Buddha the Boxer’s Emergency Vet Bill

Hi, we’re Buddha’s Pawrents, Kelsey & Ryan, and we need help to save our Boxer boy Buddha!

Sadly our Buddha started not feeling well Monday after waking up a healthy, happy, wiggly butt boy. In the afternoon He started to quickly decline with labored breathing, vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite, and discomfort. He was not able to keep fluids down and quickly became dehydrated.

We took him to our local Pet ER where he was checked for bloat or obstruction. His X-rays came back clear and he was given fluids and sent on our way to wait till our 8AM appointment at our primary vet for blood work. He had no improvements between then.

After running bloodwork, our vet was concerned about some of his levels that would indicate some sort of inflammation was happening and infection. Plus by the lack of attention, interest, and demeanor Buddha was showing was another cause of concern as he is a people dog and ALWAYS shows immediate affection. Vet recommended we return to the ER for further testing, IV antibiotics and fluids (hospitalization) with the thought of potential Pancreatitis.

When we arrived back to the ER, he had developed a cough/hack which had not been present previously. They wanted get him back immediately for chest X-rays and get IV antibiotics going asap. We hugged our boy tight and told him we were going to get him fixed.

Came the first estimate for his care at $2400-$4300. We paid $3K and left with hopes of picking up our boy 12-24hrs later.

We got the call shortly after stating the

X-rays showed his lungs were filled with fluid. (Earlier X-ray of chest at first visit did not show any). We were on route of aspirated pneumonia and not pancreatitis. Concerns came late into the night when his breathing effort and rate increased and he had to be placed into an Oxygen chamber at 2am Wednesday morning. By late morning, fluid had started building outside of his lungs and in his chest cavity. They decided to place a tube to help alleviate the fluid and pressure and run diagnostics on such fluid. Then they got air along with the fluid. This indicated there was a much bigger issue and the race was on to find the problem. They wanted to run a CT scan and place another tube to get more out.

the new estimate was $9700-11,700.

With no answers to what and how this happened, we scrounged and put down an additional $6700.

Buddha deserved that at minimum.

We got the results of CT by 11:30pm Wednesday. LUNGWORM.

Alaskas FIRST case of lungworm and it was our boy. He has never traveled out of state and the rarity of such parasite for our region has blown us AND the doctors away but we finally had an answer. With Buddha’s rapid decline, it’s expected that a lungworm caused a lesion/hole in one of his lungs which would account for the amount of fluid and air outside of his lungs.

We weren’t sure he’d make it through Tuesday, then again through Wednesday but he did because he is a FIGHTER.

He received his first dose of injectable Ivermectin Thursday AM. With not have eaten since Monday morning, The major hurdle for him is to make it through the first die off phase with little to no fuel. Fluid and air are still being pulled off of him and he is still in O2.

He is fighting. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and there is HOPE. With a potential nasogastric feeding tube and continued O2 tank time, we just need a little more help to get him home.

Buddha chose us, so we’re choosing him!

Anything donated is going directly to our boy’s medical expenses and recovery.

Words will never describe the gratitude and appreciation we have for those who have helped thus far. We’d be lost without you.

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING HIM!