Site last updated: 11/1/08

You can mail a check to: NSGSDR, PO Box 291, Winchendon, MA 01475

or you can mail a check directly to Tufts at: Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. Please indicate on the check the Case # 126849 and the Client # 131239 so that the payment will go to help Sampson.  Also please send us an email to let us know you have made a donation so that we may thank you personally and so that we can follow up with Tufts to be sure the payment has been applied.

We will update this page regularly as Samson’s treatment progresses. We will also indicate how close to our fundraising goal we are as time goes on.

Sampson’s Journal

8/18/03 Sampson came into NSGSDR today.  I retrieved him from Rhode Island and we drove directly to TUSVM. During the ride he would periodically come up between the seats of the van for a hug and a kiss. We arrived at Tufts and entered the extremely busy waiting room, packed with people and dogs and cats. Sampson took it all in stride. He waited patiently at the desk as we signed in and the emergency nurse came to triage him. We then went across the crowded room to have a seat amongst the people, pets and noise.  Sam lay down by my chair and quietly watched the chaos that was around him.  Even when a senior mini poodle whose owner was distracted came to poke at him, Sampson remained cool, calm and collected.  It made me very proud to be with such a handsome, calm and even tempered soul as this.  It was as if he and I had been best friends for years and he knew I had brought him to get well. When it was his turn he happily greeted his doctor and allowed an examination with no complaints and then even hammed it up a bit for the camera.  After the photo shoot he readily left with his Doctor to begin his road to repair.

8/19/03 GOOD NEWS TODAY!  I received a call from Dr Casale, Sampson’s surgeon, this evening to discuss his treatment plan.  She is confident that they will be able to repair the damage to Sampson’s leg and restore it to full use.  They plan to use external fixation which consists of metal pins and rods to hold the leg in place in order to allow the tendon to heal once it is sewn back together. Dr McCarthy another surgeon at Tufts has had success with this technique and both he and Dr Casale will be performing the surgery on Thursday (8/21/03).  Sampson had his leg unbandaged today, examined and then the wound cleaned and rebandaged.  I was told he was very good for this and cooperated fully with the Doctors and students.  He was very brave and did not require any sedation as one might expect with such a painful wound. Once again he has shown he is a true GSD and I am very proud of him.

8/20/03 I received a very good report about Sampson today. He is in good spirits in spite of all he has been through and even allows the students to care for him, change his bandage etc. without any fuss.  He must know he is on the road to getting well. I will have a big update for tomorrow with the results of his surgical procedure.

8/21/03 Today the call came from the student responsible for interacting (walking, exams, meds etc) with Sampson. The surgery had to be bumped today due to some emergency surgeries so it will happen tomorrow morning for sure. The student did go on to say that he is a wonderful guy. He will, according to her, make a very loyal and loving companion for someone who will put the effort out for him.

8/22/03 Today the surgery to repair the severed tendon happened for Sampson. He did great through it and his surgeons are happy with the repair.  There were several strong loops of Proline suture used to reconnect the tendon and then an external fixator was put in place to stabilize the joint so that the tendon can heal.  The fixator consists of a set of pins and rods that are surgically implanted in the bones of the leg and secure the leg across the joint so there will be no movement and the tendon will have a chance to heal.  The fixator will stay in place for 4 weeks followed by a splint for 4 weeks which is then followed by 4 weeks in a soft wrap bandage. So the surgery is only the beginning of Sampson’s road to recovering full use of the leg.

Sampson is still in good spirits and has impressed his doctors with his cooperative attitude and the fact that he knows sit, down and paw!  I have heard now several times “he is a great dog” from his caretakers. Please do continue to keep Sampson in your thoughts and prayers for an uneventful recovery and finding his forever home.

8/23/03 Again today Sampson received a glowing report from his doctor. When he is taken outside to exercise he has found that the leg is now stable and is putting a bit of weight on it. He has been very well behaved when it has come to any of his nursing needs.  He looks forward to the visits from his doctor and is even becoming attached to her. She says that he is very smart and easily trainable and will make a great companion for someone. The plan right now is for him to stay in the hospital until Monday.  At that time he will be evaluated and possibly be able to be discharged. His foster family is awaiting his arrival and will be instrumental in his recovery.  The surgeons that repaired Sampson feel that he has an excellent chance at regaining full use of the leg. Thank you all for your healing thoughts, prayers and donations.  Your caring and concern has meant alot to Sampson and to us at NSGSDR.

