Nurse is heartbroken by loss of her Roscoe
A NURSE who lives on a narrowboat said she has been left “heartbroken” since her dog – which she called her “best friend” – had to be put down after a serious accident.
Aside from her heartbreak, she is also struggling to pay a bill for £10,000 for treatment he received just before he died.
Kate Warman, 34, works in the community as a respiratory nurse and lives on a boat docked at different times at Castle Marina and on Nottingham & Beeston Canal.
She had a four-year-old Blue Staffie called Roscoe, who was a rescue dog.
Kate took him in after his previous owners split up and could no longer look after him.
She said she and Roscoe would do everything together.
Even when Kate was climbing in the Peak District and going to music festivals, Roscoe was there.
But one day in June earlier this year, Kate was walking Roscoe when he saw a stick upright in the ground, and ran over to grab it.
But when he tried to grab it in his mouth, the right side of his jaw became impaled on it leaving a wound that required two rounds of surgery.
He appeared to be fit and well after the surgery, and did not show any signs he was in pain.
But he started to deteriorate in October despite having a long course of antibiotics.
However, the spiralling costs were becoming a concern as bills rans into thousands of pounds.
Roscoe was then taken to the vets on December 1, where he had a CT scan which showed he had a fractured jaw, infection in his bone and another massive abscess.
ACCIDENT LED TO BELOVED PET DOG BEING PUT DOWN
Because he had been acting normally, Kate had had no idea how poorly Roscoe was.
Vets told Kate that Roscoe had the worst case of lockjaw – where the dog could not open his mouth properly – they’d ever seen.
And after the long battle, the decision was made by Kate and the vets to put him to sleep, a decisopn which devastated her. She said: “I’m heartbroken. “I’m still trying to process that my shadow is gone, as we shared a bed and, in the mornings, I get up and he’s not there anymore.
“We had him put to sleep with his dad (Kate’s partner) with him too, and he rolled over for belly rubs and he had his teddy bear with him.
“It was the most at peace I had seen him since his injury.
“In my heart, I know we did everything we possibly could have for him.”
Although Kate had Roscoe for just over a year, they shared many happy memories together, and one of Kate’s favourite memories is when Roscoe showed his mischievous side.
Kate said: “This is probably a bit inappropriate, but we had an outdoor cinema with some friends in the summer, where a projector was set up in someone’s garden.
“There were a few of us and a few dogs around too.
“All of the dogs were so well behaved, but halfway through the film, he decided to get up and go for a wee on the sheet the film was being projected on!
“He was a very lively dog.” Kate is currently unable to work because around four weeks ago, when walking Roscoe, she fell in a pothole and snapped ligaments in her ankle.
She had previously been picking
I’m still trying to process that my shadow is gone – I get up and he’s not there anymore Kate Warman
up extra shifts to pay for vet bills, but is now in a cast and on crutches. To help pay for the vets bills, which have cost around £10,000, she has set up a Gofundme page gofundme.com/f/please-help-tofund-roscoes-treatment, where just over £750 has been raised. She said: “There was one point where I was given an ultimatum that Roscoe is either put to sleep, or he gets specialist care at the cost of around £10,000. “We went for the specialist care and at first, were told he would make a full recovery as everything seemed positive and to be heading in the right direction. “But then he deteriorated... “One good thing to have come out of it is that he’s being used as an example to teach vets and to raise awareness about sticks. It’s been so hard for us, but that’s one good thing out of it.” The fundraising page is still open as Kate hopes to be able to pay the bills.