Rexi (Chiweenie)

💔 A Heartbreaking Loss — Remembering Sweet Rexi
 

The last three weeks have been some of the hardest we’ve faced. Many of our long-term, senior pups have suddenly fallen ill. It felt like the minute we dropped one dog off at the vet, another needed to go. We stay on top of every aspect of our pups’ care — analyzing every poop and pee when one of them doesn’t seem quite right.

Several of our dogs came down with diarrhea. We had stool samples analyzed, and everyone was treated. Nothing alarming or out of the ordinary showed up. Slowly, all but one recovered — that one being Rexi.

Rexi is one of three pups born in 2014 — part of a special litter we originally named Shasta, Pepsi, and Sprite. They were Chiweenies born with a rare genetic condition: none of them developed front legs. One pup was adopted into a wonderful home and is still thriving today. The other two came back to us and have been with us ever since — now known as Lexi and Rexi.

From the moment they were born, we were their lifelines. We had to teach them how to stand and balance on their back legs, to build strong cores so they wouldn’t fall into their water bowls. Every day, they were fed peanut butter from popsicle sticks to strengthen their muscles — a little game that became our daily bonding ritual. Over time, they became strong and independent, able to drink and play like any other pup.

Lexi and Rexi have never been apart. They sleep curled up together every night and are truly inseparable. When Rexi’s stomach issues worsened and she had to stay in the hospital, Lexi was heartbroken at first but eventually adjusted with lots of extra TLC from us.

When Rexi didn’t improve, we brought her back to our Rehab Facility, thinking being near Lexi might help. But when he stopped eating, we sent off a DNA stool sample to make sure nothing had been missed. He was soon re-admitted to the hospital as his condition declined.
 

For two weeks, Rexi would get a little better, then take a turn for the worse. We finally had him transferred to CVRC in Charleston, where he was admitted to the ICU. I spoke to his ICU Team and we had a great plan to get Rexi better.
 

Then came the call no one ever wants to receive. The vet said Rexi had gone into cardiac arrest and that they had been performing CPR for 15 minutes. They needed to know whether to continue or let her go. I was in shock.  We had done everything possible to find out what was wrong, and to lose him like this was unimaginable. I knew bringing him back wouldn’t make him suddenly well again — and so, through tears, I told them to let him go peacefully.

That was over a week ago, and I still cry every time I hear Rexi’s name, walk by his kennel, or see his sister.

The very next day, the DNA results came back. Rexi had Clostridium perfringens type A, a bacterial infection that responds to specific antibiotics. Had we received those results sooner, our treatment plan would have changed completely. We may not have been able to save him, but knowing we might have done more breaks my heart.

Rexi’s sister Lexi is still with us and doing well. She’s been getting extra love and attention, spending her days cuddling with friends in our Littles Play Group — including another pair of chiweenies called Amos and Andy with no front limbs.

Rexi’s two weeks in the hospital have taken a major toll on our rescue’s finances. We also have several other dogs currently being treated at CVRC for heart conditions. As our beloved pups age, their medical needs — and costs — continue to rise.

Please consider donating toward Rexi’s medical bills.

We’re heartbroken to have lost this very special girl, but we take comfort knowing he had 11 incredible years filled with love, laughter, and special treats
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Thank you for helping us continue to give dogs like Rexi and Lexi the best lives possible.
 

💛 Run free, sweet Rexi. You will forever be part of our Family.