Troy is our nearly 5-year-old German Shepherd. He’s kind, gentle, and full of life, but a sudden and serious illness has left him in pain and fighting to recover. We’ve done everything we can, but after exhausting our savings and facing rejected insurance claims, following the insurers withdrawal a lifetime policy we had been paying into from their portfolio, we’ve reached the point where we simply can’t afford to continue his treatment alone. This fundraiser is our last hope to keep him from suffering. If you can help us, in any way at all, we will be forever grateful.

Troys Story In Depth

Troy has been healthy his whole life. But recently, a series of severe health problems has turned everything upside down.

It began with breathing issues and swelling in his leg. His mouth drooped. The swelling spread. After several vet visits with no answers, he was referred to Langford internal medicine hospital. There, he was diagnosed with vasculitis and had 2.3 litres of fluid drained from his chest. The likely cause is autoimmune, but no clear diagnosis has yet been found.

Although he initially responded to treatment, the symptoms quickly returned. Another 900ml of fluid had to be drained from his chest. His leg swelled again, leaving him struggling to walk. Then came an infection, and now he has open lesions that are bleeding through the skin. He has since been taken back to Langford for further assessment.

The Insurance Problem

Troy has been insured since the day we brought him home, with lifetime cover. But earlier this year, the insurer changed underwriters and removed that option, leaving us with no choice but to change provider. Just days into the new policy, Troy’s symptoms began. Because they appeared during the two-week waiting period, the new insurer has refused to cover anything.

What We’ve Paid So Far

• £6,500 to Langford internal medicine hospital

• £988 to our local vet over the course of just two days

• £1,500 on earlier medications, scans, and treatments

• £800 for a recent follow-up visit to Langford

• £284 for a three-week course of antibiotics, charged at £4.50 per tablet

Why We’re Asking for Help

We can no longer afford to continue with any more investigations or treatment. I’m retired and on a state pension, and I can’t work because I’m the sole carer for my mum, who’s recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We’ve stretched as far as we can go.

How do we make that terrible decision to take no further action and let our amazing, loving, innocent young boy just die? Our hearts are breaking.

He is suffering immensely, and without financial help, and without further hospital intervention, he will suffer more. We have done everything we possibly can, but we are at the end of what we can manage alone. We owe him one final act of kindness: doing everything we can to raise the money needed to keep him from suffering.

Troy is a big gentle giant. Forever the joker. Always ready for a cuddle. He brings love and laughter to our home every day. When he visits my mother, her whole face lights up. I had hoped one day he could become a therapy dog. That is the kind of soul he is.

If you are able to help us, even a little, it will ease the burden and give Troy a chance, or at the very least, comfort and dignity.

Thank you.