About the Campaign
Cannot hold down food,
developed pneumonia!
Remington is a handsome boy, but he has a mystery illness. He’s only 2 years old, and has been healthy until recently, when he has developed and enlarged esophagus, the part that convey food from the mouth the stomach. He can have trouble holding down his food, and his food can get in his windpipe and lungs, causing pneumonia.
There is a genetic condition caused Mega-Esophagus in dogs, but it was quickly determined he did not have this. The doctor also thought he might have Addison’s disease, but he tested negative. He and his owner Alexis live in rural Kentucky, and there are no specialist vets anywhere near where they are, and the local vet was stumped.
Excessive drooling is a symptom
Remington got referred to the University of Tennessee, but it is quite expensive, and they could not see him until late March. In the meantime he had developed a pneumonia in his lungs that has not been responding to antibiotics, and which can be deadly. This is why is keeps coughing non-stop, though it is better now than it has been (see video above).
Alexis has just now gotten him to another doctor, and this doctor is pretty sure he has Myasthenia Gravis, meaning “grave muscle weakness”. We also talked with a doctor we know about his case, and this doctor agrees this is likely what Remington is suffering from. Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a neurological condition, caused by an autoimmune disorder. The causes are not well understood, but it makes the nerve signals to certain muscles (like the esophagus) weak, which weakens the muscle. It is like his throat doesn’t work, or does not work very well.
Treatment involves medication to improve the nerve connection to the muscle, and treatment for secondary problems like his pneumonia. Some dogs will get over MG with treatment in a few months, and go back to normal. Some will require medication for longer, even for life. The sooner it is treated, the better the prognosis, so his doctor has already started him on treatment even though Alexis cannot afford the expensive test.
This fundraiser is for the MG test, which is important because if it is not MG this treatment will obviously not work! That is about $500, and he needs a few months of medications, including stronger antibiotics and the MG medicines. All donations are for Remington only, and paid only to his vet and pharmacist for his treatment. This boy is only two, and this rare and not well understood condition shouldn’t stop him from having a normal, full and happy life!