Healing Hudson

I have reluctantly and humbly decided to create this fundraiser in hopes to be able to provide Hudson with the ability to get all of the care that he needs, because he deserves that. Despite veterinary plans and emergency funds in place, this has thrown me a curve ball that I am doing my best to manage given its unexpected complexity. Rest assured that my ego got a talking to prior to pulling the trigger on this, but this isn’t about me, it’s about Hudson, and to facilitate the ability to get him the care that he needs is the best thing that I can do as his mama. As the vet herself said, “He has so much light and life in him”.

SO — If you feel compelled to contribute to Hudson’s journey to recovery, I would be forever grateful for your generosity, as it’s safe to say that this was not on my radar for my happy-go-lucky, active boy.

Any remaining funds raised will be donated to UC Davis Veterinary Hospital at the end of Hudson’s care.

Background — For those of you who don’t know, I took Hudson to the emergency vet due to ongoing issues with his mobility and significant discomfort unresolved with treatment modalities through my primary vet over the last several weeks. His symptoms worsened from stiffness, soreness, and immobility to GI upset, heavy panting, and increased drinking and urination. After a heartbreaking evening of things progressing on Tuesday night, my mama heart told me that there was something else going on, and I decided to take him to UC Davis emergency clinic, where he was admitted for further work up.

Fast forward to today, the vets at UC Davis performed an abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray in search of sources of inflammation and infection that could be causing the symptoms he has been having. On the abdominal ultrasound, they found enlarged lymph nodes that were aspirated for bacteria and significant inflammatory markers. They also found a lesion on the outside of the colon in the ileocecal area, where the small intestine meets the colon. While his team has several possibilities on their differential, it is unclear at this point what the cause of this lesion is and the source of the bacteria. On a positive note, all other abdominal organs were cleared of any additional lesions on ultrasound, chest X-rays were clear, all labs are within normal limits (other than mild hypoglycemia), and he does not have a fever— all of which are painting an incredibly puzzling picture given what was found on ultrasound today.

With that said, there are only so many minimally invasive tests that they can do, so in order to really figure out what is going on, they have recommended that it is in his best interest to obtain an abdominal CT and proceed to surgery for an ex lap tomorrow morning. With this, they will be able to take biopsies of the lesion, determine if it is resectable, and create a targeted treatment plan moving forward. Without the procedure, Hudson is at high risk for developing septic abdomen, a medical emergency with poor prognosis.

After weighing all of the options, I have decided to proceed with the surgery, as I can’t lay my head down at night without knowing what is going on and that I have done everything I can to give him the best possible chance of recovering. My heart is heavy in the absence of my sidekick, but I know he is in the best hands, and if there is any dog strong enough, it’s Hudson. ❤️

SO, I’m again asking for all of your continued thoughts, prayers, and good vibes for my best boy. The CT is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) at 10AM and the surgery will follow. If you’re following along, know that it means the world to me, and your love and support mean more than I could ever express.