8/24/03 Sampson is doing well again today.  He continues to put weight on his repaired leg when he goes out for his walk.  This means he is not in much pain from the surgery. Sampson is such a wonderful guy. He touches the heart of everyone he meets, there is something very special about him. Even after all he has been through he has a great attitude and looks forward to the visits by his doctors. The fourth year student that has been caring for him this week has become very attached to him and even considered fostering him. However she has 3 dogs of her own and it is better that he be an only dog during his recovery. Sampson has a long road ahead of him, 4 weeks with an external fixator/splint combo then 4 weeks with just the splint then 4 weeks with just a wrap. His doctors are confident that with this post-op care he can regain full use of the leg. As far as fundraising goes we so far have been able to raise approximately $850 of the $3000. We will continue to pursue as many avenues as we can to raise the remainder. I know that often rescues will raise the money first then have the surgery performed once it can be paid for. In Sampson's case the success of the surgery was time dependent, especially since it had been such a long time between the original injury and when we were contacted about him. I am sure through the kindness of others we will eventually be able to pay off his vet bills.

8/26/03 Sampson was discharged and brought to his foster home today!!! Sampson was very excited to meet his new foster mom and his 2 foster brothers.  There were tail wags and small kisses all the way around.  His splint/cast doesn’t slow him down at all in fact as you will see below he even had himself an old-fashioned roll in the cool, lush grass. He just plopped himself down into the grass and started to squirm and roll.  I’m sure it felt good after being in the hospital and before that the shelter for quite some time.  He even got so happy and silly that he tried to start a wrestling game with me.  I was able to get a few photos today and hope to get some more on Friday when he goes back to Tufts for his first bandage change and recheck. Please keep those donations coming, there is still a long road ahead and a great deal of the medical bill still to be paid.

8/27/03 I received word from Sampson’ Foster Mom today and they have made it through his first night and morning. Apparently Sampson is feeling very good and it is going to be quite a task to keep him quiet for 12 weeks!  He is beginning to relax and realize that he is a part of a loving family.  With this relaxation also comes the surfacing of some of his demons from the past.  Unfortunately we are starting to believe that this sweet, happy-go-lucky guy was abused (probably by a man) sometime in his past.  I am confident that this guy will overcome these demons as he learns about love and kindness and begins to trust again.  Sampson’s Foster Mom says “....I heard Sam clunking a bit in the night and went downstairs to check on him, and he was a little frightened of me, which I had not expected, but when I sat down he came to be petted and all was well. I fell asleep on the couch and when morning came I noticed that Sam was lying calmly on his bed and was not pacing around campaigning for people to get up. But when I did get up, he greeted me warmly. Also, when I came down to the basement to try to write to you, Edward came down to tell me that Sam wanted me so I went upstairs and was greeted like a long lost best friend. He likes to follow me around and especially likes to be in the kitchen when food is being prepared, he is intensely interested in that and enjoys snacking; ..... He also likes his rope toy and is very cute when he's playing with it.”  Please continue to keep Sampson in your thoughts and prayers. I am know that with all of the love and kindness of his foster family Sampson will rid himself of the past and begin to lead a happy healthy life. Also, please continue to spread the word about fundraising for Sam, we are a third of the way there.  Thank you.

8/29/03 Sampson had his first bandage change today and the surgery site looks great!! Sampson’s Doctors are pleased with the way his leg is progressing and we are all excited that he will return to full use of the leg. When we arrived at the hospital he marched right in with no trouble and even greeted some of the other owners there.  He did greet one of his Doctor with a bit of apprehension but it is hard to blame him for that with all he has been through and with a minute of quiet talking he happily marched off to begin the process of splint removal and bandage change. He is such a special guy to go through all he has and still have a good attitude.  Sampson’s foster Mom also reports: “I think Sampson is getting more comfortable in our house, and we left him alone twice yesterday-once for about half an hour and once for about an hour. Both times he appeared to have been sleeping the whole time in his new favorite resting place at the foot of the stairs. And he doesn't leap up as soon as we walk in the door, which to me suggests a level of calmness that I appreciate in a dog!” Below is a photo of Sampson’s new purple bandage and the red heart one of his doctors gave him because he is such a special guy.  Click here to view photos of the surgical site and external fixator that holds his leg in the proper position for healing.

