To ring in the weekend, I'd like to take this time to introduce our newest Helping Paws client! Twinkie is a 6 year old sweetheart who came into Corgi Mom Krystle's life two years ago with a weight problem, but she's lost 9 pounds since then! Clearly Krystle is a very loving and devoted Corgi Mom (Twinkie's sister is a therapy Corgi!), so when I got the following alarming email on June 5, I knew Krystle was worried with good cause:

"I'm scared. I think there's something really wrong with Twinkie. She's breathing like she can't catch her breath - wheezing and struggling. I'm calling my vet today and we have pet insurance, but it's one of those that you pay first and get reimbursed later. They have an option for the reimbursement going directly to the vet if you can't pay them right away, which I am hoping my vet will allow me to do. Otherwise I don't have the funds..."

Twinkie's vet took x-rays and attempted to remove a blockage in her windpipe that showed up, but nothing was there. She was on a breathing tube over night, and was given antibiotics, steroids, and allergy meds to attempt to solve the problem. Slowly, over the next few days, she improved and now she's home with her mom and doing well.

The cost for Twinkie's emergency care was quite high, but luckily Krystle's pet insurance was able to pay for a good chunk leaving Krystle with about $400 left to pay. I have set up a Fundrazr campaign to cover this cost for Krystle and Twinkie. There is a video of how she was struggling to breathe on her Fundrazr page. Please share her story and help if you can!

- See more at: http://www.corgipals.org/Fundraisers/HelpingPaws/Twinkie.aspx