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Please note that BMF does not recommend any products or treatment mentioned
by pet owners in their testimonials.
Click on pet photos to see larger photo
Live testimonials can be downloaded from Dogcastradio
http://www.dogcastradio.com/episode58.php
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I would like to say a Huge THANK YOU to the Bella Moss Foundation and especially Jill for her help with my cat Felix. The foundation is so helpful and pointed my vets in the right direction to diagnosing Felix's Condition and also treatment needed, without the Bella Moss Foundation I doubt that Felix would be here now.
Felix is 2 years old and on New Years eve 2009 knocked a glass off of the side and cut his leg on a pieces of glass cutting his tendon and a major vein in his foot. He was rushed to an out of hours surgery for treatment where he needed an operation to mend the tendon and to stop the bleeding in his foot. This all went well and he was released the next day. Over the next couple of weeks Felix developed sores over his leg due to the bandages rubbing on his skin, these were really red and he was put onto anti biotics and the splint taken away but he was still bandaged. Felix had to go to the vets every couple of days to have the wounds washed and re dressed. After about 3 months of re dressing the wound the vets decided to take off the cast as his sores were getting worse and spreading on his leg. Once the bandages were taken off Felix would often bite his leg until it bled, this looked so itchy so we took him back on numerous occasions to get this checked.
Felix was given numerous doses of anti biotics as his wounds would get infected and lots of steroids to try and stop the itching this became very regular having a steroid injection every 2 weeks as he was still biting and we needed to wash the wounds every day this went on for another 3 months at least being tested for ring worm, mites, and flees.
It was then suggested that maybe his constant itching was due to stress. At this time Felix was very tired, not like his usual bouncy self and would hardly lift his head up to say hello during the day, he was eating very little, still on anti biotics and these would often make him sick. As all else had failed he was referred to another vet for Acupuncture in October 2009 to see if this would help. By this time his legs were really bad as the pictures show. It was at this time that the vet advised to take some biopsies to check whether he had an infection
A day later he went in to have biopsies and 9 were taken from different areas around his leg. Within a couple of days the results were back, he had contracted MRSA from his open wound and this had spread into his leg. The vets were quite surprised as this was the first case that they have had at their surgery. Jill was a huge help to my vets in giving them contacts of experts and information.
Felix was put on a course of Antriobe to conbat the infection which he was on for around 3 months. He still continued to Bite during this time when another swab was taken to check if the MRSA was gone from his system in February this year he was given the all clear for MRSA but he still has contracted a itchy skin condition from this which he will have for probably the rest of his life.
I cannot fault my vets as they were not familiar with MRSA this was the last thing they thought it could be and they tried their hardest to find a solution. I would recommend that anyone with any doubt should speak to their vet and get their pet tested as soon as possible and contact the Bella Moss foundation for support.
Jill is available to talk to at anytime of the day (not sure how she does this) and is a huge help liasing with your vet and giving them support and finding a solution.
Many thanks and kind regards
Maria Salmonte USA
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Jahari contracted the canine MRSI from an overdose of an allergy shot. He was supposed to receive an increase of 1/10 of the allergy medicine and was instead injected with a 4/10 dose. Within twenty-four hours, he experienced a critical allergic reaction in December 2007, which ultimately morphed into MRSI in March of 2008. In January of 2008 he developed a raging staph infection in his ears, along with pseudomonas aeruginosa. The veterinarian who was responsible for the incorrect allergy medication dosage was not knowledgeable on how to help Jahari, causing the infection to rapidly spread to his skin. His state of health deteriorated so quickly, I feared for his life. Until this happened, Jahari was a year and a half old, 120 pounds, healthy, active, and had no past medical problems. By mid February of 2008, he was close to death.
I read about the Bella Moss Foundation in the Whole Dog Journal. I was desperate to save Jahari’s life and called Jill in the UK, who responded within hours. Jill and I spoke frequently, three or four times a week, for the next several weeks. Although she was out of the country, she was the only one who seemed to know how to deal with MRSA. I was unable to find anyone in the United States to help me, so Jill proceeded to email me information and instructions on how to care for Jahari. She also provided me with direct telephone numbers and emails to doctors and veterinary medical facilities in Canada and the United States who had experience and success in treating MRSA. Jill’s personal interest and assistance were directly responsible for not only saving Jahari’s life but also for his recovery.
As a result, Jahari fully recovered by August of 2008. I have followed all of Jill’s instructions provided by her foundation and fortunately, he has not relapsed. I would be happy to offer any help needed for owner’s in the same situation I found myself in only a few years ago. Attached are a few pictures of a healthy, happy Jahari on Christmas of 2009.
I thank you every day for what you did for Jahari and feel he wouldn't be with me if I hadn't read about your organziation.
Kathleen Wagner Florida USA
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Thanks to the Bella Moss Foundation, you’re caring and information helped us so much with our cat Luigi. When Luigi My Russian blue kitty that we got from a shelter at 7 months old developed MRSA in his left ear I was scared. One day he started shaking his head and scratching at his left ear so we took him to the vets and they cleaned it and prescribed some ear drops "Tresaderm" and cleaning with "Oticalm Solution" twice a day - after 3-4 weeks with no change the vet switched us to "Baytrill Otic" antibiotic ear drops and twice daily cleanings of his left ear with the Oticalm solution and a few weeks later still no change and all the while his ear would soil the q-tips and cotton balls with dark waxy stuff.
