Run Free My Little Caped Crusader...

Our Dearest Batman, Caped Crusader, B-Man, Batty Boy.....

I got the call this afternoon. "We're running out of options to help him breathe better. Maybe you should come by and see him to make a call...".

See I have asthma Batty Boy so I know that you were in pain now. Seeing you in your little Oxygen tank, still struggling to breathe, was all it took to make the decision to let you go free.
You tried to stand up and put your wobbly little head out the hole of the O2 tank. You gave me a quick kiss with your white tongue and laid back down.

I could have made no other decision at that point. When you came into the room so I could hold you one last time and visit with you for a minute....we had to call the Doc back in to help you get to a painfree place, where you could run and be the pup I know you are. You could barely focus out of the tank and I wouldn't put it off any longer.

My heart is in pain Batman. I love like my own, and always will. I called all of your friends who have been cheering you on for success, they want you to know they adored you. They are the reason I gave extra kisses and hugs.

Just so you know...
You're heart will get to be studied. The doctors would like to know how to fix this if it happens again in the future. You were a first for the Medical field and will be a light of hope for others.
That's my Batman....the pup with a huge heart.

I love you, run free....

I'll see you at that bridge my little SuperHero~

Batman Update (6-21-09 about 4am)

It's 4:11am and I am at FVS with Batman. At about 1:30am he was whining so I took him out to potty. On the way out, he fell over and seized. After that I knew he didn't seem right, and about 20 min later her had another one. His gums went ghostly white, he was drooling profusely, seemed feverish, started breathing really hard and had no sense of balance.

I decided to bring him over here to FVS (where he is supposed to have surgery on the 1st of July)...On the way he seized again.

The doctors are working to determine if he's gone into Left side Heart Failure. The cause is definately a rapid progression of his disease(s). He is currently in an oxygen cage and they are trying to get his levels high enough for ECG and Xrays.

He will be in the critical care unit for atleast 24 hours, if this can be fixed...

Please pray for our Caped Crusader.

Batman Update!!!

Batman will be having the surgery. We've thought long and hard about it and need to give him every chance possible. He is being completely sponsored for this and we are soooo thankful!

Surgery is scheduled for July 1st. He is on Beta Blockers for 2 weeks prior.

Please keep Paws Crossed!!

Update on Batman

It's with a sad heart that I send out this email, and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone so feel free to send it on to anyone who is following Batman's Case.I would make and answer every phone call, but this news is so fresh and I can't get through explaining it. For that I apologize.



Today's Diagnosis:
1. Severe Pulmonic Stenosis
2. Cor Triatriatum dexter
3. Right to Left shunting atrial septal defect

Descriptions as they were explained to me:

1. Severe Pulmonic Stenosis : Basically he has a valve that blood should be flowing through. But...right now it's like a hose that's turned on, with someone's finger over the hole. This has caused a VERY thick membrane to form over it.

2. Cor Triatriatum dexter: Where the blood flows from the bottom half of his body through the heart is normal. Where it flows from the upper half is running into a partition that shouldn't be there.

3. Right to Left Shunting Atrial Septal Defect: His Blue & Red Blood is mixing causing the lack of Oxygen

Doc's Notes:

As a result of these defects, Batman's heart has become significantly enlarged,
which is the likely explanation for his clinical signs & poor growth.
Unfortunately, these conditions will likely limit his lifespan by putting him at
risk for heart failure or sudden death. He can be treated surgical by
positioning a balloon catheter across the defects and inflating the balloon
across the narrowed areas. While potentially successful, these balloon
procedures can be associated with significant risk, especially given the degree
of thickening and associated flow abnormalities.

What he said to me:

"Batman is basically a 'Genetic Lemon'. We can try surgery but there is a strong
chance he may not come out well due to the membrane build-up. We can also try
medication. The bad part is....no matter what we do, Surgically or with
Medication, he will not have a long life span. He will need a home where he has
access to constant medical care. If I decide to put him down, he will understand
and no one will throw stones..."

So...I have some thinking to do. Do I even put him through a surgery? Do I try to make it perfect when that is just not possible for him? Or do I let him go so that he never knows the pain that comes along with heart failure... which is probably the hardest thing to do. I have to decide what would be better for the B-Man in the long run. My heart is in so much pain...especially because he's the sweetest, most loving little pup I think I've EVER met. This is the part of Rescue that I hate. Playing 'God'. But I cannot be selfish and will make the only decision that will be better for him.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for adoring Batman as much as I do. Thank you for your contribution's to help make him better, all of you in so many different ways. Thank you for the prayers and well wishes. We both love each of you...Batman sends Puppy Breath Filled Smooches...

Batman is an 8 wk old pup who has a double Heart Murmur and is a possible PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus ).What he needs is an EKG and Cardiac Ultrasound to determine if he'll need surgery to fuse the valve/s and if it will even be possible at this point. He is very weak and cannot enjoy playtime with his littermates for long, or he vomits and passes out. He just lays around and is lethargic. We have found a vet VERY cheap to perform the initial evaluation with EKG & Ultrasound for $250-$300. While we know that if it shows he'll need surgery ($4k-5k), we may not be able to come up with that amount.... We would still like to find out exactly what we're dealing with and give him every chance we can. But we'll need your help. The Game: 6 Degrees of SeperationRules: Send this email to 20 people you believe can spare $2.00 to help Batman. Have them send it to 20 more people, and so on... $2.00 Donations can be made to:Paypal account email - apbtmom@pitstopbullys.com~ Please Specify "Batman Returns" in the message!~ This is something we need done by the coming week, so we are asking for online donations. If you would rather send a check...Mail Donations to: Pit Stop Bully's RescuePO Box 280260Tampa,FL 33682 Thank you very much :)

Johnny Boy needs URGENT help!

Please take a peek at Johnny Boy. He's a 1.5 year old Boxer/Am Bulldog Mix that PSBR pulled from Animal Services on the day he was to be euthanized. When Johnny Boy got here, we noticed immediately that his rear right leg was not right. We were not notified of this when we asked for his health/temperament evaluation before we pulled him.

After seeing the doctor, we now know that Johnny's leg has been dislocated from his hip for at least a year! This particular Animal Services claims they never noticed anything was wrong with his leg...which I find really hard to believe and you will too once you see the pictures.

Johnny's hip is in such bad shape from the wear and tear that he needs either a hip replacement or amputation. We can send him back to Animal Services but he will immediately be euthanized and we won't let that happen now that he's here.

Considering we are a rescue we're going with amputation as hip replacement is just too expensive for us at this time. (Compare $2000 to $400)

If you can help us out at all it is greatly appreciated.

Paypal Account Email: apbtmom@pitstobullys.com

or

Mail to: Pit Stop Bully's Rescue, PO Box 280260, Tampa FL, 33682

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts & Johnny's too!

Pitbulls Pounding the Pavement: PBPP is going Orange April 26th 9:00am

Pitbulls Pounding the Pavement: PBPP is going Orange April 26th 9:00am