A desperate owner is facing vet bills of up to £20,000 to save his dog’s life - but on a prison officer's wage, there's almost no way he can afford to keep his pet alive, he says.
Jaxon Feeley’s "little angel" Rambo, went into Hypovolemic shock - an emergency condition where severe blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. The 2-year-old Weimeraner pup has been in intensive care for 10 days now - and she's not out of the woods yet.
Now the prison officer says he would ‘sell his house’ to keep her alive and is appealing for financial help. Sharing his plight online, Jaxon explained: "I am writing this to ask for any little bit of help you can provide to help me bring my little angel home.
"Rambo is only 2 years old, she is the most beautiful, gorgeous little soul in the world and loves nothing more than her big brother Rocky, running riot at grandma and granddads and getting all warm and cosy at home whilst licking everyone’s face.
"She deserves so much more of a life than what is happening to her."
To find out more about Rambo, or to donate to her cause, visit Jaxon's fundraising page.
Jaxon, from Wigan, says he has been 'practically living at the vets' ever since Rambo first showed signs of being ill on Friday, 20 January. She was ill throughout the night and by Saturday morning they were in the emergency vets. It was then that Jaxon was told she had gone into Hypovolemic shock - a condition that can cause organs to stop working.
However, her troubles had only just begun as Rambo also contracted gastroenteritis, causing her to deteriorate quickly and become seriously unwell. Throughout the week Rambo began to vomit with fluid going back down and into her lungs.
According to Jaxon, fluid has also led his beloved pooch to develop severe pneumonia and a collapsed lung.
"In the vet's words, Rambo could not have been any more unlucky,” he shared. "The initial cause is still unknown but the position Rambo is in now has resulted in her being in intensive care under 24/7 observation.
"The vets are now continuously attempting to drain Rambo’s lung and monitoring the infection within her lungs whilst assessing the level of bacteria in the fluid which is being drained out. Due to all of the medication she is now on Rambo is still vomiting and hasn’t eaten any food herself for a week.
"The worry is that there is now a possibility an abscess has formed on Rambo’s lung which would require major surgery to remove. Vets cannot assess whether this is the case or not for a few days whilst Rambo hopefully begins to respond to treatment. However if it is, which is my biggest fear, the risk to her life is significant. I could never forgive myself if I couldn’t give her the best fighting chance to pull through this horrendous situation."
In a desperate bid to help raise cash, Jaxon launched a fundraiser online. As he explained, "Rambo’s insurance has covered her up to £6,500. She’s been in intensive care for 10 days now and her bill is nearing £20,000.
"If the worst happens and Rambo requires major surgery, the cost of this as well as the aftercare is something I need to be able to give my little baby girl.
"I’m a prison officer, so there’s no way I could cover that amount of money. She’s only 2, she’s my world and I’d sell my house to keep her alive.
"I am broken watching this gorgeous little soul go through something so horrendous. Anything people can spare will make such a difference."
To find out more about Rambo, or to donate to her cause, visit Jaxon's fundraising page.
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