On Wednesday, my ten year old best friend and most constant joy for a decade was admitted into an ICU after an ultrasound showed that what we thought was a mild problem was actually severe pancreatitis with an uncertain outcome (see below for more information about how this came about). After that surprise, what we thought might be a two day stay at most has clearly become a week long stay with the hope he will get well and make it out of the hospital. Because of Covid, we are not allowed to visit him. Although it more likely he will survive that not, we can't be sure and is touch and go. So the staff at Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital are running many tests, and trying many things to keep this sweetest boy healthy.  We are doing everything within our power to get him home. It is going to cost a lot and we are using income, savings, probably eventually a credit card. Originally we were told $3000 to 6000 for a few days of care. Then they realized he would need a lot more intervention. This will run us well over $6000. It's more likely to be double that if he does have to be there for an entire week. It could go run up more if he needs surgeries. So despite how hard it is for me to ask for help like this,  we are asking for any donations so that we don't deplete everything or accrue too much debt. My incredible partner met Graeme last year and Nick views Graeme as his dog as well. He is deeply in love with him and Graeme likewise adores Nick, who has been an absolute rock for me. If this had happened prior to last year, I don't know how I could manage this emotionally or financially. But even with his financial help, the final cost will be a big hit. I also have Venmo @Cea-Flowers
If you don't already know, I foster failed this little dachshund lab mix in 2010 when after two days, I knew I wanted to be his person for as long as time would allow us to be together and adopted him. He has been my biggest love, my sunshine, my hiking coach, plant collecting collaborator, farm hand, herb garden companion, cross country rambler, right paw. He has seen me through the deaths of loved ones and heartbreaks from relationships, through job changes, graduate school, depression. There were times he was the reason I kept going. He has sped my recoveries from different losses, been beside me when I would have otherwise been alone for a lot of my life. He's also been around for happy times and the first one I go to to celebrate secret victories. I can't convey how important he is to me, how in love I am. He loves to hike and play, to get scratches and carrots, and go after squeaky toys. He's a son, grandson, friend, and brother to his dog sibling, Pungo. He hasn't met a stranger yet. I know that all things must end but this seems too sudden and too soon to be how it happens. My heart is broken beyond belief that the same sweet dog who was trying to play fetch with a squeaky ball the same morning he went in for an ultrasound was then rushed through to ICU. Thank you in advance for any donations. If Graeme pulls through quickly like the tough boy we believe he is, and if there is somehow any money leftover, it will go to post-care medications and possibly even a donation to the NCSU vet school fund for people who need financial aid to help their own pets. If you can't make monetary donations, thank you for thoughts of hope and waves of love.
@instagraemeing
*In December, Graeme began vomiting occasionally. For the first week, it was not much and we thought it was a brief bug to get out of his system. By the second week, when it was still only a few times of bile vomit, we thought he may have scavenged something rotten since we live out in the country and he is very good at finding things to eat. By the third week, he began throwing up bile and partly digested food in the morning. We made an an appointment with our excellent local vet, who performed X-Ray and determined that there was nothing wrong in X-Ray so that it was probably gastritis. She gave him a medication for a week and we began having to give him pepcid at night. At the time, his body seemed fine and there was no way of knowing that something would snowball two months later. For two months, he didn't have any other episodes.
Then, he started getting sick intermittently starting March 15. It wasn’t every day but enough bile/vomiting that we found the first available opening with his vet and by March 24 we took him for xray and bloodwork. By last Friday, March 27th the vet got results back and recommended getting an ultrasound from TVRH but that it wasn’t dire (as in go immediately this weekend) and that it would be ok to take him the following week. There was no way she could have known and she did excellent work to refer us for an ultrasound. So we scheduled it for Wednesday, March 31. That Monday and Tuesday though, he started vomiting often and we gave him only chicken and rice which he managed to keep down somewhat. On Wednesday we played ball and he was fetching and running before the trip to Durham. After his ultrasound they determined he had severe pancreatitis.