consider an appetite stimulator; however, Dr. Thedford said that given her status she is eating a good amount. You would think that a baby in this condition would be eating ravenously every chance she got, but I guess if you are conditioned not to eat or not to eat much, then you don't know "how" to eat. Dr. Thedford also pointed out that you cannot replace overnight what has been taken away over a matter of years. I just so want her to be whole and healthy.

My next objective is to locate a life vest that is small enough for her to wear so that we can begin water therapy exercises. The goal is to start  twice a week so as not to wear her out in the beginning. Her weight is holding at 4-1/8th pounds.

I am going to put out a weekly update on Sasha. That seems to be the best time frame for noting changes in her and for me to get one out.
In her new pics you can see how her back legs are curved and deformed between her knee and foot. That will not be correctable. But I just had a blast taking these pics. Hope you like them.

Thank you to Everyone!
Karen & Sasha

The day Sasha arrived at the clinic.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6^th, Sasha was surrendered by her owner to a CRT volunteer in Dallas who also happens to work at a veterinary clinic.  She is severely emaciated and has been starved nearly to death.  She is so weak that she is currently unable to walk. 

Sasha has been getting fluids and eating small amounts of food. By November 8th, she was able to wag her tail a little bit, but is still unable to walk. 

To her great delight, she is being fed on an hourly basis.  The food is staying down, and Sasha is starting to have bowel movements and urinate – always a good sign!  The vet was also able to get some blood from her on Thursday and did not find any obvious signs of a disease that would cause a condition like this. 

One of Sasha’s new friends who is helping feed her ‘round the clock.	The wonderful folks at Parker Animal & Bird Clinic in Plano, Texas who are helping us with Sasha’s medical needs.

Sasha is never left unattended.  The CRT volunteer takes her to the vet clinic every day, and takes her home with her at night.  We can do nothing more in the way of diagnosis until we get more weight on her. 

Sasha needs a LOT of "Best Friends" who are able to donate and help with her expenses. Right now we know she’s literally starving, but once she gains enough weight the vets can do a nose to tail exam and we'll know about her overall condition.

 

All donations to Chihuahua Rescue & Transport, Inc. are tax-deductible since we are a 501(c)(3) organization.  You can mail checks made out to CRT to the address below or donate via PayPal by clicking the button labeled Donate.  In case the PayPal button doesn’t work, use the email Treasurer@chihuahua-rescue.com to send donations via PayPal “manually.” Be sure to include a note with any kind of payment indicating that it’s for Sasha’s care.

Our mailing address (for checks):

 

Chihuahua Rescue & Transport, Inc.

c/o Paula Hensel
7500 N. Elmhurst Rd., #488,
Des Plaines, IL 60018

 

Thank you in advance for the donations that have and will be made, and thank you for your prayers – this little girl definitely needs them!