Save Griff!!

Griffin or as we call him "Griffy the Buddhist" is a 1 year old Pomeranian. Griff, his two sisters and his parents all live with my family in south Florida. We call him the buddhist because he is such a calm, sweet, happy dog, who is a vegetarian by choice and would never hurt another living creature (where the other dogs chase lizards and birds around our backyard Griff wants nothing more than to watch them or lick them) Just this past week Griff became lethargic and stopped eating, began vomiting and we rushed him to the vet who diagnosed him with kidney failure and sent us to a specialist at the coral springs animal hospital. The specialist performed an ultrasound on his abdomen and found that Griff's kidneys are "malformed" and described them to be in the shape of dumbbells instead of round. The specialist has confirmed that there is no treatment for this type of kidney failure and that kidney transplant is the only option. The specialist said he could live for a few days or a few months but she doesn't expect anything more than that. Without a transplant Griffy could pass at any time. Additionally, he would need to stay in the hospital on IV fluids and special medications until the transplant is performed and he will most likely require dialysis until that time.
There are only two surgeons in the US that perform canine kidney transplants and I have spoken with both of them and they agree, along with my vet that Griff is a good candidate for the surgery. Luckily Griff has two litter-mates (sisters) who are more than happy to donate one of their kidneys and save his life. Currently, the girls have undergone testing and we are waiting for confirmation on which one of them would be the best donor. The surgery itself is a serious procedure for both Griff and the donor and will require an approximate two week recovery, followed by a lifetime of immunsuppressive medications and frequent testing with the risk of organ rejection. Thankfully Griff has statistics on his side. Being that he is a small dog, has a family donor and is very young he has the best chances for survival. The total cost for surgery and recovery for both dogs is estimated to cost around $20,000 and an additional $1,000 per month for medication for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, I can’t afford the surgery myself as I am a graduate student supporting myself with school loans. Please help us raise money for Griff's kidney transplant. Thank you! Domenique Dmassari818@aol.com


For more information on the procedure and cost please visit :

http://www.pcvh.com/downloads/Canine%20Renal%20Transplant%20Information%20Sheet.pdf