Kimbo is a handsome Cardigan Welsh Corgi belonging to Jody Rhodes (Jody Arnold Rhodes). She has had Kimbo since he was a little 9 week old pup.
In Jody’s words: In the summer of 2019 Kimbo started showing signs of labored breathing while exercising. A neurologist diagnosed him with a polyneuropathy which is similar to MS in humans. He prescribed a medicine to slow down the decline of his muscle and nerve degeneration. He warned that with the polyneuropathy he would most likely develop laryngeal paralysis. In dogs with laryngeal paralysis, the muscles that normally pull the airway open do not function properly.
In the spring of 2020 the labored breathing became much worse and the neurologist recommended tieback surgery, which was performed with great success. In the tieback procedure, a suture is used to permanently pull the wall of the airway open on one side of the larynx. Again the surgeon warned us about the possibility of aspiration pneumonia as a result of the tieback surgery.
Kimbo was happy, healthy and playful until January 2021 when aspiration pneumonia suddenly hit. Again he was taken to the ER where x-rays were taken and oxygen therapy and antibiotics were administered. He was hospitalized for 2 days at a cost of over $3,000. Again he came home happy and playful.
After the first episode I got him a special chair that dogs with megaesophagus use when eating to help prevent aspiration pneumonia, but unfortunately he did get it again last week. My local vet treated Kimbo with the same antibiotics as in January but 4 days later he had not improved. Another ER visit today showed the pneumonia to be full on in one lobe of the lung, and he had probably become resistant to the original antibiotics. He is on a different combo now and will be staying in the hospital for at least 48 and possibly 72 hours.
I have reached out to Bandit’s BandAid because, between the the charges for the ER visit 3 months ago and his original tieback surgery last year, I am totally tapped out. When Kimbo is feeling good he has a ton of life in him, and I just cannot give up on him. As anyone who knows me well can attest, my dogs are my family. I am very grateful for any help you are able to provide.
Owner: Jody Rhodes
Veterinary Hospital: VRCC Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital, Englewood, CO
