Mozzy’s Memory Our beloved Mozzy passed away three months short of his 10th birthday after a nine month battle with Mast Cell Tumor (cancerous) disease. Our goal with this fundraiser is to donate money to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital, where Mozzy received his oncology care. We hope this donation will help make lifesaving veterinary care available for families who may otherwise not be able to afford it. Although all cancers are very different and therefore treated differently, this is Mozzy’s story: Mozzy rescued me when I was 22 years old. He came to me with big green eyes, and a belly full of worms. We quickly became attached and from then on, there were not many places I went or things I did without him. I distinctly remember calling my sister when Mozzy was only a few months old. I was crying to her on the phone because I knew one day I would have to wake up without him by my side, “He’s only five months old Taylor, that won’t happen for a long time” I remember her saying in hopes to comfort me. Even though we had only shared a few months together at that point, I already knew this dog would change my life. And boy did he! We experienced so much life together in the almost 10 years I was lucky enough to have him with me. We moved together over 12 times, lived in 10 different homes, lived out of a car for 6 weeks together while traveling the continental United States, traveled the country again years later on my honeymoon, and more recently made one out of state move together. Mozzy saw more of this country than many humans have experienced and in his lifetime touched both the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean (he also swam in countless lakes, rivers, ponds and mud puddles). He hiked on countless trails with me throughout multiple different states, visited many National Parks and accompanied me on many runs over countless miles. He saw me through the loss of several friends and family members, several job changes, and finally finding and building a family with my now husband. In June of 2024, we moved our family from Ohio to South Carolina and began yet another adventure together. Shortly after moving to South Carolina, I noticed a small lump near Mozzy’s left shoulder. We saw a new veterinarian for the first time in our new home in August of 2024. It was then we learned that Mozzy had a mast cell tumor. We scheduled him for surgery three days later to have the tumor removed. While we recovered with him at home, we waited on biopsy results from the vet. Mast cell tumors are graded on a scale of Grades 1, 2 or 3. Grade 1 tumors are considered “low-grade tumors”, while Grade 3 tumors are considered “high-grade” tumors. After a few days of waiting on biopsy results, we finally heard back from the vet. Mozzy had a high-grade tumor and we were being referred to a veterinary-oncologist for further treatment. We were absolutely devastated, but we also didn’t know much about mast cell tumors at this point and we turned to the specialist for knowledge and advice. Here is a little fraction of what we have learned about mast cell tumors (MCT) since then: Mast cell tumors are the most common type of malignant tumor in dogs. Mast cells are made up largely of histamines and can cause anaphylactic reaction in dogs, and like most cancers the underlying cause is unknown. With surgery alone, the median survival rate is 50% alive in 6 months. With surgical removal of the tumor followed by chemotherapy, the median survival increases to 12 months - making this a very fast acting, deadly type of cancer. With guidance from the expert & Mozzy’s oncology doctor, we proceeded with one round of chemotherapy (8 treatments) over a matter of 4 months. Our hope and goal was that after this treatment, he would have no reoccurrences for 2 years. Mozzy received an intravenous chemotherapy drug called Vinblastine weekly for 4 treatments, then biweekly for 4 treatments. While all cancers are different, and therefore requiring different levels of care and treatment, the 9 month battle Mozzy had with MCT required 2 surgeries, multiple biopsy test & other various mutation testing, ultrasounds and x-rays of his chest & abdomen, 9 doses of intravenous chemotherapy, many medicines including Benadryl, prescription steroids, anti-nausea medicine, Pepcid, antibiotics, and Rimadyl/Galliprant for pain management as well as countless vet appointments and follow-ups. Unfortunately Mozzy’s cancer was very aggressive and shortly after his chemotherapy treatment ended we found another tumor in late March. After his second surgery in early April to remove this second tumor and adjacent lymph node, we learned that his lymph node was positive for MCT and that Mozzy’s cancer had metastasized. Throughout April and May, we took Mozzy to the emergency department on 4 occasions. Once MCT starts to spread in the body, it creates a release of histamines which causes an inflammatory response in the body. This can look like redness in the gum & mouth, panting, redness and inflammation of the skin, redness of the tissue surrounding the eyes, vomiting and general discomfort and in extremely severe cases can lead to anaphylaxis shock. Mozzy would be treated in the emergency department with IV fluids and high doses of a combination of steroids, Pepcid and antihistamines - this was all intended to help calm the histaminic response and inflammation in the body. Mozzy passed at home on May 22, just three months shy of his 10th birthday. He fought so hard for the last nine months of his life and because of the treatment he received we were able to give him many good days during this time, but ultimately his body was too sick and he was too tired. Over Mozzy’s 9 month battle, my husband and I had several conversations about his treatment and how grateful we felt to be at a place in our lives where we could help him. If this disease had found him years earlier, we would not have been able to afford his care and our conversations in regard to treatment options would have looked vastly different. Without going into too much depth on finances, it is safe to say this valuable care in his last 9 months cost several thousands of dollars. Our goal with this fundraiser is to help spread awareness of this horrendous yet unfortunately common disease, and to raise funds for families who may not be able to afford life-supporting care for their pet. We will run this fundraiser from August 1st until Mozzy’s birthday on August 22nd. All proceeds will be donated in Mozzy’s name to the charity through Blue Pearl Animal Hospital called Frankie’s Friends. Blue Pearl is where Mozzy received all of his cancer treatment, and their charity Frankie’s Friends donates 100% of all proceeds to help treat and save pets with cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Instead of you making a donation directly to Frankie’s Friends, we hope with this fundraiser to raise money as a group and make a large donation in honor of Mozzy. 100% of what you donate will be donated in his name. If you have a spare $1, $2, $5 or $20 - no amount is too small or too big. In Mozzy’s memory, we hope to help provide treatment options for families who otherwise could not help their pets.
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