Sundance Updates

On June 30^th Sundance had her next appointment.  She was put under anesthesia in order for a fluid sample to be removed from her head.  She made it through the procedure like the little champ that she is despite the high chance that she would have a reaction to the anesthesia.  The tests came back as positive for an infection and she has been put on antibiotics to treat for meningitis.  It is still unknown if the meningitis is the cause of her hydrocephalus or a result of her hydrocephalus.  We will probably never know.  Two of her doctors, including the neurologist, are still reviewing her tests to determine the next step after her meningitis treatment.  Most likely she will require a repeat of the fluid testing to be sure the infection is gone before moving ahead.  The date of this repeat test is currently unknown.  In the meantime, Sundance continues to thoroughly enjoy life as she knows it.  Her favorite parts of the day are meal times.  She can only have small amounts of food at one time to avoid her overeating and vomiting so she gets to enjoy many meal times throughout her day.  She plays with her toys and snuggles with her foster mom and dad and has been “adopted” by one of her foster kitty sisters.  Penny, the kitty, will jump into Sundance’s playpen and play with her, groom her and snuggle with her.  It is incredibly amazing to us because since Sundance is never aware of how hard she is play-biting, Penny sometimes gets nipped very, very hard.  Penny seems to understand that Sundance doesn’t know any better and never gets upset at her.  She will gently put her paw on Sundance as if to say, “No, too hard” but then she continues to lovingly and gently interact with her. 

June 10

This is Sundance, a lab mix puppy who came into foster care on May 30, 2008 at 4 weeks of age with her 11 brothers and sisters.  Right away her foster family knew something was wrong because her head was so much larger than her body.  As her brothers and sisters continued to grow, Sundance seemed to decline.  It soon became apparent that she is mostly blind and when she began to have seizures, her foster mom took her to our favorite vet, Dr. Larkins at Altamonte Veterinary Hospital.  Dr. Larkins diagnosed her with Hydrocephalus – water on the brain – and suggested we seek the advice of an animal neurologist.  We contacted Affiliated Veterinary Specialists to inquire if potential treatments existed.  They said yes however a consult examination was required to be sure.   

Due to the generous donations received on her behalf, on June 16, 2008 the wonderful doctors at Affiliated examined Sundance and ran a few preliminary tests.  It was shown that she has a severe case of Hydrocephalus.  The Hydrocephalus has caused her reduced vision and has also caused her brain to develop abnormally.  Basically her brain is much, much smaller than a normal puppy’s brain.  The doctors want to repeat as well as run new tests in two weeks in order for all her antibiotics to be out of her system.  Once the results of those tests return then they will know more about her future treatment options. 

Sundance has touched the hearts of so many people and despite her small brain capacity she enjoys life to the fullest.  She loves to eat, loves to play, has learned how to maneuver around her foster home at top speed, pounces on her full grown Husky foster sister and most of all she loves to cuddle.  We feel we owe it to her to fully explore her options but we need your help to do so. 

Expenses so far:
$800  for June 16^th consult exam, June 30^th follow up exam and further tests, antibiotics