My wife and I had to administer (orally) "Trimethoprim" (tiny capsules) 60 ml twice a day. Luigi would spit them out, and we were getting bitten because he was closing his tiny mouth. In the end we had to take him to the vets daily. At the vets they would have a different staff member there to pill him every time we showed up in the morning and in the evening and they all had different styles of holding him.
The whole things became so traumatic for Luigi. But after three weeks and another culture the lab report came back negative for MRSA. Luckily the infection never penetrated his eardrum. Well now he's happy because no more ear drops and twice a day cleanings only gets his ear cleaned twice a week now
I suppose I should add that my wife and I take care of my mother in law and she had developed a bed sore which got worse and was hospitalized and diagnosed with MRSA and we were lightly told to wash our hands when we left her room which we did. We had no idea that MRSA was transferable from humans to pets. My experience at the vet got me very irritated as the vet had never treated MRSA before and the staff had such difficulty administering pills to luigi
We love Luigi as he is our only companion. We thank god for the Bella Moss Foundation and your contributions to helping our luigi.
Forever yours truly, Carl, Jan and Luigi (USA)
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I am so grateful to Jill Moss and Lori Spagnoli for all the information and comfort they gave me during the nine month fight we had with MRSI. Our English Bulldog Max had MRSI in his bone after surgery for an ACL tear . I designed the sling to carry him up and down the steps. We were very aware that you need to be very careful and keep the wound clean and make sure his blanket he laid on after the surgery was clean, and we used bleach on all of his bedding when he came home. We were not aware that Max just had an overabundance of staph on his skin and we had no knowledge of MRSI at all! Max had already got staph in the surgical site, and it just began to grow and congregate on all the metal implants they put in his leg to repair it. Max was on antibiotics, but of course, they were not the right ones. After a total of five surgeries to remove all the screws, wires, plates from his leg and many cultures of his leg tissue and the implants they removed, Max recovered. I know that MRSI is different from MRSA, but Max's condition was so bad at one point he had lost almost 30 pounds and they were almost to the point of removing his leg. He was on crate rest for almost 9 months and he became very aggressive when we tried to put him in the crate, so our vet kept him for 42 days after he bit me very badly..of course we visited him every single day. My vet, is a wonderful vet, but like most vets, he's not an expert on MRSA nor MRSI.
Jill Moss and several of her experts spoke with my vet and advised him on how he could treat Max. If my vet had not been open to contacting the experts, we may have had a totally different outcome, so thanks to my vet also! With the help of Jill and her experts, my vet saved Max's life and his leg. Since Max's long illness, he still has had some issues with aggression, and I contacted Jill again to see if maybe she had heard of the long-term use of the antibiotics causing a change like that, and once again, she contacted her experts and the drug companies for me to see if they had ever had a side-effect like that. Jill is in the UK and Lori is in the USA and I speak quite often with both of them about Max and the problems we are still having. I will always be grateful to both of these ladies, their experts and the foundation as a whole, for caring and working hard to prevent any animals from having to go through what Bella went through, and for educating all the vets and vet techs possible about MRSA (and MRSI). Max and I would not have made it through the past year without them!
Charlotte Foster (USA)
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This is a picture of Ink and Spot, they are brothers. Sadly, Ink passed away August of 2009 after being misdiagnosed by numerous vets. I had not heard of the Bella Moss foundation until after he passed. He developed an oozing sore on his belly that vet after vet tried to tell me was "flea allergy". Cultures came back positive for staph aureus, but it never went away. After a year of numerous vet visits with specialists, and an oozing sore, he developed a lump in his leg and died 2 months later. He was never diagnosed as having MRSA, but they also dont know what was wrong. The next month, I noticed a huge lump on his brother's neck. Spot went in for surgery and it was a very rare cancer that no vet has seen in cats. He developed a rash on his belly, and I went into a panic and contacted The Bella Moss Foundation. They were so quick to respond and offer me assistance. Luckily, his rash went away, and he's okay today. I was really touched at how The Bella Moss Foundation responded, and only wish I found out about them before my cat Ink died.
Barbara Jordon Gainsville Florida USA
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Duchess was spayed and micro-chipped. Things went well until one day we noticed a dimed size spot that was bleeding and pussing around the area where dogs usually get microchipped. We just figured it was from the needle puncturing the skin and it was healing.
Anyway, each day it grew and became worse. Emergency surgery was performed and a sample of the infected area taken for testing. The next day the results came back and it was diagnosed as a bacterial infection. (see pictures before, during and after).
Duchess spent the night in observation and the skin was sent for testing. 45 stitches, 10 staples and 2 tubes later the results came back and it was in fact a bacterial infection BUT there was also something present in the results that they couldnt yet determine. It was MRSI;
We knew nothing about this and found out about The Bella Moss Foundation who advised us and were of great support. No one really knew of anyone speficially who treated an animal with this disease and it was concerning to us because the whole time it never phased our Duchess. Yes the medications, the sleeping next to her at night (to make sure the tubes and stitches stayed in), the constant 24 hour attention, the daily trips to the emergency vet was quite the ordeal, but everyone was terrified of the unknown.
