Help Support Cancer Care for Charlie and Copper

Hello, my name is Katie and I'm asking for your help to fund cancer care for my two dogs, Charlie and Copper.

In the span of five days, I learned that my two dogs, my very best friends, both have cancer. My heart is breaking for them. I have done everything for them that I can, and I will continue to do so.

Charlie and Copper were rescues in 2011. They are brothers from the same litter and are truly my best friends. They have been by my side for a marriage, a divorce, a move across the country with no money and no plan, living in a friend's spare bedroom, finding a job, finding an apartment, buying a home, and finding myself and love again. They have gotten me through the hardest times of my life and been there for the best times. They are my protectors, my space heaters, my snugglers, and definitely my dishwashers!

Copper

After their annual checkup in April, I noticed Copper was starting to show less interest in eating. I figured it was because the vet recommended I change their food, and I started putting chicken broth and eggs on his food to make it more palatable. He would eat it, but very slowly. And he drank a TON of water.

Then he started to lose weight. A lot of weight.

When I took him to the vet in August, he had lost about 50% of his body weight. They ran test after test. Everything came back normal. I was concerned and confused.

I began cooking him meals of chicken, sweet potatoes and rice and added coconut oil and duck fat for calories. He gobbled these home-cooked meals up and started to put weight back on! He went from 32 pounds to 40 pounds. Then he stopped showing interest in those meals, so I got him wet food, which he loved... for a few days. He stopped eating again.

One afternoon I came home, and he didn't come to the door to greet me. He was lying on the floor behind the couch and looked at me with big, sad eyes. When I picked him up to go outside, he could barely walk. I brought him back in, put him on his bed, and set some wet food in front of him. I was home early from work because Charlie had an appointment to go to the vet that afternoon for a tumor on his lip, so I made sure Copper was comfortable and loaded Charlie into the car.

Charlie

In July, I noticed a small lump on Charlie's lip. It didn’t look too concerning, so I kept an eye on it. The bump got a little bigger but shrank and stayed that size for a while. In the middle of September, the lump started to grow super rapidly and soon it was large enough that it would bleed every time he ate. I made an appointment for him to see the vet.

The appointment was the same day Copper didn’t want to get up to walk. It was a Friday afternoon, October 14th.

The vet examined Charlie and was unsure what the growth on his lip was, but agreed it needed to be removed. Charlie was scheduled for surgery the following Monday, and once the growth was removed it would be sent out for testing.

Copper

I rushed home, with a stop at McDonald's to get cheeseburgers (no onions!) for both dogs as a treat. Copper and Charlie both ate their cheeseburgers, so I felt much better. Copper was still really weak, and I lay on the floor with him for a while, but I was feeling much better about him.

By Sunday, though, Copper still didn't want to eat much, didn't want to go outside, and was really lethargic, so I called the vet and made an appointment for him the following day, the same day Charlie was having his surgery.

Monday, October 17th, came and I dropped Charlie off for his surgery, which went well. They removed the mass, took chest x-rays, and sent the mass to be tested. I picked Charlie up, took him home, got him situated and then switched pups to take Copper to his appointment.

The doctor was excited that he had gained 5 pounds since his last appointment! But I reminded him that he had actually been up 8 pounds before.

Since all the previous tests were normal, we decided to do x-rays on Copper's chest and abdomen. The x-rays showed that Copper has two tumors; one above his heart that presses against his esophagus and one in his abdomen that presses against his stomach and intestines.

Either one of these tumors would affect his ability to eat, so the fact that he has two explains his rapid weight loss. Due to his age and the size of the tumors, further testing would not help prolong his life. Since the tumors are large, they are likely cancerous.

Surgery is not an option, so he is being treated with anti-nausea medication and steroids to maybe shrink the tumors and increase his appetite. This treatment, combined with feeding chicken baby food, peanut butter and wet food, has allowed him to eat and be comfortable for the time being.

Charlie

On Friday, October 21st, I received a phone call from Charlie's surgeon. The test results from the mass removed from Charlie's lip were positive for amelanotic melanoma. I was told that this is an aggressive form of cancer in dogs, but the x-rays of his chest were clear so it doesn't appear to have spread.

She also said they were pretty sure they removed all of the cancer because the edges of the tumor that was tested were clear. I was informed that there is a vaccine for this type of cancer, but it is most often administered monthly. Charlie has been referred to an oncologist so we can discuss further treatment if any is necessary. His surgeon suggested chest x-rays every few months to keep an eye on him, which will be discussed with the oncologist when we have that appointment. As of now, we are waiting to hear from the oncologist to make his appointment.

Moving Forward

As you can imagine, these trips to the vet have stretched my finances more than I can afford. Surgery, medications, checkups, follow-ups, and special food for Copper have all taken a toll. Baby food is expensive! I am only asking for help to recoup what has already been spent. If more is raised, it will all go toward treatment for Charlie and medication and food to keep Copper comfortable for as long as I can. Would you consider helping me keep my best friends in my life for as long as possible? I don’t know how much longer I have with either or both of them, but I’m asking for your help to stretch that time to as long as possible.

Copper, Charlie and I thank you for your consideration and help.