Chili went in for surgery yesterday, even though we hadn't raised the funds needed.
It breaks my heart to have to report that Chili died during recovery. The vet did not find any blockage but did find that her intestines had adhesions, were sticking to each other and were inflamed. He removed the food and gas that was in her stomach and checked her out to see if there was something else going on. He did note that there were no feces in her colon so she wasn't processing food. He said her liver, kidneys, uterus and ovaries all looked good. Chili had a hard time coming out of anesthesia and went into cardiac arrest. They performed CPR and revived her, then drained some liquid that had formed around her heart. At this point her breathing was off and they expected her to arrest again. Which she did and they were unable to revive her the second time.
Chili was only in my life for a week and a half and I will miss her terribly. During that time we shared hours and hours of intensive care and cuddling. Her passing has left a huge hole in my life and heart. I can't begin to imagine what Sarah is going through. Chili was a gentle soul and a huge character who captivated the hearts of all she met. Chili had a rough start to her short life, her mother chewed her ears and left them deformed, which only added to her charm.
I am glad that we went ahead with the surgery as it was her only chance. We can now say that we did everything possible to save her and don't have to go through the process of wondering if the outcome would have been different if she had the surgery. At the rate that she was bloating she would have had to be PTS this weekend to avoid something rupturing internally.
I haven't received the final bill from the vet yet, I will go in and see him on Monday and pay the balance. Our wonderful vet is going to extend the 20% discount to me that he gives our rescue animals even though Chili is not part of the rescue. My poor credit card is still going to be in for a great shock. If anyone would like to contribute to the Chili vet fund, it would be greatly appreciated. You can either make a pledge through the
GiveForward site (which requires a credit card) or PM me for PayPal or snail mail details. Anyone that makes a donation of $20 or more (through any method) will receive a domed house (photo of Chili in a domed house below). I recently made 40 of these houses for the rescue chins here. Chili really loved her houses, she had one in the playpen and one in her cage; so I feel it is only fitting that we use them to help raise the funds needed. Don't worry, the house you receive will be brand new. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Here are some photos of the lovely Miss Chili.
Chili just after she went to live with Sarah
In the playpen her first day with me
In her domed house in the playpen. The house is hung a bit high because I would slide a heated Snuggle Safe underneath. She really liked the warmth on her tummy.