8/31/03 Today an e-mail from Sampson’s Foster Mom says it all:

I have nothing but good things to say about Sampson. .....Today the two of us were outside and I had Sam on the leash; Vern went back inside for a few minutes and Sam watched for him, anxiously it seemed, and was all wags when he came back out again.....Sampson seems really happy. I took him out into the yard this morning and let him off the leash and he tried to get me to chase him. I even let him meet our neighbor's dogs, since Sam woofed at them in a way that sounded to me quite sociable and indeed, he greeted them with play bows.  It's hard to have to keep him reined in when his spirit is so willing.

9/5/03 I want to start today by apologizing for the long break between updates.  Computer and server problems along with another foster dog with a brief but serious illness have kept me away from updating Sampson’s page.  Sampson has had two bandage changes this week.  At the first change there was a little concern from his Surgeon that it was not healing as quickly as she might like. There was still some drainage from the open area and a very small amount of dead tissue around the edge. The open area was washed with saline and a wet/dry bandage was applied followed by the regular wrapping and splint. At the second bandage change Sampson’s Surgeon was much happier with the way the open area looked. It appeared clean and healthy with less drainage.  A culture was taken of the fluid that is draining in order to fine tune the antibiotics he is being given. A fresh wet/dry bandage was applied and then the regular wrap.

Sampson’s foster mom reports that he is active, playful and happy. He is not showing any sign of pain in the leg or any kind of severe infection. In fact it is getting harder to keep him quiet and resting!!!! I believe he is well on his way to a full recovery.

Thanks to all who have sent positive thoughts, prayers and donations to help Sampson to heal.  It is only through such generosity that we are able to help truly needy GSDs like Sampson. 

9/6/03 Sampson went back to Tufts for his fourth bandage change today. Though Sampson is doing well the wound at the surgery site is not healing as nicely as it should. There is still a localized infection and he will possibly need to change antibiotics. The results of the culture taken on Thursday are still not in but should be ready by Monday. What this means for Sampson is more frequent trips back to the hospital for bandage changes and re-checks. What this means for NSGSDR is that our fundraising efforts have to increase in order to cover the increased aftercare that will bring us beyond the initial estimate of $3000.  Please continue to spread the word and appeal to others to help us care for Sampson.

9/9/03 GOOD NEWS TODAY. Sampson’s fifth bandage change brought us good news today. There is much less discharge, the tissue looks healthy and the open area is starting to fill in and heal. He is also finishing the last of his antibiotics today and will not need to have any more.  This means that Sampson’s bandage changes can become less frequent and even move to once a week soon.  After speaking with his doctor we decided that the external fixator will most likely stay in 2 more weeks to be sure that the tendon has healed properly. We are all very excited that things are moving in a positive direction.  This weeks veterinary student who picked up on the symbolism of our name added some artwork to Sampson’s bandage (see photo below). It is a sailboat using the North Star to find it’s way home just as the lost and abandoned GSDs can use North Star GSDR to find their way to a forever home.

Fundraising update:  We are slowly creeping towards our goal to pay for Sampson’s care.  If you have already contributed - THANK YOU. If you have not yet had a chance please consider helping us to help Sampson and other dogs like him that need extra care to be made ready for their forever home.  We can not do it without you.

9/12/03 Today Sampson went for bandage change number six.  The following is part of an email from his foster Mom when they returned home:

........More good news: the wound through which the drainage has been occurring has been healing astonishingly quickly. I was amazed at how much progress there has been just since Tuesday. Dr. Casale agreed that once
they start to close up "they go like lightning". She was extremely pleased with how good the leg looks and noted that the swelling is nearly gone--what swelling remains is probably due to the fixator.

Further good news: only one more bandage change is scheduled before the removal of the fixator. We'll go in next Thursday, 18 September, for the last bandage change, and removal of the fixator is scheduled for Wednesday, 24 September. Hooray! After that, as planned, he'll continue with a splint for 4 weeks, and presumably a soft bandage after that for another 4 weeks. I don't know what kind of bandage-change schedule is in store for him after that. But things look great. You can remind Sam's public that he has a ways to go, but he is very well on his way back to good health. .......

All I can add is yet another thank you to all of you who have cared so much for a GSD you have never met.  To be able to save a dog such as Sampson is what rescue is all about and we are not able to do it without you, our supporters.

