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DAR&E'S HOSPICE CARE

DAR&E sometimes has foster dogs that for various reason are not available for adoption. Read about our dogs currently in Hospice Care.

Raj's Story

Raj is a 1 ½ year old black and rust male dobe with dark soulful eyes that will melt your heart. Raj came to DAR&E in February of 2007 via the Baltimore County Animal Shelter where he was found as a stray. Poor Raj was so thin that you could count every one of his ribs and vertebrae. When Raj went into foster care his foster parents noticed that he was very clumsy and his gait did not seem normal. At first it was thought to be adolescence clumsiness but soon it became apparent that things were not right with Raj. Now you would think that a young dobe that has lost his home, endured near starvation and suffers from some unknown malady that causes him to bob and weave like a drunken sailor would have a bad outlook on life. Well quite the contrary, Raj is a happy fun loving boy who has never met a person he did not like. He runs and plays with other dogs until the fatigue makes it hard for him to stand any longer. Raj loves to play ball as well and does not seem to mind that he often falls over when reaching down to pick the ball up.
Raj’s lack of coordination appears to worsening but we can’t help him until we know the cause of his problems. Raj was examined by a vet and it was recommended that he see a neurologist so off to the neurologist Raj went. The neurologist has suspicions of what may be causing Raj’s problems but can’t be sure unless Raj has an MRI done of his cervical spine and possibly his brain as well.
MRI’s are very expensive but it may be Raj’s only hope of finding a treatment that will enable him to live a normal life like other dogs.
Update Oct 30, 2007: Thanks to everyone's generous donations and pledges Raj is on his way to getting the MRI he needs! We have collected enough funds to get Raj started on what is hoped to be his road to his forever home.
Yesterday morning Raj saw Dr. Drew Luce at Aldie Vet in South Riding, Va. Dr. Luce marvelled at how much better Raj looked compared to when he first came into DAR&E. Raj is much healthier and fit now and has put on a much needed 20 pounds! After conducting a physical exam and putting Raj through some coordination tests, Dr. Luce agreed that an MRI was needed and has referred Raj to the IAMS Pet Imaging Center for an MRI. It is very possible that Raj will need two MRI's, one of his cervical spine and another of his brain. If this is the case they will both be done the same day so he only has to be under anesthesia once. Dr. Luce did the required pre-MRI bloodwork and urine analysis yesterday so Raj is all ready for his MRI on Tuesday Nov. 6th!
Thanks so much to everyone for your continued support of Raj. Hopefully the MRI will bring to light what is going on inside Raj and bring him closer to a forever home.
Depending on the outcome of the first MRI of Raj's spine the cost for Tuesday's procedure alone will be between $1,000 and $1,500.
Update Nov 12, 2007: Thanks to everyone's generous donations Raj had an MRI done of both his cervical spine and his brain on Nov. 6th. The findings of the MRI of his spine were not significant so the scan was continued to Raj's brain. This is what was found.
From the MRI Analysis report:
Conclusion: Severe Hydrocephalus and enlargement of the Quadrigeminal cistern. Secondary cerebellar crowding due to the ventricular enlargement.
The change in shape of the cerebellum is no doubt chronic in nature and probably has been mildly progressive over time, but more over likely it is contributing to the clinical signs of this patient.
Our Nancy Tang was kind enough to offer this translation into layman's terms:
Hydrocephalus occurs when there is a blockage of the normal flow of spinal fluid from the brain into the spinal canal. When there is a blockage (like a dam effect), the fluid builds up and causes swelling and pressure on the brain. The cerebellar crowding is causing his ungainly movements.
The referring vet, Dr. Luce of Aldie has recommended that we have a consultation with a Neurologist to obtain an expert opinion of Raj's prognosis based on this diagnosis.
So we now know what is going on with our sweet Raj. The next step is to determine what if anything can be done to fix him. Thanks again to everyone for your interest and support of dear Raj.
Update Nov 30, 2007: Raj had his consultation Tuesday with Dr. Betsy Dayrill-Hart, a neurologist at Southpaws. She reviewed Raj's MRIs and also put him through several coordination tests.
She explained that the brain grows in a tube and what space the brain does not take up is taken up by spinal fluid. In Raj's case, he has a large amount of spinal fluid in his skull because his brain, specifically his cerebellum is abnormally small. The cerebellum plays a major role in coordination of the limbs so this is why he is so clumsy.
There are two possible causes: 1) He was born with an underdeveloped cerebellum. If this is the case he will remain the way he is now and live a "normal" life. 2)He has a disease called cerebellar abiotrophy which causes brain cells to die over time. If this is the case Raj's coordination and balance will get progressively worse until he can not function on his own.
Dr. Dayrill-Hart said that Raj is not in any pain now and his condition will not become painful in the future irregardless of whether he has a progressive disease or his condition remains static.
In either case, there is no treatment or surgery that will help Raj. Dr. Dayrill-Hart does not recommend any treatment for Raj. She suggested that we video Raj moving around now and then again in 4 to 6 weeks for the next few months and send it to her. She said she would review the video and could tell us of he was getting worse.
The really good news is that Raj is not in any pain and he remains the happy, sweet boy that he has always been.
Thanks so much to everyone for your continued interest and support for Raj. If Raj ever meets you he will happily climb in your lap and snuggle with you to show his gratitude.
Please help Raj if you can by making a tax deductible donation to DAR&E. If you would like to make a donation please send your check (indicate that it is for Raj's Fund) to:

DAR&E Treasurer
1304 Crows Foot Rd
Marriottsville, MD. 21104

Or you can make a secure online donation using VISA, Master Card, American Express, Discover or PayPal using the link below. (You do not need a PayPal account to pay via credit card, just click on the link and follow instructions!)

Thanks for your support!

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