Hi, my name is Beth, and I am fundraising for my dear friend Meghan and her amazing guide dog, Zesti. The cover image is Meghan riding in a car with a little puppy cradled in her arms like a baby. It was taken on the day Zesti officially became a member of Meghan's family. I met Zesti several months ago and was so impressed with how quickly she understood her job, even as a puppy. Unfortunately, Zesti has been having some serious medical problems and isn't out of the woods yet. The vet bills are mounting (over $10,000 as of now). Please give what you can to help Meghan cover the cost of Zesti's care. Every dollar helps! Also, make sure you adjust the defaulted tip amount to something you feel is reasonable to give to this fundraising platform. The default is high and you must change it or the fee will be added to your donation amount. Here is Meghan telling Zesti's story: On April 14, 2024, I met my Zesti for the first time. She was a curious, snuggly little 8-week-old Weimaraner pup who excelled at bending herself into the most fascinating postures while sleeping. She started napping with me on city buses, in shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, and the homes of many friends and family. As Zesti grew, I started to teach her about the world. Our bond flourished, and when she was big enough, she started learning how to do the very important job of being my guide dog. She and I have flown to visit friends, we went and walked the halls of Congress together, and at every turn, I have been astounded by her ability to thrive in every environment. Image description: Meghan and Zesti sitting on a bench in a park. Meghan's arm is draped over Zesti's back. Zesti's front leg is resting on Meghan's lap. Zesti's tongue is out and it looks like she is smiling. This past Tuesday, 7/11/23, Zesti was very sick. She was lethargic, and she was vomiting profusely. I took her to the vet, and she was given fluids and anti-nausea medications. She continued to get worse. The next day, we went to the emergency vet for an ultrasound, and they discovered that Zesti had an intestinal blockage. She went into surgery that evening. They had to remove a portion of her small intestine, and they extracted the remains of a dog toy. She was stable after surgery, but when I got a check-in call this morning at 6:00, the vet informed me that she had a rough night, but that she was still with us. Image description: Meghan is leaning over the gurney that Zesti is on, one arm cuddling her head and the other petting her face. Zesti is covered in a blanket and there are medical devices all around her giving her fluids, monitoring her heart rate, etc. Due to Zesti's increased complications, they recommended that I transfer her to the UW vet school where they can provide her with the best care possible. A dear friend and I did that this morning. Zesti's blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature continue to fluctuate, but they are hopeful. Image description: Meghan and Zesti as they prep to go to the University of Wisconsin vet school. Zesti is laying on a gurney and has tubes going into both front legs. Meghan is holding her. Zesti is still showing her usual zest for life. She lit up when I came in to visit her this morning, and I will not give up on her unless she tells me that she is done. Thank you for reading, sharing, and sending us good energy and prayers. This girl is a piece of me, and she just turned 17 months old today. I cannot imagine life without her zing and pep at my side. UPDATE 7/14 Just heard from Meghan. Here's the latest: Thank you to everyone who has donated. I am humbled by the generosity of those I do and don't know, and I do not have words to tell you how much it means to me. Thank you also to Beth for setting up and maintaining this page for me, and thank you so much to Leah for coming with me to visit my girl. Yesterday evening, I got a call with an update. Zesti was stable but still critical. The vet said that she was alert, but she was not lifting her head or anything. They put her on plasma to bring up her proteins, sugars because she wasn't maintaining her sugars independently, pain medications, antibiotics because she went septic pre-surgery, fluids, oxygen, and I am probably forgetting something. We went to visit her last night, and when I walked in, she lifted her head and wagged her tail. There were a lot of vet techs with teary eyes in the room seeing her reaction to me. I spent about 30-45 minutes with her, and it was so bittersweet to be with her. I wished I could crawl into her crate with her and make her my baby spoon, but we did the best with what we had. I brought a pillowcase from home and tucked it under her head, so now at least she always has a little piece of home with her. Image description: Meghan cuddling Zesti as she lay in her hospital crate. There is a tan pillowcase under Zesti's head. She was wearing little baby socks, because her blood pressure was low. The medication they gave her to bring it back up causes blood vessels to constrict, and as a result, her little paws were very cold. Image description: Zesti in her hospital crate. She has blue socks on her back legs and grey ones on her front legs. Zesti's shaved belly has bandages and tubes on it, with a mesh bandage holding other stuff close to her body. She has IV tubes in both legs and into her neck. She has an oxygen tube taped to her snout. Her tail is wrapped in a green bandage. I got an update call this morning. She is now able to maintain her own blood pressure, so she is off of those meds. She is doing better with her blood sugar, so that supplementation has been reduced. They are hoping to cut back her pain medication a little bit today. They are running bloodwork again today. Yesterday, she had increased kidney levels. They are checking to see if those continue to rise and/or if they are the same or going down. As of last night, they said it appeared her kidneys are still working well, so I am keeping everything crossed. This morning, she has also been showing some neurological symptoms, so they are going to have her checked by a specialist. They did say it could be a result of the pain medications, but they are going to keep me posted. Leah and I are going back to visit her today at 2:00. I cannot wait to hug her again. My poor sweet beautiful baby girl needs to come home. There is a big empty spot next to me in bed at night. I miss her big stretches in the morning. She always manages to kick me in the head....and I never thought I would say it, but I really, really want her to kick me in the head again. Beth again. Meghan shared the bill she received from the emergency vet. Even with a 10% discount, it's $6,600. This is just one bill. She also has a bill from the regular vet and will be getting one from UW. Zesti will be there until at the very least Monday, likely longer. Image description: Itemized three-page bill from the emergency vet. Total is $7,332.31, discount $733.31, final total $6,599.00.
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