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Bean came to us with his mom, Elowen, and nine brothers and sisters after being found abandoned in frigid temperatures in Ashtabula city. While Bean's brothers and sisters grew and thrived, he lagged behind. Initially thought to be 'just the runt', Bean's foster mom noticed he would often regurgitate his food and struggled with swallowing. She elevated his feeding bowl and would hold him upright afterwards. The hope was he'd develop and would eventually outgrow the behavior. As his brothers and sisters returned from foster and were ready to be adopted, we decided to send Bean home with one of our staff, Ashley, to document and observe his feedings to help pinpoint his challenges.
Ashley soon realized that Bean's challenges were likely not something he would outgrow. Bean had a special high chair constructed to help him eat upright and would then be in a forward facing baby carrier while he digested. And although Bean was happy and well nourished we knew this wasn't a practical solution long-term.
Bean visited the amazing folks at Edgewood Veterinary on June 10 for his initial consult with Dr Taylor. We had all suspected megaesophagus, a condition where the esophagus loses motility and food is not able to be digested. The results showed that the condition was caused by a congenital abnormality called a VRA (Vascular Ring Anomaly). Essentially, the band had never dissolved and was now causing a stricture around the esophagus. As Bean would grow, the band would become tighter and tighter, eventually restricting the passage of any food.
Dr. Taylor referred Bean to the specialists at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Pagett and his team came up with a care plan for Bean, which includes a preliminary CT scan to prepare for surgical therapy. The wonderful news is that the vast majority of cases like Bean's have a very good prognosis, especially caught early.
The care cost to date is about $800, the CT scan is $1800 and the surgery will be $4500-$5500. The generous folks at Metropolitan are providing a 10% discount to help curb the cost. We are hoping to raise enough to cover Bean's surgery any funds in excess of his care will be placed in our Emergency Medical Fund to help future cases.
If all goes well, Bean will go on to live a long, full life. We hope that post recovery, he will be available for adoption, likely in early October 2022. Thank you for your support. We appreciate you sharing in this journey with us.
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We appreciate your generous support. It will be put to work immediately to create lasting change.
Contact us!
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Cell Phone | Contact Email