Jill Moss got one of her international vet experts to speak with our vet and his name is Dr Andrew Hillier (Ohio state university) We attribute our emergency vets and Dr. Hillier to the recovery and treatment of Duchess. Just the resources that were provided and the attention she received will never go un-noticed.
We understand MRSI/MRSA much more now and realize of how fatal it can be if detected in the vital areas. Our hope is that this will be the last time we have to deal with it, but now prevention and precaution are at the fore-front of our concerns.
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My 7 year old Scottish Terrier, Jetson, developed a limp in his hind leg. At first it was just occasional and I just assumed he had some arthritis. Then one morning I got up and found that Jetson had thrown up during the night – an amount much greater than I would have thought the stomach of a dog twice his size would hold – and couldn’t walk at all. I took him to the vet. His white count was very low and his leg joint swollen. They gave him antibiotics and some medicine for his stomach and we went home. He continued to get worse through the day and that night I took him back to the vet (a sister hospital to Jetson’s vet that stays open till 10:00 at night -- yea) and he spent four days in the hospital. His white count continued to drop, he wouldn’t eat and couldn’t put any weight on his back leg. Several test were run including a tick titer and all came back negative. A bone marrow biopsy was even done as all were worried about cancer (he had an mast cell tumor removed from his penis 7 months before.) Finally the vet tapped the joint itself and the test showed he had MRSA. We were all quite surprised. That’s where Jill came in. She put Jetson’s vet in touch with a vet in the U.S. that specializes in MRSA and provided information directly to my vet. There was time when we were not sure that Jetson would live but know he is healthy and happy and likes nothing better than taking a long walk and chasing a few squirrels. Jill was a great source of information and certainly a comfort during the whole ordeal. Thanks to Jill, and Jetson’s doctor he is doing great.
Cynthia D. Hall, USA
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Troy, our 12 1/2 year old Wire Fox Terrier, had an ear infection and diagnosed with MRSA in April, 2008. Immediately, we contacted Jill and Lori at the Bella Moss Foundation and they provided tremendous support. Jill spoke to our veterinarian and she became a tremendous advocate and educator. We eventually took the homeopathic route for nine months and then cultured Troy's ears again. He was MRSA free! After two weeks of antibiotics, Troy became infection free! However, his destiny was marked.
A twist of fate arose when Troy was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (DM). The initial symptoms occurred at the same time he was diagnosed with MRSA. Yet, we contributed his imbalance to the ear infection. By the time Troy was MRSA free and infection free, he could not use his hind legs. He was officially diagnosed with the incurable DM which destroyed his muscle and nerve tissues.
Through this entire ordeal, Jill and Lori continued to support us. They were true friends who understood the pain that we shared with our pet and companion. Troy's spirits were raised the last three weeks of his life with a cart that my son built so that he could stand upright and use his front legs to walk by himself. By July, the disease started to spread to his front legs. His quality of life diminished regardless of the numerous accupuncture and physical therapy sessions. Troy became extremely frustrated.
On July 3rd, we put Troy, our true friend, companion, brother and child, to rest. Hopefully, he is now jumping and prancing around in a place unseen with our eyes. Rest in peace, Troy (1996-2009). We'll always remember and love yo
Christine and "Troy in Spirit", USA
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Sadly Mr Beebs died in August 2009 and we send our condolences to the family.
Lori and Mr Beebs, USA
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In November of 2008, our 2 year old yellow lab, Heisman, was diagnosed with a torn cruciate ligament in her right leg. After extensive research about the options before us, February 5, 2009 brought with it a TPLO surgery for Heisman – involved a cut through her leg bone, a plate, and 6 screws. Heisman began what we knew was going to be a long recovery – 8 weeks until bone healing, then 8 more weeks of extensive rehabilitation. About 3 weeks into the recovery period, we noticed a major regression in Heisman’s recovery progress. What had seemed like comfortable steps became limps, and a bump was visible over her plate site. A trip to the vet and blood cultures revealed that Heisman had MRSI over her plate – essentially her body rejecting the newly inserted material. As her mother, with little sleep on a twin air mattress with an 80 pound dog, I knew that our situation was serious, and that I didn’t know where to turn. The orthopedic surgeon recommended antibiotics, which we started immediately, but I am always the type who wants to thoroughly research every situation and ensure that I am doing everything I can for my dog. The Bella Moss Foundation was there for me every step of the way. From the latest and greatest homeopathic remedies to daily support and check ins, they were an invaluable source. They pointed me in the right direction, found an infection specialist in my area to contact and consult with our orthopedic surgeon, and allowed me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Heisman’s road has not been an easy one, as the cruciate ligament in her left knee ruptured in early May, and led us down the path of a second knee surgery, but having support like the Bella Moss Foundation provides has been amazing and invaluable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do!
Gwen and Heisman, USA
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