Callie's Care - Remembering the 'Purple Cow'

Callie

We may have thought the 'olden days' where neighbor helped neighbor in times of need were long gone, replaced instead by governmental programs to solve problems for us, fostering apathy in its wake.  Not true, not yet anyway!  Here is a delightful story of a determined pet owner who bypassed traditional solutions to provide for her dog's care, looking instead to her own creativity, and while doing so, brought an entire community along with her:

"After a play session with friends, Callie came away limping and favoring her left leg. Then, just when she seemed to be getting back to normal, she fell down the stairs and couldn't get up. A trip to Dr. Dana Graham at Carter Veterinary Medical Center revealed the unfortunate truth about her injury; she needed a complex, and expensive, surgery. When I found out that Callie had sustained a rupture of her cruciate ligament, I was heartbroken. She is such an active, bouncy girl, who loves long walks and rough-housing with other dogs.

Callie is a rescue. She had a rough start in life, having been neglected, mistreated, and eventually given up. Though many would say I saved her life when I adopted her, I argue that it is she who rescued me with her pure devotion, unconditional love, acceptance, and appreciation.  So, when faced with news that Callie would need a specialized surgery to correct her injury, there was no question in my mind that she would have it. What I had no idea about was how I was going to afford her care. Single and self-employed, I had no clue where I would find the funds to get her back to the quality of life she loves and deserves.

First, I cried. Then, with a month before Callie’s surgeon, Dr. Kate Fitzwater, was available to do her procedure I had time to figure something out! Realizing I had to get creative, I summoned what I'd learned while studying for my degree in public relations, and knew I had a chance. I was going to run a public relations campaign for Callie to raise the money for her care, and it worked!


Callie After Surgery



In four weeks I went from an evening of hand-wringing and crying to organizing and managing three different fundraisers, all entitled "Callie's Care." My combined efforts gathered a small army of supporters, including a handful of key individuals who became very involved and recruited others for monetary and in-kind donations.

My three fundraisers consisted of a page on GiveForward.com for those who simply wanted to donate dollars, a special 'Groupon-style' sale for bodywork or yoga sessions with me, and a benefit dinner and raffle at a favorite locally owned restaurant, Moe and Johnny's, in Broad Ripple. I made sure that everybody was kept in the loop about progress with regular Facebook updates and an email campaign. Callie has a separate bank account in her name and I included photos of her in my outreach whenever possible.



Callie's Get Well Card



I never knew what my little endeavor would generate; I just focused instead on Callie and set the intention that she was going to get what she needed...somehow. I chose to stay positive and I told her story to anyone who would listen, anyone at all. In the process, I've not only raised the funds we needed, but also made new friends and amazing contacts. Moreover, I have experienced firsthand the power within a community and their heartfelt willingness to lend a hand to a neighbor. I still haven't been able to talk about this much without getting teary-eyed, but I'm working on it.




Brigid, Betsy, & Callie at Circle City

I am proud of my friends, their friends, and the local business owners who reached out to help - they are a special lot - each and every one! I am so honored to have had the chance to go to work for my dear Callie. Finally, I am grateful that I had access to the attentive, compassionate, and expert care Callie received at Carter Veterinary Medical Center and Circle City Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital."




*For those of you who have not heard of the term, 'Purple Cow', it's the one who stands out from a crowd of brown ones.  The 'Purple Cow' represents a belief that we can accomplish anything with new ideas and determination. 

Old Sayings Ring True When it Comes to Fluffy’s Care!

Because we, as a society, LOVE good news with easier and more affordable ways to accomplish our tasks, and we have an innate tendency to focus on the positive and believe what we are told, we can be easily persuaded by clever marketing campaigns. The American pet industry is no different. Our pets have transitioned into full fledged family members and we are targeted with new ways to get what we want cheaper and faster.

“Buyer beware!”

There are countless producers of pet products and services, all with the intent of ‘selling’ them to us, and we need to be just as skeptical about those as we are about every other item we purchase.

“You get what you pay for.”

Every service and product in our society has a cost. And, with every product or service, someone makes money. Cheaper just means LESS of something - less product, less service, less skill, less safety...

“Tried and true”

When it comes to your pet’s life long care, your VERY BEST BARGAIN is to develop a long standing relationship with a reputable veterinary hospital and allow licensed veterinary professionals to advise you in all regard.

Our furry friends are solely dependent upon us to make the best decisions on their behalf. This is an awesome responsibility so arm yourself with knowledge and seek advice and care from a trusted veterinarian first.

When You Hear Hoofbeats...

A common rule in the practice of medicine is, “When you hear hoofbeats look for horses, not zebras”. This basically means to look for the most common health problems first and rule them out before doing extensive diagnostics for more uncommon conditions. This is typically a good common sense rule to follow…but then Suzy came along.

Suzy, a beautiful eleven year old Visla mix, presented to Circle City Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital in mid October for sudden onset of severe joint pain. Dr. Rader and her team forged ahead meticulously looking for those ‘horses’. What they found instead was an uncommon and challenging ‘zebra’ named Bartonella, an infectious agent seldom found in Indiana!

Bartonella infections can cause a myriad of clinical signs. In Suzy the infection primarily affected her spinal cord and the big nerve complexes that come off the spinal cord so she had tremendous pain and weakness in both rear legs and her lower back. Even with very strong pain medications she was unable to stand up or walk, and as a result, she suffered significant muscle wasting.

Before her illness Suzy could go for runs with her owner and play with her family. Seeing her in such a depressed state was difficult and not for the faint of heart! Without patience and determination from Suzy’s owner and a ‘can do’ attitude from Dr. Rader and her team, Suzy’s outcome would have been far different.

Suzy’s recovery benefited greatly from physical rehabilitation in the underwater treadmill and therapeutic laser treatments. The laser uses light energy to increase blood flow to the tissues and it directly affects nerves to help turn off the pain and release analgesic endorphins. She enjoyed her treatments so much she would independently shift herself over so that her other side could be treated, making that behavior probably one of the most obvious affirmations that she felt the benefits!

After three months Suzy has recovered from her infection, finished her treatments, her rehabilitation therapy, and is regaining muscle mass and strength. We hope she is back to running with her owner this summer. You will want to watch this video as it takes you through her brave recovery and success.

Footnote: Bartonella is a family of bacteria that infect red blood cells. The bacteria are transmitted from one individual to the next by a vector (blood sucking insect), the most common vector being ticks. Ticks also spread Lyme’s Disease, Ehrlichia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to name a few. Bartonella transmission has also been linked to fleas, biting flies, and lice. Dogs, cats, and humans can all be infected by Bartonella, if bitten by an infected flea or tick. Although Bartonella is usually only found in the southern half of the United States, the best way to prevent an infection is by keeping an effective flea and tick preventative on your pets all year long.