Title: Tiny but Mighty

Artist: Andrea Urban

Medium: Stained Glass

Dimensions: 5.5" x 8"

Animal Depicted: Kimiko

Kimiko was found by a Good Samaritan and brought to Stray Rescue. As soon as she arrived, we knew that there were medical conditions that needed to be addressed. Every time she would eat or drink, she would regurgitate immediately. Our veterinarians performed x-rays that were indicative of a genetically inherited condition called persistent right Aortic arch. This complicated condition causes food to be trapped in the esophagus after swallowing and would leave to starvation if left untreated. We worked very closely with specialists at Mizzou for Kimiko's care, and one of the first things they did was put a feeding tube in her stomach so she could be fed externally. This meant that our clinic staff would feed her a liquid diet via the tube six times a day. Not only was this process difficult on Kimiko, but it was also difficult on the staff as they worked so hard to keep her alive, and all she wanted was to be a "normal" dog.

When she was strong enough, she went back to Mizzou for a very complicated open chest surgery to remove the obstruction from around her esophagus. We were all on pins and needles while she was in surgery as it wasn't a guarantee that she would survive. Thankfully, Kimiko's surgery went great, and she came back to the shelter where she could finally begin to recover. The most wonderful foster family reached out and wanted to take care of Kimiko. They gave her plenty of socialization and love while also paying special attention to her unique feeding plan. Kimiko continued to grow and thrive in her foster home.

Kimiko is now feeding tube FREE and living life as a normal dog - something we once could only dream of! Even more exciting? Her foster family fell in love with her, and they are now officially a forever family!

Status: Adopted

Local Pick Up Only