9/18/03 Another great report from Sampson’s foster mom for Change #7:

Bandage change #7 was uneventful. Sampson now has an unadorned red bandage. Dr. Daly changed his wraps today, as Dr. Casale was away, and he was pleased with the progress of healing. No drooling in the car today at all, so maybe Sampson is getting used to car rides. It makes me kind of sad to think that next time he goes (next Wednesday) he'll have to be knocked out again, but it's exciting that he will get the fixator out!
 

Once the fixator is removed we will be starting on the next phase of Sampson’s recovery. There will still be a hard splint on his leg however there will be more natural movement which will be the start of his physical therapy.  The hardest part of his ordeal is almost over!

9/24/03 The Big Day - fixator removal!

Sampson had his external fixator removed this morning. Dr. McCarthy, the attending veterinarian, was pleased with the dog's progress in healing. He was concerned, however, about some skin irritation caused by the fiberglass half-cast he has been wearing since surgery, and although the plan had been to make another half-cast to fit over his newly slimmed-down, sans-fixator hindlimb, Dr. McCarthy decided instead to wrap it with additional bandaging so the abrasion on his toe could heal. We will return to Tufts on Friday 26 September for another bandage change to make sure that abrasion is starting to heal, and then perhaps we can assume a schedule of once-weekly bandage changes. We're excited that the next phase of post-operative recovery has begun, and I dare say Sampson will continue to try to work on his squirrel-chasing skills in our backyard despite my efforts to talk him out of it!
 

The second phase of recovery has begun.  Thank you all for your kind words, prayers and support for Sampson a very special GSD.

10/1/03 Today Sampson and I went to see Dr. McCarthy at Tufts for another bandage change and to have a splint fitted to his leg to give him support as he continues to heal.  Sam’s doctor is very happy with the way the leg is healing and predicts we will move to a smaller “soft” bandage in about 3 weeks. Ever since his release from the hospital Sampson’s foster Mom has brought him for his bandage changes. So I was happy to see today that even after all he has been through Sampson came with me readily for the long ride and hospital visit without hesitation.  He sat calmly in the waiting room just like that day in August when our adventure together first started.

10/6/03 Today was Sampson’s first at home bandage change.  After a few minutes of apprehension, due I think to the fact that bandage changes happen at the hospital not at home, he settled down and was very cooperative.  Afterwards Sampson was up and ready to go! He wants so badly to run and jump and play.  I had to promise him that once he was fully healed there would be endless GSD wrestling, running and playing.

10/13/03 Another at home bandage change went well today although Sampson did get a bit impatient with my fumbling to change the padding on the splint.  Sampson is looking and feeling GREAT! Once we were done with the bandage he ran several laps around the kitchen before we could slow him down.  Even the best patients can get a little stir crazy from time to time. Only about 5 weeks left of bandages and wraps. After that Sampson should be back to full use of that leg and all of the hard work of his foster family and his doctors and the kindness of his benefactors will have been worthwhile. Our dream of Sampson running on all fours will have come true.

Sampson’s Thanksgiving

   Sam’s Foster Mom writes:

We had a good Thanksgiving with Sampson. We went to my brother's, a 2+
hour drive from here (south of Boston), and took Sampson along. I was
apprehensive, since I thought the dog might be antisocial or at least
nervous, but he was actually very friendly despite a house full of
strangers that included quite a few adult male humans. He lay in the
dining room doorway during dinner, ate his own dinner happily in the
kitchen, and did not snitch any food (although he did sweep some hors
d'oeuvres onto the floor with his tail!). He enjoyed a good game of
"beak swat" with my brother (human pretends to swat dog's beak and dog
snaps and growls and play bows). But the funniest were his efforts to
get my brother's golden retriever to play with him. He didn't harrass
her, but he made periodic overtures and she would just sit or lie
sphinx-like, and give the occasional lip-curl. Finally, after an
evening of this, he stamped both front feet at her and gave a short bark
and I could practically hear him saying, "for crying out loud, what does
a fellow have to do to get you to lighten up?" This was completely
uncharted territory for us and it was great to see that, even though his
first potential canine playmate was unresponsive, he didn't go overboard
and there were no fights. He charmed everyone and I was really, really
pleased at how well-behaved he was. So, along with everything else we
have for which to be thankful, we also have Sam's good behavior, good
health and bright future as a companion to a lucky family.
 

 

12/17/03 Well, the time has come!!! Our Sampson got the A-OK from Dr. McCarthy, his orthopod at Tufts. The recheck visits are over and he is 100%!

2/15/04 Today Sampson went to his forever home!