Precious Pups: foo

Our journey began with eight precious puppies, all with names beginning with ‘W.' Unexpectedly, four found themselves at the center of a medical mystery. As the days unfolded, the true gravity of their condition came to light, and the urgency to act became paramount.

It all started when we rescued sweet Samba, who was found in an emaciated condition living on the streets of South Los Angeles. We didn’t know she was pregnant at the time—she was so severely malnourished when we found her, we just thought she was finally starting to gain back some of her lost weight.

While that may have accounted for some of her weight gain, it was mostly the result of the eight pups she carried and ultimately gave birth to on July 7. The adorable ’W’ pups, as they came to be known, stole our hearts from the start. And all was going well with their development until, several weeks ago, one seemingly healthy pup, Wonton, suddenly passed away. This prompted concern and questions. Why had this happened? Could it happen again?

When Wonder and Worthy began to show signs of illness, our quest to find answers became all the more urgent. Over the past two weeks, we have spared no expense in our efforts to solve this medical mystery. What we have learned thus far is that Wonton, Wonder, and Worthy all are the victims of a rare genetic disorder. 

Some medical test results still are pending, but this we do know: the pups’ bloodwork shows dangerously high levels of Calcium and Vitamin D, apparently caused by malfunctioning parathyroid glands. 

At normal levels, Calcium is key to a dog’s health and wellbeing, building strong bones and teeth. Vitamin A supports a healthy immune system and lowers the risk of certain cancers.

But, with these two nutrients, two much of a good thing is a bad thing.

A dog with an elevated Calcium level is basically miserable, typically suffering from weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. What’s more, if not flushed out of the body regularly, the Calcium can cause the cells making up blood vessel walls to harden and become bone-like. These diseased vessels can increase the risk of stroke and blood clots.

If left untreated, too much Vitamin A can be devastating to the liver. Meanwhile, though, the distressed dog will suffer from abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

The good news is that the pups’ condition is treatable with a good long-term prognosis. The goal is to either neutralize or altogether remove the parathyroid glands from the neck area. Neutralizing these glands is less invasive, but also could be less effective. Removing the glands entirely, while more invasive, is a highly effective, long-term solution.

So, that’s the situation as we know it today, although we’ll have more to add once all test results are in. 

The journey ahead is uncertain, but what's clear is the need for resources to ensure they receive the best care possible. With their treatment we humbly ask for your support. Every penny, share, or word of encouragement counts. Together, we can offer these precious pups the chance for a healthy, playful future they deserve. From the depths of our hearts, thank you.