The 11th annual IRONDOG 5K run/walk will take place on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 9 a.m. The mission of the IRONDOG Fund is to support animals in need by helping provide medical care for pets whose owners might not otherwise be able to afford treatment. Click here to register.
Accidents happen, and they often lead to unexpected medical and surgical care that can cause great financial stress to pet owners. Thankfully, the IRONDOG Fund helps offset some of that financial burden. The IRONDOG 5K is an annual run/walk that raises funds for animals hospitalized at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center.
Meet the IRONDOG beneficiaries
Georgia – A Calico Tabby Cat
Victoria adopted Georgia and her brother Tucker from the Kitten Nursery of Williamston, Michigan. Victoria noticed Georgia’s quirky behaviors and unique personality from the beginning. She would pull her cat bed up at set of stairs, push pictures off the wall, and even open the refrigerator (with assistance from Tucker)!
One day, Georgia decided to pull open a drawer that contained vitamin D capsules. She played with them, rearranged them, and decided to see how they tasted. After two days of vomiting and not being herself, Georgia was taken to the Veterinary Medical Center’s Emergency Department. After several diagnostic tests, it was apparent that Georgia was suffering from a severe vitamin D toxicity. This condition is rare and required blood tests every day to monitor her toxicity levels. Because vitamin D remains in the body for 30-45 days, Georgia’s hospital stay was long and expensive. Thankfully, the IRONDOG Fund was able to help offset some of the medical expenses.
Victoria is very appreciative of the wonderful doctors, nurses, and students who all consistently participated in Georgia’s care. Georgia is still feisty and doing well at home.
Rosey – A Bichon Frise-Shih Tzu (‘Teddy Bear’)
Rosey is an incredibly special canine. Her grandfather, JR, won the 2001 Westminster Dog Show.
She has JR’s genetic trait that allows her to paddle her feet while standing on her back legs. To those knowledgeable about the world of Bichons, this activity is called “playing the piano.” She does this when she is happy and asking her mom, Bobbie, to go for a walk.
Unfortunately, Bichons tend to develop urinary stones, which is what brought Rosey to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center. A stone the size of a pearl was embedded in her urinary tract. The process to remove this stone can be very expensive. And, given Rosey’s prognosis with surgery, IRONDOG, stepped in to help alleviate some of that expense.
Dr. Matthew Beal and his team, which included, DVM student, Cameron Higgs, decided on a non-surgical treatment plan for Rosey. The stone was pushed back into her bladder, she was placed on a special, prescription diet, and she was sent home. Bobbie was given directions to collect Rosey’s urine to see if she passed the stone. Indeed, the pearl sized stone was passed, and she is currently doing well!
Junno – An Amalaberg German Shepherd
Junno was the perfect family dog; mellow and loyal. When her owner, Nick noticed she was acting lethargic and looking pale, he took her to his local veterinarian, who advised Nick to take her to MSU. Junno was admitted and diagnostic tests were performed, which revealed that she had immune mediated hemolytic anemia, a condition requiring multiple blood transfusions, medications, blood tests, and surgery to remove her spleen. Nick was very familiar with this condition; his previous dog developed the same thing and unfortunately passed away two months after surgery. This was a hard decision for him to make but he decided to move forward with the surgery. After a very long recovery period, Junno returned home. The path to full recovery included Nick bringing sirloin and cheese to Junno in the Hospital in the hopes of persuading her to eat and regain her strength.
Nick’s bond and dedication to Junno was rock solid and he focused exclusively on keeping her alive. IRONDOG funds provided an unexpected monetary relief. Drs. Beal, Nyssa Levy, and Jenna Collins were dedicated superstars in facilitating Junno’s healing journey.
Today, Junno is 10 ½ years young, plays gently (while supervised) with two other family dogs and acts like a four-year-old. Although she was trained in protection and bite work, she now gets to be the resident “dog bum” in her castle.
Burt – A Labrador Retriever
As a puppy, Burt loved to run and often ran around his country home. Unfortunately, during one of his outdoor jaunts he ran into the road before his dad, John, could stop him. John heard Burt cry out in pain and knew he had been hit by a vehicle.
John brought Burt to the Veterinary Medical Center Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) Department. Not only was Burt’s right tibia broken, but he also had pulmonary (lung) bruising, skin wounds, anemia concerns, and a hematoma on his left rear leg. Dr. Beal and the ECC team addressed Burt’s emergency needs and once he was stable, Dr. Loïc DéJardin performed orthopedic surgery to repair Burt’s broken right leg.
During the recovery period, Burt had trouble with both of his rear legs. The left leg suffered from a tendon and muscle tear and took a while to heal. The surgically corrected leg recovered slightly better. Burt’s prognosis was good, and he is now doing phenomenal as a duck hunting dog and companion. John is very appreciative of the IRONDOG Fund and feels it really aided in saving Burt.
For more information on the IRONDOG Fund visit Facebook or Instagram @irondogfund. If you would like to donate directly to the fund, please click here.
