An update as of Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Will’s adopters just sent a message about Will – he’s doing fantastic!
“Will wants to let everyone know he’s doing amazing and can’t thank you enough for all the love and support he received from pets alive. He’s one of the big dogs and loves running in the fields on the farm. He has the biggest personality!! Thank you all, we couldn’t love him any more.”
Thank YOU, our supporters, for making this happen!
An update as of Thursday, March 9, 2017
Will after his surgery
Will had his surgery yesterday to repair his liver and it went well! He came through the surgery like a little fighter, ready to conquer the world! We are hopeful that he’ll make a full recovery but time will tell; we’ll know more as he heals in the days ahead. He’s also adjusting to his new home and we wish him the best!
Thank you again for your donations to help with Will’s medical costs, sharing his story, and wishing him well. You were what made the difference in his ability to get where he is today!
An update as of Sunday, March 5, 2017
Will with his new family
Almost a month to the day that Will, the puppy, was rescued and came to our sanctuary, he’s now found his forever home! He came to us as a sick little puppy with neurological issues, questionable eye sight, and signs of liver dysfunction. After various veterinarian consultations and testing, he’s been diagnosed with a liver shunt, which requires extensive surgery. We are in the process of scheduling the surgery for this coming week, based on the availability of the board-certified surgeon. Will is not “out of the woods” yet; the surgery brings risks, however we are hopeful he will come through like a champ. We are also hopeful that repair of his liver will lead to improved vision and other issues he’s displayed.
Your donations have enabled us to get Will the needed testing and veterinarian consultations to determine the extent of his illness/injury and now his forthcoming surgery. We are so thankful for your prayers, your sharing his story, and for your gifts to help Will. We also thank his foster mom and the staff and volunteers at Pets Alive that helped care for him. Will could not have had such a chance at recovery without your support. Thank you!
An update as of Monday, February 27, 2017
Will with Dr. Farabaugh
On Friday, February 24, Will went to Oradell Animal Hospital for an abdominal ultrasound to determine the extent of his liver dysfunction. A portosystem shunt (PSS) was identified. In short, this means that a portion of the toxins, proteins and nutrients absorbed by Will’s intestines bypass the liver and are “shunted” into the systemic circulation and are therefore not being filtered properly by his liver. This can lead to different health issues, including altered central nervous system function. The treatment of choice for a single PSS is surgery. We are currently working on scheduling Will’s surgery.
As for Will’s eye sight, his visual dysfunction appears to be related to some type of brain trauma Will may have sustained and it could be related to the liver shunt. He has vision in one eye and some vision in the other eye. The doctor does not believe the issue is related to the eyes themselves therefore he didn’t feel seeing an ophthalmologist would be helpful at this time. The brain issue may or may not resolve over time. An MRI would provide more insights, however, the risks of sedating him for the test outweigh any potential benefit right now. His eye sight seems to have improved since we first rescued him and he appears to be doing quite well, so for now, the focus is on his liver.
Will at Pets Alive
In the meantime, Will continues his medications and the doctor changed up his food diet. After his trip to the doctor, Will came back to Pets Alive for a short visit while awaiting for his foster mom to pick him up. And a huge thank you to Sue N., one of our volunteers, for transporting Will to and from his vet appointment.
An update as of Thursday, February 23, 2017
Will with Dr. Farabaugh
Our boy Will went for his second visit yesterday to see Andrew Farabaugh, DVM, DACVIM, a neurologist at 
Oradell Animal Hospital. Will’s behavior is “puppy-like” and he was able to maneuver around the exam room, even though he has limited vision. It seems he has some vision in one eye and questionable vision in the other eye, most likely a result of any brain trauma (which may subside over time) and his liver dysfunction. Therefore a visit to an ophthalmologist is not suggested at this time. The liver condition is the biggest concern right now, therefore Will goes for a sonogram of the liver on Friday, February 24, to determine the extent and location of the dysfunction. Depending on the results, next steps may be surgery or other medical treatment to correct the condition.
