UPDATE (August 15) -- Winston continues to improve and even thrive. His mom says he has adapted to eating while standing in his Bailey chair and he is running around her yard in Georgia, playing with the other dogs there.

Winston! Running! Playing! Can you believe it?

From an email sent today by his mother, Pat:

We opened the upper yard a few days ago (we had a bordatella patient
quarantined there) giving Winston another 1/2 acre to explore and play with
the youngsters.  He has been eating very well but stayed skinny leading us
to believe that something else was going on.  We noticed this morning,
however, that he seems to finally be putting on weight.  Whew!!
Thank God for that chair!!  Really an upbeat boy.

Winston's medical test results came back late last week; they showed no signs of Addison's disease or hyperthyroidism, conditions that can cause mega-e. This means Winston's mega-e cannot be controlled through medication and is most likely the result of an injury. Bummer. But since Winston has adapted to eating and drinking while standing in a Bailey Chair, he should be alright. Mega-e dogs can live long, tail-waggin' lives with proper care and an owner dedicated to their special needs.

Thanks to all of you who saved this boy. We'll keep updating this page with the latest on Winston.

 UPDATE (July 28) -- Winston went to his forever home today. His mom, Pat, picked him up at dawn so they could an early start on their rainy drive back to Georgia. Winston barked a greeting and ran to her wagging his tail when she arrived. He knew this was his mom. He's still a sick boy who must gain lots of weight to be healthy again, but he is keeping food and water down now and headed in the right direction. Keep sending good thoughts his way. And thanks to all of you who donated. I'll continue updating you here on his progress. You people are the best!

UPDATE (July 27, 9:05 p.m. EST) -- Winston had a good day! He ate (and kept down) three meals today. He was prancing around barking tonight and begging for the pizza we ate for supper. He's like a different dog. With the help of our vet, who owns a mega-e dog, we figured out what food he can eat without getting sick. We also figured out he needs to be elevated for 40 minutes after he eats, not just 20. That's a lot of dog holding. Thank goodness he will have a Bailey Chair to help him get that food down. Pat, his new mom, got to Knoxville tonight and she and Winston met this evening at my house. Winston warmed to her immediately; it's as if he sensed she was his forever mom. Pat sat on the floor with him and petted him, and he just melted. She's picking him up in the morning and they're heading home to Georgia.

UPDATE (July 27) -- Winston is still not keeping much food or water down so he went back to the vet today for an IV to keep him hydrated. His mega-e has left him very thin. We're counting on the Bailey Chair to help him keep more food down and gain some weight. If it doesn't he will need a feeding tube while we wait on those critical test results. This will cost more $$$$$ and be less than pleasant for Winston.

Get this: Winston's x-rays have revealed a BB lodged in his body next to his backbone. At some point, someone shot Winston with a BB gun and a BB is still there. The vet said it's not causing any problems and won't cause him any in the future. He's like an old soldier carrying a piece of shrapnel in his body, a relic of an epic ordeal.

He's been dumped, starved and shot. All this, and he still wags his tail. Winston is long overdue for some happiness. 

UPDATE (July 26) -- Lots of news today. The basset gods are looking out for Winston; they've sent angels his way.

Angel #1:  Winston has found a forever home!  This angel is coming to Knoxville on Saturday to get him. Pat of Dahlonega, Ga., says she is willing and able to love and care for Winston.

Angel #2: Another angel has donated a "Bailey Chair," a device designed to elevate dogs with Mega-E while they eat and swallow. Cathy in Georgia had the chair made for her dog who suffered from Mega-E, but her baby didn't live to use it. The chair will give Winston a better shot at thriving.

Angels #3--and counting: All of you who have donated money for Winston have made it possible for him to get further testing to see if his Mega-E is the type that can be controlled with medication. One test result will be back tomorrow, the other will take 2 weeks. Cross your paws he's got the sort that can be treated.

And Winston? He's holding his own. He is still having trouble keeping much food down, but he is still wagging his tail and walking around with a spring in his step. He hasn't given up, maybe because he knows so many humans haven't given up on him, either.

UPDATE (July 25) -- Winston had a rough night. He is still regurgitating about half the food and water he ingests, so he is not getting much nutrition into his weakened body. His foster parents switched him to a different consistency of dogfood today and he seems to be doing a little better keeping it down. He's also showing some early signs of aspiration pneumonia, so the vet has increased the strength of the antibiotics he is taking. Winston is a smart dog who has already learned his name, even though he just got the  name about 10 days ago.  Say "Winston" and he looks right at you and wags his tail. His spirit is indomitable.

Winston the basset hound needs your help. 

He's a 3-year-old basset boy suffering from megaesophagus (aka Mega-E, which sounds like the name of a rapper.) Mega-E is a rare and chronic medical condition in which the afflicted dog cannot swallow food due to a damaged esophagus. It's believed the injury occured when Winston ingested a rock while he was a crazy hungry stray running the backroads of rural Tennessee. He was showing signs of illness when he came into BellyRubs Basset Rescue so he had emergency surgery. The rock was removed, but the damage was done.

Winston has now returned to his Knoxville foster home where his foster parents, Leanne Potts and Scott Warnke, are hand-feeding him a couple of times day to help him gain weight. Winston's struggling, but he has a huge soul that is helping him fight the ailment.

Winston was someone's pet at one time. He was already neutered when he arrived at the dog pound, and he's a friendly guy who loves being with people. But the emaciated, flea-infested dog that arrived at BRBR last week hadn't been loved or cared for in a long, long time.

Despite the neglect he has suffered, Winston still wags his tail in greeting whenever you approach him. He still believes the two-leggers are good.

With proper care, Winston can get a second chance at life. But his medical bills have been steep. He has needed surgery, IVs, X-rays and blood work, and he will probably need more medical work since his condition is incurable.

Please give whatever you can to help get  Winston back on his big basset feet and saying "Ah-rooooo!"