Let's get Theo home!

Theo is a 4-year-old Schnauzer/Poodle mix who is a happy, energetic, and loving puppy.

On February 5, I brought my healthy dog to the vet for an ear infection; now, I have a dog in the ICU at Guelph OVC Small Animal Hospital. Let's start at the beginning.

I first got Theo in 2021 as an 8-week-old puppy. I brought him home to a happy and loving home with three other humans to love and care for him and another (older) dog to keep him in check! Throughout the 4 years I have had Theo, he has had sensitive skin and stomach, which, all along, we (including the vet) have assumed were allergies and very common in this breed.

On Feb 5, I brought Theo to the vet primarily for scratching and to discuss the allergies and how we can help him. We discovered this simple ear infection that we wanted to treat and tried a diet trial to see if his food could be involved in the allergies/scratching of the body. The vet decided to give him a 1-time ear treatment (Claro Otic) this would be given to him by the vet, and then we would have to protect the ear so nothing got into the ear during the 30 days after the treatment was given. On the same day as this ear treatment, Theo started the Hydrolyzed Protein diet trial, which we slowly introduced to him as suggested by his vet. This initial visit was $469.20.

Feb 8th was the flip of the switch that changed everything. He started throwing up at midnight, could not keep anything down and was extremely lethargic (standing outside in the snow, falling onto his swollen body until my dark brown dog came in as white as can be). Due to this drastic change, I took Theo to the Veterinary Hospital. They gave him fluids and an anti-nausea injection with the instructions to stop the new diet and go to the vet on Monday. This visit was $548.89.

On Feb 10 (the Monday), we took him back to his vet, where we saw a different vet than the initial visit on Feb 5th. They also gave him fluids and new food to introduce to Theo that was supposed to calm his digestive system and make it easy to digest. This visit was $211.92

On Feb 11, we took Theo back to the vet as he continued to throw up, was not eating anything, and continued the lethargic behaviour (with now our 3rd different vet at the same clinic as the initial 2 appointments). They did tests, blood work, and the typical exam. This was when we ended up with 6 different medications to give to my 14 kg dog, as well as new food to help with what they then assumed to be pancreatitis. This visit was $704.68 plus $53.37 for a change in medication later in the day)

We were able to keep Theo home for the next couple of days without going back to the vet to give the antibiotics and medication a chance to do their work. His energy started to come back but he was NOT interested in taking any of this new food. but we persevered and were able to get him to take the medication but was very hard to continue with all of these different foods. We could see Theo was just wanting cuddles and for us to stay with him.

Feb 19th, I woke to find Theo extremely jaundiced (yellowing in the skin and eyes). we immediately brought him to the vet, and that's when they told me Theo was going to need to be hospitalized and taken to Guelph NOW. His liver was failing, and we were in emergency mode. This visit was $468.28

So I rushed to Guelph OVC, handed Theo over to the vet and they got him in to see the doctor in the emergency department. They came back and told us all the tests needed, the possible complications, and the risks involved. I was scared, emotional, and in shock mostly. Next was the conversation about payment to save my dog's life. I was asked for a 50% deposit on the spot = $4000 and to leave Theo there for an undetermined amount of time. The fees alone were going to take all of my savings and I immediately thought I could not miss a day of work, or I couldn't take care of Theo.

February 21st, I receive a frantic call from the hospital in Guelph, asking me for approval for emergency surgery for Theo. His gallbladder has ruptured and fluid is leaking into his stomach. His liver enzymes are so high the team has never seen this before. I ask, am I at risk of losing him today?

I get the quiet response, yes, if we don't operate now. I agree and tell them to do what is needed to save his life. I gathered my family and we left our jobs and drove to Guelph gathering Theo's blanket in case we were saying goodbye.

Back story - I am a 22-year-old new graduate working as a physiotherapy assistant making minimum wage in London Ont.

I live at home and save and save so I can look after Theo. He is my priority and my responsibility and I take this very seriously. I am not one to go out and party, I don't spend money (only on dog toys and dog food) on silly things. I love my dog and as you can see, I will stop at nothing to bring him home. I cannot imagine my life without Theo. My family has fallen in love with him, and my mom will not let me take him when I move out ( we argue about this a lot ). My mom is beside herself and she is trying to help financially also. My Dad has a brain injury and is unable to work. My brother is doing as much as he can but he is saving for University. Theo brings joy to my family, helps us with our mental health, and gets my dad out of bed every morning. Our house has a massive VOID at the moment as Theo remains at the hospital in Guelph.

Theo had his gallbladder removed and we waited in anticipation to get news that he was ok. We sat quietly and just waited for someone to come talk to us. Once we were told he was out of surgery we asked to see him (for the first time in 4 days) She told us that he was very sedated and in intensive care, and cautioned us to be prepared to see him in this state. He was in a warm bed, with a cozy blanket, feeding tube, IVs and looked very tired and unwell. This surgery alone is another $4,000 on top of the $8,000 I'm preparing to pay for him being there and the tests they are running.

Not only are the vet bills increasing the prices of gas (driving roughly 1.5 hours there and back) parking ($21.93 for the day), and time I have and will need to take off work is also increasing.

I am hoping with your help (literally anything) I will be able to cover some of these vet bills and the driving expenses to make sure Theo is and can continue to get the care he NEEDS and deserves. I cant express enough how much I need my pup home and heathly!