What Makes Ike So Amazing

Lexington, VA    “I really don’t need two Pitbull puppies,” the woman said, handing over Ike and Mike to the Rockbridge SPCA. “I’ve got a young child and it’s just too much.” She said it like she was asking for a return on a grocery item.

But the shelter staff was very professional and took the two puppies. It was immediately evident that Ike was much smaller than his brother, Mike, weighing in at only 5 pounds, while his brother weighed a healthy 12 pounds. It didn’t take long to find out why. The little guy couldn’t keep his food down.

But Ike didn’t seem to let that bother him. In spite of his life-threatening condition, Ike was happy. He loved every moment of his life and it was obvious he loved everybody around him.

Ike just invited you to his party every second of the day. He immediately stole the hearts of the shelter staff. Sharon got him a toy chicken, which he carried around with him everywhere. When it was time to feed the five-pound mite, she would feed him soft foods then hoist him on her hip and carry him around.

Keeping Ike in a vertical position for at least 10 minutes kept the food down. Five and six times a day, Sharon would follow this procedure, allowing Ike to get as much nutrition as he could.

Sometimes Sharon would take him home on her farm, and Ike would carry around his toy chicken while she attended to her animals. When it came time to feed Ike, she followed the same procedure.

Ike’s irrepressible personality charmed her whole family. So it was no surprise he ended up sleeping with her at nights! This dog was on the road to rotten…if he was lucky enough to live that long.

In the meantime, Karen Beard, Shelter Manager and Rescue Coordinator, had a sneaking suspicion what was wrong with Ike. Her experience in the veterinary world had her convinced that Ike had megaesophagus, or Persistent Right Aortic Arch.

This is a very serious condition in which the muscles of the esophagus lose their tone and cannot propel food into the stomach. With megaesophagus, the esophagus dilates, or enlarges, due to lack of muscle tone. This causes the food to sit in the esophagus unable to continue to the stomach to be digested.

Karen consulted with the shelter’s veterinarian, Dr. Pharis, who came to the same conclusion. An x-ray confirmed both their suspicions. Oh boy! This was a tough one. Karen knew all too well that animals with ME have a poor survival rate.

If Ike’s ME was congenital, he would have the best shot at having a normal life.  That was correctable. But if it was due to an underlying disease, the prognosis was not so good. Karen stared down into Ike’s curious face. Ike stared back and then wagged his tail.

Because Rockbridge SPCA was a small shelter, funds were limited. They simply could not care for Ike long term. That’s when Karen made two decisions that would forever change Ike’s life. The first was to contact The Mosby Foundation, asking if we could help pay for a consult with Virginia Tech Veterinary School of Medicine to find out the cause of Ike’s ME.

We definitely wanted to help. Here was a dog that just wouldn’t say “no” to life! The Mosby Foundation immediately started a special fund drive, asking donors just like you, to help us give Ike a second chance at life.

The second decision was to call Tracy Treen with Rockbridge Dog Rescue. For most rescues, Ike’s condition would have been a big no-no. For Tracy, it didn’t faze her. “We’re his only shot at a normal life,” she said. “I’ll make sure he gets the surgery he needs.”

And that was it. With no money in the bank, no promises of a big donation, she took Ike. You can imagine how thrilled Tracy was when we called to tell her we had raised the money for Ike’s evaluation! Tracy told everyone—from the organization’s Facebook page to their website—about our commitment to Ike’s recovery.

But the news got even better. To everyone’s surprise, the Virginia Tech evaluation was favorable! Ike’s cause for megaesophagus was congenital. One of the vessels of Ike’s heart had formed across his esophagus and cut it off. The result was that part of his esophagus had stretched out and the other part was constricted. When food reached the constricted area, it would be forced back up.

Of all the causes for ME, this was the very best one that Ike could have. The surgery would give Ike a 90% chance at a normal life. We were all thrilled! Surgery was set for two weeks out, which allowed The Mosby Foundation to continue to work on Ike’s behalf to raise the money for this very expensive surgery.

Because Tracy followed Sharon’s lead, feeding Ike in an upright position, he was getting stronger and healthier everyday. That’s when she and Rockbridge Dog Rescue thought it was time for some good old-fashioned PR. Little did they know that Ike was perfect for the job!

They took Ike to the annual Rockbridge Community Festival. There the organization displayed the work they did to get dogs placed in forever homes. The hope was for a few donations toward his surgery. But this is Ike we’re talking about! He was front and center, working his magic, trusty chicken in his mouth. “Here was this very skinny puppy with an ugly coat, but with a very, very strong will to live, Tracy said.” People could see that immediately.

And they just loved him. Dollar bills were continuously dropped into Ike’s donation jar. By the end of the festival day, the rescue had reached an astonishing $1100! Tracy thought it was fair to say that Ike was responsible for raising the money he needed. “Really Ike did it all himself,” she told us with a laugh. “It was just beautiful.”

How can you not cheer for a dog like that? Ike’s joy for life was contagious and he spread that joy everywhere and every day.  His willingness to enjoy his life just as it was, to give everyone around him love was a tremendous gift, one that should never be snuffed out. Everyone that touched his life came away feeling happier.

We certainly did! With The Mosby Foundation’s continued efforts, we paid for his evaluation and a large part of his surgery. Virginia Tech performed the surgery and was very pleased with what they found. Ike’s esophagus was not severely dilated, which was extremely good news, nor were any other constrictions found. The other piece of happy news was the actual condition of his esophagus. In some ME dogs, the esophagus simply will not work, but Ike’s did.

Far from being a grocery item to be returned, Ike had an abundance of love to give, if only you had eyes to see it. We are thrilled beyond words to tell you that Ike is progressing fabulously!

He now weighs a healthy 20 pounds and has added a toy turtle to his collection. New x-rays show that the stretched part of Ike’s esophagus has already returned to a normal size, and the constricted part remains open. Tracy and her staff continue to feed Ike in an elevated position while their vet consults with Virginia Tech to determine the next step.

Are you jumping for joy? We sure are. Ike’s future is plenty bright. It sure looks like he’s going to get that chance to be spoiled completely rotten. Tracy has already told us that on the off chance he doesn’t get adopted, he will always have a home with the rescue. “He’s just a fantastic dog,” she said.

Without a single doubt, it was community effort and love that saved the life of this tiny puppy, giving him the opportunity to measure life in years, not months. Not that Ike measures anything! He just enjoys every bit of time he has.

Even though Tracy’s rescue is happy to keep Ike, we’re pretty sure his personality and his chicken will win over just the right person.

You just have to see Ike’s video! It will make your whole day. Just go to our website, www.themosbyfoundaton.org. Or go to Rockbridge Dog Rescue, website address here, to watch Ike make you “feel good.”

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