Birdie probably doesn’t realize how many people have helped make her life better.
If she did, she would be very impressed and grateful.
Birdie’s village includes the Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska (GRRIN) and her Omaha foster family through GRRIN .
Her village also includes veterinarians at Iowa State University and Omaha’s Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital, including a College of Veterinary Medicine alumnus.
“I first met Birdie when she was 12 weeks old, shortly after she had been placed in her foster home,” said Dr. Sydney Thorson (DVM ’21). “She was constantly dripping urine, and I was immediately concerned for ectopic ureters.”
Because of her time at Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Thorson knew the internal medicine veterinarians at the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital would be the best resource for Birdie to receive treatment for ectopic ureters after successfully treating Birdie for a urinary tract infection.
That’s when Dr. Paige Bodner, internal medicine resident, entered Birdie’s life and ultimate care.
“Ectopic ureters happen when the urinary tract system does not develop correctly resulting in her ureters (the connection between kidneys and bladder) entering in an inappropriate spot resulting in her dribbling urine conditions,” Bodner said.
A subsequent CT scan found that Birdie was an excellent candidate for a minimally invasive procedure of cystoscopy and laser ablation. Post-procedure checkups confirmed that Birdie’s urinary incontinence was improved but an added oral medication wasn’t enough to keep her out of diapers. She still needed additional treatment.
The GRRIN organization and the Iowa State vet team are pursuing other treatments to help Birdie. She will have collagen injections in January. Other procedures and medication can be considered when she is older, if needed.
GRRIN has provided financial support for all of Birdie’s treatments including her collagen injections.
That decision was aided by Bodner’s work with the GRRIN.
“This is a big financial investment for a young puppy,” Bodner said. “I wanted to provide the foster/adopt family and rescue with as much information as possible to help them make the best choice for her.”
That information was appreciated by Patty Carrell, Birdie’s caseworker with the GRRIN, as well as the foster family and GRRIN Board.
“Dr. Bodner helped us so much with her compassionate, informative and thoughtful comments,” Carrell said. “She took the time to answer all our questions (in writing!) for Birdie’s medical choices. It is a team who makes the expensive medical decisions for the dogs surrendered to GRRIN, so the Board members were able to make a clear and informed decision with Dr. Bodner’s written data.
“And she did it thoroughly with wonderful detail and kindness.”
Carrell and the foster family also had great things to say about the care provided by Thorson and the Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital.
“Dr. Thorson has been so helpful advocating for Birdie’s specialized needs and keeping up on her general puppy care,” she said.
And the feeling is mutual with Thorson.
“We have had the pleasure of working with GRRIN on and off for many years and Birdie was so lucky to end up in their hands,” Thorson said. “Both GRRIN and her foster family have been dedicated to improving Birdie’s quality of life and managing her medical needs.”
January 2026
