This is our dog, Leo. He’s an 11 year old Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie cross), full of light and a zest for life. For those of you who know Leo, you know he is a friend to EVERYONE. His bright smile, wagging tale, and deep eyes convey his genuine love for all. He is a truly remarkable animal and a very important part of our family. He's been a calming presence for patients in Dad's therapy practice, been an emotional support pup to Mom, and has been a best friend to our nearly 3 year old daughter. On July 5th, we received the unexpected and devastating news that Leo has an aggressive Stage III malignant nasal tumor. Up until diagnosis, we had no idea his health was in crisis. Our only tipoff was an ongoing sneeze/cough that wouldn't resolve and a finally a spontaneous nose bleed episode. It took 2 months of vet visits, dental procedures, tests/imaging and $2000 + in vet bills (that we already can’t afford) to realize what was actually happening. Now, with palliative care (pain and anti inflammatory meds) and no treatment, he only has a few months to live, at best. The tumor will continue to grow, block nasal passages, degrade bone and eventually impact his brain. This will ultimately be very painful for him and his diminished quality of life will force us to euthanize well before his time. He would have likely had another 4-5 years with us if cancer wasn’t in the picture. His spark is just as bright as ever. He's the same goofy, loving, curious, energetic dog he's always been. We want to preserve that for him as long as possible. The reality is if he was fading, suffering, or his quality of life was diminishing and there was no possibility of improving his condition, we'd be tempering our hope and taking a very different approach. We would be lovingly helping him cross the rainbow bridge sooner than later. But that's not the case. He still has a zest for life and we really want to help him fight! Our goal with this fundraiser is to secure the necessary funds to move forward with treatment, which could prolong his life and, more importantly, improve the quality of life during his last days with us. His cancer treatment depends on two factors: eligibility and funding. Being at the beginning of this journey, we can't say what will happen yet. But these are our options: This week, Leo had a tissue sample removed form his snout via "punch" (think core sample taken from tree), which will be used for biopsy to determine what type of cancer it is. This alone cost $800. But it will inform us of our treatment options. Unfortunately, our hopes for a gentler retrieval method didn't pan out. But he's handled it like a champ, and is recovering well. If we're lucky, after the biopsy, he will be eligible for an immunotherapy cancer vaccine. They use the tumor's genetic material to make a personalized vaccine that helps his own immune system to fight the cancer. This is at the top of our list and runs about $1600. Lastly, there is the option is radiation therapy, which is the "Gold Standard" for treatment in these kinds cases, but can be VERY expensive. Stereotactic Radiation (SRS/SRT) is a radiation treatment that requires only 3 treatments instead of the 15-20 with traditional radiation. It can be considerably less expensive, with the low end at around $3000. We're realistic in knowing the cost may be prohibitive. But if the opportunity presents itself, we’d jump at it. We're pulling from all the financial resources we have, Care Credit, applying for grants, applying to clinical trials. Between raising a toddler and the raising cost of everything, our finances are already so tight. We know we're going to need all the help we can get from kind souls like you. Our gratitude will be reflected in every extra day we have with him and in Leo's joy of extra cuddles, walks, beach days, and games of chase with his sister. Thank you for any support you can offer, even if it's just sharing this with others.
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