After so many tests, procedures, near death experiences and close calls, our vets have finally come up with a diagnosis for our sweet boy Brooks. When Brooks first came to us from the pound, he was extremely anemic, and his hematocrit level was around 10%. Our vets have worked hard trying to get the number up, and it is now holding steady at about 20%. This is still dangerously low since normal for a dog is 35%. One of our vets, Dr. Richetti, attended a meeting about a new and rarely diagnosed or recognized tick borne disease called Babesia. Brooks was showing every single symptom of this. It is most commonly seen in the Pitbull breed. The test for this is very expensive, but we decided to do it because we wanted to get to the bottom of his illness. Our vet sent his blood off to IDEXX Laboratories, and the results came back positive Brooks does in fact have Babesia. This tick borne disease causes Autoimmune Hemolitic Anemia in dogs as well. This is what Brooks has as well. Brooks feels horrible, but his tail is still wagging! Now that we know what Brooks has, the treatment consists of two different drugs. The first one is a common antibiotic, Erythromycin, that does not cost too much. The second medicine he needs is a very rare and very EXPENSIVE drug called Atovaquone Suspension (Mepron). Expensive as in $1500! We are still in shock that it costs this much, but we cannot give up on Brooks now, after all we have been through with him. He is such a great dog. We desperately need funds to help with this huge unexpected expense for Brook's medicine. If you can help by donating even a little bit, please donate with any credit card through this campaign, or  visit our website  www.rrofms.org and click the donate button. You can also call our vet directly and donate for Brooks 601-354-3622. We are a 501c3 charity, so every donation is 100% tax deductible. 

The good news is that Brooks is out of the kennel and in a foster home! He absolutely adores his foster dad Steve, and spends his days taking naps, eating, watching tv, and listening to music with his foster dad. Brooks loves being the only dog in the house and getting all the attention and treats! When we first took him over to Steve's, he was terrified to walk through the doorway. We could tell he had never seen the inside of a house in his whole life. Brooks never wants to go outside now, except to potty. He went back last Friday for another blood test, and even though he has gained weight and looks a lot better, his hematocrit has actually dropped even more.  We have got to get him this medicine as soon as possible to begin treatment.  His life depends on this. Please consider donating for this sweet soul so he can get the medicine he needs to live. Thanks for your continued support! Please share!