TONKA NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Tonka is a gorgeous, purebred male 4-year old Great Dane in desperate need of your support! After just a few days in foster care, TONKA BEGAN TO BLOAT, AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS, LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION. Great Danes are the #1 breed at risk for bloat, due to their large, deep chests. He was rushed to an emergency hospital, where x-rays confirmed Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV or Bloat).

We opted for surgery for Tonka, despite the extreme costs of the procedure. We knew this dog came to us for a reason, and we had to try everything we could to save him.

His stomach had already undergone torsion (twisting), but when the veterinarian was in surgery, she discovered conditions were far worse than she had expected. A portion of his stomach was dead and had to be removed. His spleen had also twisted and ruptured, causing massive internal bleeding. Gastropexy was performed so his stomach cannot twist again.

Tonka, 13 hours after surgery

After approximately 6-7 hours in surgery, Tonka pulled through and had a plasma transfusion later that night. BUT he’s not out of the woods yet, and the next ten days are extremely critical.

Tonka is still at high risk for infection and blood clotting, and he is being closely monitored for heart arrhythmias. His protein levels in his platelets have been low, but his heart rate, blood pressure and appetite have been good.

Click here to donate directly to Tonka's fund

Now, we are asking for your help in saving Tonka’s life. His vet bills are currently $5000 and THEY ARE QUICKLY MOUNTING. As an all volunteer, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Pet Rescue of Mercer relies heavily on your donations to continue saving lives. We desperately need your support for Tonka. Contributions can be made online through our website http://www.petrescueofmercer.org/ or mailed directly to us at Pet Rescue of Mercer, P.O. Box 2574, Hamilton, NJ 08690.

Tonka was surrendered to a local animal shelter when his owner could no longer care for him. He is approximately 20 pounds underweight and he had a condition known as cherry eye, a prolapse in the gland of the third eyelid.

The shelter reached out to PRM for help, wanting to quickly get this scared, extra-large pooch out of the building. We found him a foster home, had him neutered, vaccinated and the cherry eye corrected. He's gone through so much in his short life, and we're determined to get him through this battle.

Throughout this whole ordeal, Tonka has retained his sweet-natured personality. He has won over the hearts of all of the vet techs who are caring for him, and he happily slobbers on any of his visitors.

Please, help us to save this handsome horse of a dog!