Medical Fund
“We’ve had a rough start from neglect and abuse, but we’re safe, warm, and loved now. Our friends at GDFRL are going to help us get healthy too!”
The medical cases below are cases for which we need help to pay for medical bills. They vary in severity from deadly heart worms to urgent injuries requiring surgery. Each dog has been evaluated by veterinarians and will get their happy ending! They will all go on to live normal, comfortable lives, but the expenses to get them there can be steep. All donations are tax-deductible.
Sophia
Sophia is an Italian Mastiff mix who was surrendered to rescue because her family couldn’t take care of her. She is a sweet, sweet girl who is very mellow and loves to snuggle.
After coming into rescue we found out Sophia has two ruptured ACL’s, and she has had surgery on one but will need the other done in about two months. She also has bilateral entropion, which means that both of her lower eyelids are rolled inward too much causing the hair on the lids to cause constant eye discomfort and inflammation as it rubs on her corneas. When she goes back in for second knee surgery, she will get a little nip-tuck on her lower lids at the same time so that her eyes can be comfortable for probably the first time in her life.
Once she is all better, she will be up for adoption. She’s a GREAT girl, and we’re excited to be able to help her on her road to living her life without pain when she walks.
Sophia’s estimated cost for surgery on both her knees is about $5000, and the eye surgeries will add an additional $800.
Yep, she’s going to be an expensive girl, but we are determined to ensure that she can go into her future forever home (could it be you?) and enjoy the rest of her life without pain.
Would you like to help? Donate here.
Theo
sanctuary: a place of refuge or protection; a place where animals can live for the duration of their livesƒ
Theo is one of our “sanctuary dogs”. He came into our rescue in 2012, surrendered by his owners, struggling with some painful health problems, but just as sweet and happy as could be.
Our vets diagnosed him with a spinal infection and severe degenerative arthritis in his hips and knees. We treated the infection and that cleared up nicely, but the arthritis will just be a matter of doing what we can for as long as we can to keep him feel good each day.
Theo’s medical issues will be ongoing, and we don’t know how long his quality of life will last, but we are aware that the likelihood of him being adopted is very slim. He is happy and enjoys his days now, though, and that is all that matters to us! Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love is Theo’s sanctuary. He will remain within our rescue and will not lack for any medical or daily care for as long as he is happy. We’re committed to him, and we love him.
Because of his medical requirements to keep him from being in pain, we do have some monthly expenses that are associated with keeping him happy and comfortable. We’ve spent a lot of time with his veterinarian developing a plan for him and are seeing good results with water physical therapy, monthly injections of Adequan (which lubricates and provides relief to joints in the body), and some anti-inflammatories and joint supplements.
As a nonprofit organization, we rely solely on donations to support the medical care of our rescued dogs. If you’d like to contribute toward Theo’s medical care, we would truly appreciate it!
We have set up the option to make one-time donations or to make monthly donations. Those who set up recurring donations will receive a special thank you from Theo! You will see the price break-down of his monthly expenses, but feel free to donate any amount you choose. All donations are tax-deductible and immensely appreciated.
Heartworm Treatments
Heartworms are deadly. And here in the Southeastern region of the U.S. they are especially common because they are transmitted by mosquitoes. Very frequently, adult dogs come into our rescue with heartworms because their previous owners did not give them monthly heartworm prevention. It then falls to GDFRL to have them treated because we pledge to see to all the medical needs of dogs in our care.
Heartworms may not seem urgent, but they are! They infest the heart and blood vessels of the lungs which gradually kills animals. There are a couple of different treatment methods, and, together with our veterinarians, we choose whichever is most appropriate for a dog on an individual basis. Both options generally cost us no less than $500 per dog, and that cost is on the rise because the cost of the medications required for treatment has been increasing across the nation.
Currently, we are paying for treatment for three Danes: Angel, Zoe, and Piper.
If you’d like to help us with the cost of treatment, we’d truly appreciate it! No donation is too small to help!
Xena
Xena came into our rescue with an old ACL tear that had never been cared for. It broke our hearts to think of her living with pain each time she took a step for so long, but she’s on the mend now!
Recently, we took her to a veterinary surgeon to have her knee repaired. She did great in surgery and is healing nicely in her foster home.
This injury, particularly in large dogs, is pricey to have repaired properly, and we could use your help with the medical bills which came to right at $3000.
Miss Xena is worth every penny of it! She’s such a doll. She lives to snuggle and is very happy with her new life.
Jackson
Jackson is a 3.5 year old sweetheart who has become the face of what Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love stands for. We believe that all dogs deserve to live a happy and healthy life regardless of medical conditions. As long as they can live pain-free and truly enjoy their lives, we will care for them. He is our mascot and our sanctuary dog.
Jackson has Wobblers syndrome and hip dysplasia, and he will need medical care for the rest of his life to manage them. Wobblers syndrome is a spinal condition that affects the ability to walk and get around normally. In Jackson’s case, we do not know if it is congenital or a result of past traumas, but last fall he had gold bead implant surgery to improve his condition so that he would no longer need to be on prescription pain meds which can be hard on the body long-term. His hip dysplasia is genetic and a result of irresponsible breeding.
Jackson’s quality of life is great – he’s happy, healthy, and mobile – but this requires some monthly investment in supplements and acupuncture treatments which have been hugely beneficial for him.
As a nonprofit organization, our funding is dependent upon donations so we could use some help to keep our favorite boy pain-free.
Can you help us help Jackson? He’s so worth it! All donations are tax-deductible and truly appreciated.
Recurring donations are eligible for a very special pawtographed thank you gift from Jackson!
Check out Jackson’s full fundraising page on Razoo, and please share it!
 MORE INFO:Did you know poor breeding (back yard breeding) can contribute to hip dysplasia. We also know his previous owners fed him puppy food with too much protein content which caused his growth plates to close too soon and caused abnormalities in his knees. Great Dane puppies should eat adult dog food!Please consider donating to Jackson’s fund. He is truly one of the gentlest souls we’ve ever met! All donations are tax deductible and GREATLY APPRECIATED! Jackson has his own Facebook page! “Like” him on Facebook to join his page: Friends of Jackson the Great Dane |
