UPDATE: Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006 - Cheyenne had her road trip to the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Florida today. She was seen by a couple of students (Kara and Stacey) and Dr. Fick (all very, very nice ladies!!!) Cheyenne has what is called "Atresia Ani" - no anal opening. She weighed in at just over 1 lb. Dr. Fick said that surgery and anesthesia is a danger with her being so tiny, so we have brought her back to home to try to fatten her up a bit and let her grow some. She just turned 8 weeks old yesterday. Dr. Ellison (known at the hospital as the BUTT DOCTOR) is on vacation, so they wanted to wait until he was back in town before attempting surgery. X-rays were done and she is not blocked or backed up, so the surgery is not an emergency at this point. So we are keeping our fingers crossed and praying that she continues to get stronger, awaiting surgery. One of my biggest worries was that after surgery, she would not get the attention in the hospital that she gets at home. One of the vet students (Stacey) said that she would put her in her pocket and do rounds with her....I think she'll get alot of attention at the hospital!!!For those that have asked about making donations towards Cheyenne's surgery, you can make checks out to FVMFA, Inc. (Florida Veterinary Medicine Faculty Assoc. Inc.) Be sure to put Cheyenne King on the memo line and mail to:Cheyenne King13639 Clarence Dobbs RoadGlen St. Mary, FL 32040Any donations exceeding the funds needed for Cheyenne's surgery will be donated to a patient in need at the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Florida.But most of all, just keep Cheyenne in your prayers!
On March 27th, my Jack Russell "Tehya" gave birth to 6 puppies. The 4th puppy born was a tiny little red female with no tail at all. We call her Cheyenne.
Cheyenne was always "special" as she was the tiniest, so I watched her more than any of the others. When she was just 2 weeks old, her mama would grab her, take her out of the bathtub (where I raised the puppies) and bring her and drop her off beside my bed. I would hear her crying and reach over and put her in the bed with me.
Recently Cheyenne starting becoming constipated and I looked her over, thinking I could just do an enema and she would be fine....well, imagine my surprise when I looked and there was no "hole". Yes, it appears that Cheyenne has no anal opening and is defecating through her vagina. She was taken to the vet where all he said was "keep her food moist, her stool soft, and once she gets where she can't poop anymore, bring her in and we'll put her to sleep"! WHAT???
I spent the day researching on the internet and LOTS AND LOTS OF TEARS (and by the way, there is very little on there about this), but I did run across a few stories of puppies having this problem and the surgery that can possibly be done. Thank you to all the support from my friends at Flahorse.com and Floridaequineand more! You have truly inspired me to continue moving forward and not giving up!
I have called the University of Florida and made an appointment for Tuesday the 23rd. Please pray that Cheyenne is surgery optional and that we can afford this surgery....and most of all, that she makes it through this surgery. I worry about her being so little! But the vet could not believe that she was so healthy and full of life with everything she is going through. Most puppies with this problem die within a week or so. Hey, at least she has a "hole" for everything to come out. Most of the stories that I have read have been male dogs with "no other opening"!!!
Please keep Cheyenne in your prayers. She has been a miracle baby so far and I know with everyone's prayers that she can pull off another miracle with all our love and support!
This picture is Cheyenne with her 1/2 sister Cricket. Cricket only weighs about 6 or 7 lb.s, so you can see how tiny Cheyenne is, but nothing stops her...not even fighting off the 3 other full grown jacks that she shares the house with! She is a jack russell terrier, that is for sure!!!
