Update 5pm May 30th:

Barney has completed his surgery, but he remains in critical care. The vet shared that he had a very rough morning—he was crying and in severe pain. During the surgery to remove the blockage, they discovered that part of his intestine had died due to the obstruction, which has complicated things further.

Barney is still very dehydrated, but they’re keeping him on an IV. However, his stomach continues to fill with fluid that needs to be constantly drained. The original pain medication (morphine) didn’t seem to help much this morning, so he’s now on fentanyl.

They found bacteria in the fluid from his stomach, indicating an infection in his intestine. He’s currently on antibiotics to treat it, but if the infection persists, he will need to undergo surgery again tonight.

The vet has been amazing, sending me updates often. For now, I’m not visiting him to avoid causing further stress—his heart rate and blood pressure are higher than we’d like. It was really encouraging to receive a video of Barney eating for the first time in three days, as well as a photo of him after his first morphine injection prior to surgery.

Donations are still desperately needed. Thank you to everyone who has helped so far by donating or sharing—either action makes a difference. With the latest complications, Barney is expected to be in the hospital for at least three more days, and the bills are continuing to rise. The good news is that I have a couple more days to raise more funds.

Thank you so much for all your support and kind messages during this very heartbreaking time.

Update 11am May 29th:

I just spoke to the vet. He’s very ill—his stomach is filling with fluid and they need to keep draining it. He can’t walk and his potassium is dangerously low. They’ve also just diagnosed him with heart disease, which complicates things even more. They’re working to stabilize him and strengthen his vitals so that surgery can happen within the next four hours. I signed a CPR and resuscitation order for him.

Update 11:00pm May 28th:

Hi Tararose, just wanted to let you know Barney's blood work looks pretty good. There's evidence of dehydration (which we expected), and for an upper intestinal obstruction (also not unexpected). The rest of it looks good. I expect based on this and the imaging surgery will happen tomorrow - I am more convinced that he has an obstruction after the blood work. We did pass a naso-gastric tube and emptied a lot of fluid from his stomach. He will feel much better overnight now. We will touch base with again in the morning, hopefully you can get some sleep tonight. Dr. Donaldson

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This is Barney (@barneykingcharles), my beloved dog who came into my life 8 years ago when I inherited him from my late Great Uncle Jim. Uncle Jim had to surrender Barney when he moved into a retirement home, and since then, Barney has been the love of my life and a joy to everyone who meets him.

Two days ago, Barney became very ill, and yesterday he was rushed to the hospital. After x-rays, it was determined that Barney needs emergency surgery in order to survive. He spent the night in the hospital, receiving morphine for pain, IV fluids for dehydration, and undergoing many tests. This morning, the veterinary team decided he needs major stomach surgery to address an obstruction. Without this surgery, Barney will not make it.

The team of vets caring for him is incredible, and I’m beyond grateful that he’s in such good hands. However, the cost of the initial exams, hospitalization, and emergency surgery is overwhelming for me alone. I’m humbly reaching out for community support during this difficult time. All funds raised will go directly toward his surgery and recovery, which are expected to total around $4,500—assuming there are no surprises during surgery. Any additional funds raised beyond what’s needed for Barney will be donated to a nonprofit supporting low-income pet owners in need of veterinary care.

I will provide updates as they become available. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your shares or contributions to help bring my beloved Barney back home.