Help Binnie Breathe: Support His Surgery

Hi there, I was hesitant to make this, but I'm in a tough spot. I adopted my dog, Binnington, in Aug of 2019. I named him after one of my favorite hockey players, Jordan Binnington, of the St. Louis Blues (though his nickname is Binnie, not Binner). He came to me in rough shape from prior abuse, with lots of behavioral issues, and we had a lot to work on. He had a hard start to life, but he's had the best glow up. He's gone on road trips, camping trips, made dog (& human) friends, eaten the best food, and even gets to sleep on the couch these days.

For the last few months his breathing seemed to be getting difficult. We hoped it was allergies, and then possibly a respiratory infection, but it was neither of those things, and has gotten much worse in the last month. We were referred to a specialist and were told that he has Laryngeal Paralysis. Basically, his larynx is now doing the opposite of what it should. The right side is completely paralyzed and the left moves the tiniest bit, but it closes when he tries to take a breath. It's also connected to his vagus nerve, so it triggers gagging, which can cause regurgitation of his food and could potentially cause quiet pneumonia if swallowed incorrectly. We also found out that he has two small masses in his spleen. They cannot be biopsied, only monitored or surgically removed. Even if benign, they could grow and press on other organs and cause issues, but for now, we have decided to simply monitor these and deal with the bigger issue at hand.

There is no cure for Laryngeal Paralysis, but the suggested treatment would be to have surgery to tie back the paralyzed parts of his larynx so that he can breathe. Without surgery, he will eventually lose interest in physical activity and stop being able to breathe. I don't want that for my boy. He has been through so much already, and he has so much more life in him.

We are planning to do the surgery in the next month or 2. In the meantime, we have to limit his physical activity, stay out of the heat, and make some changes to his food.

Yesterday's visit with the specialist cost me $3,377.

The estimate for the surgery is $8,682-$11,035, though they expect it to be the higher end (plus we will likely do another ultrasound to see if the masses in his spleen have grown--which is not on this estimate).

I lost my job in October and we will have to move in the coming months as well. I have been living off of my severance and now the little savings that I have. If I have to, I'll take out a loan to pay for my boy's care, but I figured I should swallow my pride and try this as well. Any bit helps. If you can't donate, sharing would be just as helpful.

Thank you.

Love,

Jules + Binnie