Witness

About the Campaign

Witness a young, female purebred Rottweiler who started limping badly on her right front leg out of nowhere. Her shoulder appears dropped. Her owner Michkaya took her to the vet three days ago, and the vet wanted x-rays right away to find out whether it is a fracture, a torn ligament, or a tumor in the bone. Michkaya could only afford the exam and pain medication. Witness is home on gabapentin and trazodone, and the question is still unanswered.

Michkaya thinks Witness may have fallen off the porch steps, since she is a clumsy dog. But a limp this sudden and severe in a young Rottweiler is not something to guess at. Rottweilers are among the breeds most prone to bone cancer, and the vet said so plainly. If it is a fracture or ligament tear, the sooner it is treated the better it heals. If it is something worse, every week matters. The pain medication keeps her comfortable, but it does not tell anyone what is wrong. At the vet:

Witness came from a close friend of Michkaya’s who breeds Rottweilers. Michkaya was helping with the litter and had bonded with the mother dog, and the friend let her adopt Witness. Michkaya has known her since the day she was born, bringing her home at eight weeks. Witness lives on a small farm about 30 miles outside Lansing, Michigan, alongside Michkaya’s goats, including Cookie, a Nigerian Dwarf who survived a life-threatening blood sugar crash as a two-week-old kid this spring thanks to donors here. Cookie is doing great! This is her former fundraiser and below a pic of her and Witness together! https://freeanimaldoctor.org/campaigns/cookie-the-kid/(opens in new tab)

Michkaya left bartending more than six months ago to bake full time and now sells from a farm stand. She makes about $1,000 a month. She has no credit available and does not qualify for Care Credit. Everything she had went to the exam and medication, and the x-rays are still sitting undone.

The first step is a diagnosis. Donations will cover Witness’s x-rays, sedation if needed, bloodwork, and the treatment the results call for, whether that is splinting, ligament surgery, or a biopsy. All donations are paid only to the veterinarian. Estimate below, click to enlarge: