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Meet Sully

Aww Pete, such sad news for Sully, and his new family. It's good to know that he couldn't be in better hands.
 
So glad to hear Sully is doing well, and that the foster family decided to adopt!!!! SIMPLY AWESOME!!

:cool::cool::cool:
 
Ahh, I'm confused then. Pete's post on 2-4-10 says Sully may have inoperable bone cancer but the MN Boxer's page says he is doing fine as of 1-10-10.

I just about cry every time I see his sad face.
 
Bone cancer in dogs is a real difficulty. if it has spread to his lungs i don't know why they are worrying about the fungal disease, it is a very low chance it was a fungal disease before it spread to the lungs and i don't know that the fungal disease will spread to the lungs therefore it is bone cancer. A biopsy can be very invasive and damaging. With lung infection by the cancer about the best you can reasonably do is treat for pain until it is to pain or difficulty breathing, then euthanize. the odds are really against the dog in these cases, especially since it is traveled to the lungs already.

thanks pete for help giving this dog a good last bit
 
Good News for the Day!!

Hello Pete!!!! How long do you have???? haha....Sully is doing BEYOND WONDERFUL!!! He is a completely different dog from what you have seen. He IS cancer free and is being treated for Blastomycosis, a fungal disease. It was in his leg where they thought the cancer was and had spread to his lungs, ribs, shoulder (which became VERY swollen) and then to the back of his skull.

Luckily we found that out just in the knick of time because had we of let it go any longer, it very easily could have spread to his brain and it would have been untreatable and irreversable! We started him on a VERY expensive and aggresive treatment with Itriconozle, a human grade prescription he takes once a day. He has now been on treatment for a month and a half and will go in next Wednesday for updated x-rays to monitor his lesions.

The last appointment we had showed that the lesions on the back of his skull were COMPLETELY gone and the others were very much improving....AND....he had gained 17 pounds!!! He has since gotten even bigger and looks absolutely wonderful!!! He runs and jumps around, spins in circles in the air and bucks around like a little puppy!!! He is one of the funniest boxer boys ever and we are SOOO happy he's become part of our family!!! He drags Frisbee around the house with toys and has his own spot on the couch that he refuses to share!!! ;-)

I have attached 2 pictures of him. The first one with the toy was one I took yesterday because he hasn't let that new toy out of his site since he got it. I come home on my lunch daily and yesterday, I came home to him tossing to me because he wanted to play fetch so bad.

We will get the total weight gain next Wednesday at his appointment, but I would say he's gained about 20 pounds or so and still probably has about 15-20 to go. Keep in mind....he ONLY weighed 40.8 pounds the day he arrived to me. :) Thanks you again to you Pete and Mike for taking time out of your busy schedules and money out of your pocket to transport him here....he is doing absolutely wonderful!!!! :)

Thanks,

Steph

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FANTASTIC!!!!! Pete...is there any way we can set up a fund for the family to help with medical expenses for Sully??? If they need/want help that is...
 
Sully update

Fantastic news, Pete. Thanks for the update and pictures!

Doug,
We need to get Sully a VAF scarf or dog sweater or maybe a VAF "dog tag" to wear. Any chance of working something like that up?
 
Well shucks, i can't think of a time more recently that i have been happier to be wrong! how exciting for his new family, it must be a tremendous relief to know he doesn't have the bone cancer.

attaboy Sully!
 
Go Sully

Hey everyone,

I?ve just learned about Sully?s story today, after taking the front page link to this thread. Read all of it from the beginning. Cryed, laugh, than cryed again and than, thankx god, had that most rewarding " final laugh ". In my country (Brazil), abandoned and/or abused pets, specially dogs, are a major problem. Because of our so called "greater" social issues, batches of abandoned ones can easyly be seen in our streets. Pete?s actions are a great inspiration to stand up and do something. I?m the proud "father" of a 3 yo Schnauzer and a 2 yo rottweiller called Toro, and I see much of him in Sully.
From the medical point (I?m a pediatrician), both bone cancer and Blasto can be considered opportunistic diseases secondary to the imunodeficiency caused by his severe malnourishment (not sure about my english on this one), and I honestly couldn?t pick the worst one, since invasive fungal infection is a major cause of death in the imunodepressed. His victory is being achieved by his new "parents" unconditional love and care and, according to my beliefs, to this giant "love net" that Pete started with his actions and this thread.
Keep on fellas!!!
Regards
 
Sully is Back!!!!

Good morning everyone! Sorry I didn't get the results out to everyone yesterday afternoon after his appointment, but.......GREAT NEWS!!!! Dr. Scanlon did some x-rays and Sully is free of treatment. The blastomycosis is 95% gone and he's doing wonderful!!! As Darren and Hayley seen last night, he sure has a lot of energy and just wants to play, play, play! ;-) We will be watching him very closely for about 6-8 weeks, making sure that he doesn't take any steps backwards, but do have some left over itraconozole left in case of an emergency. Otherwise....again, he's doing great....pics to come soon!!! Thank you everyone for your support with him over the past few months.....VERY much appreciated!!! I've been waiting to send this email since last December when he first arrived in my home. He's definitely a success story and finally has the good health and energy a 2 year old boxer should! :)

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Thanks,

Steph Hansen
MN Boxer Rescue
Have a little wiggle room? Adopt a boxer!
www.mnboxerrescue.org
 
I agree. Thanks for the update Pete. The last one was rather bleak.

This made my day! What a handsome gentlemen he is.
 
Great news

Hi

Yes this is great news, I had a tear in my eye reading this story, I really hope the people hwo were so cruel to him were prosecuted and banned from having dogs again.

There is no excuse for such behavior, I used to love locking up offenders who were abusive/ violent towards people or animals before I retired from the police.

One small point he is a great looking dog now.......... but handsome no, come on he's a boxer with cropped ears, he's that loveable sort of ugly.:D
 
Made my day, Pete!!

Woohoo...a different animal...shiny coat and you can't count his ribs anymore!!

Heartwarming indeed,

Best,
 
Sully Update 1-25-11

Quick update on Sully.....with pics.....from his permanent family.....

Sully is on his last day of itraconozole today and we are going to try and keep him off of that for a while. He had a re-occurance of the blastomycosis a few months ago when he started limping. His leg/forearm remain fluid filled for the time being, but the bone continues to improve. Dr. Scanlon said that we could go in and remove/drain the fluid, but with Sully's extremely low immune system, he hates to go "digging around in there." For now, no limping for almost 3 months now and he's one happy boy....spoiled and loving his daily PB sandwich....with or without meds! ;)

Sully is soon to be the subject of a story in the upcoming Pilots n' Paws book, Dog Is My Copilot, too!!! Thanks to everyone that donated and sent wishes to Sully....


Sully then.......:mad:
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Sully now.......:D
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my PNP Puppy

PnP is how I found my Best Buddy.

I was moving him up the east coast and he decided to adopt me over the Outer Banks, he is now named Obbie.

He was 40 LBs underweight when I got him and he had sever stomach issues, now, BIG, happy, and the stomach is doing better.

He is more at home now, he is a Chesapeake Bay Retreiver, and his first trip to the water was a blast, now when its warm he joiins me in the pool.

Thanks to PNP I have my best friend, and I found PNP through VAF, not a bad combo....
 
....Pete...and I think the whole crowd on here has secretly adopted him:)

Thanks,

Pierre,
I don't think there's any secret to it. I think all of us on VAF were hooked the moment Pete first told us about him.

Pete,
Thanks for the update. Moondog may be the official VAF mascot, but Sully truely does have a special place in our hearts.
 
Thanks, Pete...

...for making us aware of Pilots 'n Paws way back when. Sully's story is truly remarkable and very touching.
 
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