Will at his foster home
Once back at his foster home late yesterday, he started his play routine! Check out this VIDEO of Will with his foster mom!
We’ll keep you posted when we get the results of his sonogram – and thank you for your donations and concern for Will.
An update as of Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Will, at his foster home
Will has settled into his foster home nicely. He has some good 
days where he acts like a little puppy and other days where he’s a little tired out. Late last week, he went to see our veterinarian for a visit. Currently, Will is partially blind; we are not certain this is permanent but he has adapted well to his environment. The doctor also did some additional testing and we now have the results. The testing showed that he has a liver dysfunction that is not allowing his body to properly filter out toxins produced by normal body processes. Will has been on medications to help reduce the toxins. He has a follow up visit tomorrow (February 22) with the neurologist and we are working to get an appointment with an internist for an evaluation of Will’s liver condition. He will most likely need a sonogram to better evaluate the dysfunction and he may require more advanced imaging. In the meantime, he’s being a playful puppy! Thank you again for your donations and/or caring for little Will. We’ll keep you posted when we have further news from his next doctor visit.
An update as of Wednesday, February 15, 2017
We have some great news about Will, the injured puppy we rescued earlier this month. He’s gone into a temporary foster home! Pictured here, he’s gotten his medication, ate his food, and is all ready for a snooze. Our foster has a room set up for him with a gated area where he can be monitored, yet still roam and play. He’s started to play ball and “tug of war”. His sight also seems to be a little bit better. He has a doctor visit tomorrow with our veterinarian for some additional testing and a checkup, and next week, he goes back to the neurologist for a follow-up visit. Thank you for your support!
An update as of Friday afternoon, February 10, 2017
On Wednesday, Will went to see Andrew Farabaugh, DVM, DACVIM, a neurologist at Oradell Animal Hospital for an evaluation. Will has been put on medication and has another appointment with Dr. Farabaugh in two weeks for a follow-up visit to determine if additional testing or treatment is necessary. 
While we do not yet have a conclusive diagnosis for Will, he seems to be a little more alert than when we first rescued him and he has a great appetite! We are also working on getting him into a foster home where he can be observed closely. Thank you all for your inquiries, donations and caring for this little pup.
An update as of Tuesday afternoon, February 8, 2017
Will’s appointment with the neurologist got moved up to day! With an impending snow storm for tomorrow, we were able to get an appointment today and he’s enroute as we speak. And we have some new photos of Will – snuggled up in his blanket and chowing down his meal. Stay tuned for further updates once we hear from the neurologist.
Thank you for your support to help little Will!
An update as of Tuesday, February 7, 2017.
Will came back to Pets Alive earlier today and he is now resting comfortably in our quarantine area. We don’t have any updated photos as he was all wrapped up in a blanket, snoozing, when he came back and we didn’t want to wake him. Next steps? We do not yet have a diagnosis for what is causing Will’s neurological issues, therefore, he has an appointment on Thursday with a neurologist for an exam and possible other diagnostics. We will update you when we have more information. Thank you so very much.
Original posting published on February 3, 2017:
This little guy was found on the side of the road, presumed dead – until he started to scream! Not knowing where to go or who could or would help, the good Samaritans rushed to Pets Alive knowing our staff would still be there and ready to help. Janet, our Veterinarian Liason, immediately jumped into action as you see from this video.
The scared 4-month old puppy had blood shot eyes, was unable to stand, was visibly shaking, had irregular neurological movements, tried to eat but couldn’t – and continued to cry.
Our staff then whisked him off to Flannery Animal Hospital where they are now working to save this little guy’s life. They started by working to reduce swelling of his brain.
We do not yet know his prognosis, if he’ll survive the night, or what medical treatments will be necessary to heal him. Will you help us and make a donation to our Medical Fund so that we can help this little one and the other animals at our sanctuary?