Cupid came into Yorkie's Inc. as a tiny 6 month old male Yorkie, barely weighing 2 1/2 llbs. Cupid made his way to Yorkies Inc because of a collapsed trachea. He was having extreme difficulty breathing. We brought him right into the emergency vet where he was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia. He spent over 5 days in an oxygen tank, in critical care, to help with his breathing because he was not able to breathe on his own. It was just too hard for the little guy. His lungs were filled with fluid and they needed to be aggressive or he would not have made it. We were told by the ER veterinarians that they could not believe Cupid survived the trip to us. We knew then he was a fighter.

We asked for prayers and well wishes from our supporters and they were answered. Cupid made it out of the oxygen tank and was able to breathe on his own. He however still had a long road ahead of him. We were told once his lungs cleared we would be able to see how collapsed his trachea was.

During the next several months Cupid was put on various antibiotics to help clear the pneumonia in his lungs. He went to the vets every couple of weeks to have x-rays taken of his lungs and trachea. He had his good days and his bad days with a few minor setbacks along the way. Once his lungs began to finally clear it was evident that something was going on. On May 5th, Cupid was seen by a cardiologist who did an ultra-sound. We were told that while his heart was fine, his lungs have been severely damaged from the pneumonia and the mass was really a section of his damaged lungs. Further due to his collapsed trachea Cupid would never be able to fully get rid of the pneumonia and the damage to his lungs was irreversible. At that time we decided we would medically manage Cupid as long as we could. We were told that his prognosis was guarded and it was a factor of quality of life for Cupid. Luckily, Cupid did not hear this and continued to fight on and enjoy life as much as he could. He never gave up and neither could we.

In June 2010 Cupid went to Tufts Veterinary School for a second opinion due to the pneumonia not clearing from his lungs. He was seen by their respiratory specialist. X-rays were taken and Cupid's trachea looked more collapsed then it did a couple months earlier, but the lungs were the same. There was no further damage to the lungs, but they were still congested. They used a video scope to see exactly what was going on with his trachea and lungs. At that time we were told that Cupid's trachea was almost completely collapsed with only 1/8 of space for air to get threw. Cupid had not been strong enough before to have this procedure done. He came out of the procedure fine showing us yet again he was a fighter.

Cupid continued to have difficulty breathing because of the severity of his collapsed trachea. After consulting with the specialists at Tufts we decided to proceed with the trachea stent operation to help Cupid be able to breath again. The operation was risky however without it Cupid would not have been given a fair chance at a normal life. Even though he was a fighter he was gasping for every breath. The medications were not working as well as we had hoped either.

Surgery was set for the beginning of July and once again we asked our supporters not only for prayers and but also for financial help to pay for his surgery. We quickly set up a fundraiser for Cupid and those who donated $15 or more received a rubber band bracelet with Cupids name on the inside. Everyone once again to came his aid and we could not thank them enough. The total amount for his surgery was raised, with a special challenge given by an anonymous donor.

Cupid began to decline rapidly, we knew he could not wait till July, so he ended up going in for surgery on June 23rd 2010. His surgery went well with no complications. The stent is approximately 2/3 of his trachea. He still had some wheezing but was no longer hacking and gasping for air. There was nothing that could be done for the damage to his lungs. However they were optimistic that the stent would help him be able to breathe again. The next few weeks were important to see how he adapted to his new stent.

After Cupid's trachea surgery he continued to breathe better. He began to play with his foster brothers, learned how to squeak a dog toy, and run like a puppy does. However, Cupid continued to still sound congested at times causing him great difficulty breathing. During this times Cupid needs to be neublized or put in a room with hot steam. He was brought back to the vets for an x-ray, two weeks after his surgery, to see what was going on. Cupid's trachea stent looked great however his lungs were still congested. From this point on Cupid has been on various antibiotics to help clear his lungs and x-rays have been taken about every three weeks to monitor his progress. His lungs have cleared a little, but not as much as we had hoped. We have to remember that Cupid came to us as a very sick pup with already irreversible lung damage. While Cupid has made great progress and is now able to enjoy life with his lung damage he will never be the healthy pup we hoped he would become. Due to this it was decided that Cupid would be become a forever foster here at Yorkies Inc. where his story will continue and be shared with all of those who have supported him both through prayers and financially.

Please consider sponsoring Cupid and becoming a part of his story....

Foster mom: Kerrianne Karlberg   email: kerri@yorkiesinc.com