Sampson the Corgi's Hernia Story
Our beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Sampson has been our buddy since 2004, when my husband and I needed a companion for our Border Collie/ Brittany Spaniel mix named Delilah. Sampson was originally bought by an older couple who had 2 bull terrier mixes. The bull terriers would beat Sampson up and he was living his entire life in a crate so they decided to give him away. Sampson & our Delilah were boon companions from the start until she passed away a few years later from bladder cancer.
Around Thanksgiving 2008, Sampson came in from the yard looking like a large donut was in his behind. I said to my husband, "it looks like he blew an O ring." And unfortunately, I couldn't have been more right. Sampson had been having problems passing poo for months. We tried increasing his fiber intake but nothing seemed to help. When we took him to the vet, we were told he had a perineal hernia; one of the worst this particular vet had ever seen. Surgery needed to be done to repair his rectum, basically sewing the muscles back together so that he is able to push the poo through. We were told then that the surgery went well, but the hernia was so severe that it was likely to reoccur. The first surgery cost $2000, that thankfully, my parents were willing to charge to their credit card so that I could make payments to them. My husband and I work in the service industry making minimum wage, so we live paycheck to paycheck, and don't have a few thousand dollars socked away for an emergency fund. Three years after the surgery, we are still paying my parents back.
My husband recently became certified to be a PSP sanctioned painball referee, as a way to make some extra money a few times a year. We had to go away for a week in October for him to referee the 2011 PSP World Cup paintball tournament in Orlando, Florida. Sampson had been suffering from a back-up, as he tends to a few times a year since the surgery, and needed his bowels evacuated. We decided to board him at the vets for the week and get him flushed out. We were prepared for a vet bill around $400. When we came home, the vet bill was over $600; even after the vet knocked off nearly $200 in discounts. However, he also came home with a recommendation for more surgery. Luckily, my husband made enough at the paintball tournament to cover the $600 vet bill, but he doesn't have any more referee jobs for a while so coming up with over $2000 for more surgery will be nearly impossible. We were counting on that $600 check to pay the rent, utilities, and put food on the table for the following month, but instead it was eaten up by another of Sampson's vet bills.
Aside from needing the hernia surgery, Sampson's in great health. At the age of 9, except for a little more white on his chin, he looks the same as he did when we got him at age 2. He's happy, healthy and active when not in pain from the hernia. Since he's in such good health otherwise, and Corgis tend to live until their mid to late teens, I cannot in good conscience put him to sleep. I have contacted charities that help with expensive vet bills, but their funds are tapped out due to the down economy. I have even contacted a Corgi rescue to surrender him in hopes of him going to a new family that can afford his special care. I know I'm not the only one in financial straights these days, but if lots of people donate just a little toward this surgery, our family could stay together. My husband and I cannot have children so our animals are like our kids. I couldn't imagine giving up my 9 year old child for adoption because of health issues, any more that I can imagine giving up my dog. It would break both our hearts to give him up, and if I can raise even half the money to get the medical care he needs it would be a tremendous help. This is kind of our last hope.
So please consider donating whatever amount you can, even if it's only $1; every little bit counts. Our buddy Sampson thanks you, so do we, and so do his 2 Corgi buddies, Shiloh & Rusty.
Around Thanksgiving 2008, Sampson came in from the yard looking like a large donut was in his behind. I said to my husband, "it looks like he blew an O ring." And unfortunately, I couldn't have been more right. Sampson had been having problems passing poo for months. We tried increasing his fiber intake but nothing seemed to help. When we took him to the vet, we were told he had a perineal hernia; one of the worst this particular vet had ever seen. Surgery needed to be done to repair his rectum, basically sewing the muscles back together so that he is able to push the poo through. We were told then that the surgery went well, but the hernia was so severe that it was likely to reoccur. The first surgery cost $2000, that thankfully, my parents were willing to charge to their credit card so that I could make payments to them. My husband and I work in the service industry making minimum wage, so we live paycheck to paycheck, and don't have a few thousand dollars socked away for an emergency fund. Three years after the surgery, we are still paying my parents back.
My husband recently became certified to be a PSP sanctioned painball referee, as a way to make some extra money a few times a year. We had to go away for a week in October for him to referee the 2011 PSP World Cup paintball tournament in Orlando, Florida. Sampson had been suffering from a back-up, as he tends to a few times a year since the surgery, and needed his bowels evacuated. We decided to board him at the vets for the week and get him flushed out. We were prepared for a vet bill around $400. When we came home, the vet bill was over $600; even after the vet knocked off nearly $200 in discounts. However, he also came home with a recommendation for more surgery. Luckily, my husband made enough at the paintball tournament to cover the $600 vet bill, but he doesn't have any more referee jobs for a while so coming up with over $2000 for more surgery will be nearly impossible. We were counting on that $600 check to pay the rent, utilities, and put food on the table for the following month, but instead it was eaten up by another of Sampson's vet bills.
Aside from needing the hernia surgery, Sampson's in great health. At the age of 9, except for a little more white on his chin, he looks the same as he did when we got him at age 2. He's happy, healthy and active when not in pain from the hernia. Since he's in such good health otherwise, and Corgis tend to live until their mid to late teens, I cannot in good conscience put him to sleep. I have contacted charities that help with expensive vet bills, but their funds are tapped out due to the down economy. I have even contacted a Corgi rescue to surrender him in hopes of him going to a new family that can afford his special care. I know I'm not the only one in financial straights these days, but if lots of people donate just a little toward this surgery, our family could stay together. My husband and I cannot have children so our animals are like our kids. I couldn't imagine giving up my 9 year old child for adoption because of health issues, any more that I can imagine giving up my dog. It would break both our hearts to give him up, and if I can raise even half the money to get the medical care he needs it would be a tremendous help. This is kind of our last hope.
So please consider donating whatever amount you can, even if it's only $1; every little bit counts. Our buddy Sampson thanks you, so do we, and so do his 2 Corgi buddies, Shiloh & Rusty.
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