Help Ava Overcome Pancreatitis

My name is Rachel. I am raising money for my sweet girl, Ava, my dog. She is currently dealing with a serious case of pancreatitis that has caused swelling in other organs, like her liver, and obstructing a bile duct, leading to her being admitted inpatient at BluePearl, which is an emergency and specialty vet with all the best tools to take care of her - including a new injectable medication for pancreatitis, which is an amazing development in the veterinary world.

We would like the ability to continue to provide her with as much supportive care as possible with BluePearl and our vet, Chatham Animal Hospital, and, if needed, more time inpatient. We would also opt to give her a 3rd dose of the pancreatitis treating injection, Panoquell. However, we have basically hit our limit with financial resources - even after putting almost every dollar my husband and I received as gifts from loved ones for our wedding last October.

We would appreciate any help at all to go towards her current bills, supportive care, and the labs and follow up care she needs. We are taking this one day at a time and it's hard to predict. (Edited to remove Panoquell, as it is no longer a viable option.)

My husband is extremely supportive of me and my goal to give Ava many more years with me...and him, which makes me and Ava feel more loved than ever before in this world.

Ava's Story:

She was found as a stray, who was probably difficult to catch. Ava is, um, discerning when it comes to new humans, so I fear someone may have been bad to her as a younger puppy. Even after being with me, she has anxiety but I have ensured that she receives treatment and access to tools to keep her happy. ❤️

How I Found My Ava:

I adopted Ava in October 2017 from Carolina Animal Rescue Association (CARA) in Sanford, NC.

CARA's website had pictures of all the available animals they had rescued who were available for adoption. The second I saw Ava and read her bio, I called them to schedule a visit.

She had the most unique coloring I have ever seen on a dog, the sweetest face, and the cutest floppy but still perky ears.

This is actually a picture from CARA's website when I found Ava:

I have another with her little ears perked up. It seems to be to big for me to upload.

On the day I scheduled to meet her, I was so excited but reminded myself to "be chill" so as to let her decide if she *wants* me. They put us in a room with a small couch with a big mirror hung above it and huge window looking directly into the cat room.

She sniffed around at all the things and toys, checked out what was happening in the very exciting cat room, then hopped up onto the couch, where I was sitting. She went straight into checking out the mirror behind us - "Oooh, what's this thing??" Next up to sniff? Me. "Oh, who's this?" Lots of sniffs. Then she stuck her nose in my ear, which reminded me of my dog Roxy who had passed away unexpectedly.

It felt like a sign from Rox of like "I approve her, mom." I knew she was meant to be with me.

I filled out the forms to adopt her and then we were off to start our adventure together! Ava has been at my side since that day. ❤️ I've never been away from her for more than a handful of days.

Ava-tato on the way home:

Some of Our Story Together:

Ava is the one constant thing in my life over the last, almost, 8 years. During COVID I got sent off to work from home, which was "nice" but during such a time where there was so much unknown, Ava helped ease some of my anxiety. She does as much for me as I do for her.

She's my Velcro-dog. She's my (self-appointed) protector from people making everyday noises, living their lives at my apartment complex. She's my snuggle buddy, who will definitely try to hog the bed! She's my sweet baby that loves her duck stuffies so much that I buy them 3 at a time.

She carries them around and snuggles them - even after she's pulled all the stuffing out, leaving me with my vacuums' least favorite thing to pick up. ❤️

Ava has a few nicknames that started with one of my best friends - her 3rd favorite human, no matter how long it's been since they've seen each other - calling her Potato. It doesn't exactly make sense but somehow fits so perfectly.

Popular variations: Ava-potato, po-tate-o, Ava-tato, Ava-tater, tater, tater salad, tate, tato, and so on. There's also TornAva, which is when she's got a wicked case of zoomies.

My sweet, goofy, often barky, quirky girl has so much more to do with me here on this Earth. I just want to be able to give her the best opportunity to get better.

I appreciate you reading this and hope you smiled at least once. She makes me smile always.