Help Fund Bobo's Chemo Treatments

Hi, my name is Katie. If you know me, you know how much my dogs mean to me.  It was just the two of them and myself for a very long time. I lost my Charlie 3 years ago to cancer and am still grieving his loss. Now, it is time to take care of my Bo.

He was diagnosed with lymphoma this week, and it has hit me very hard.  To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement. I had always imagined him just growing old and letting me know when it was his time. I did not expect to have to go through another battle with cancer like we did with Charlie. At least in Bo's case, he was given an option for treatment to make him feel more comfortable and potentially buy him some more time. He is still as playful and energetic as the day I found him, and I would hate to have to watch that life be taken away from him.

 

So I find myself here and I am asking for your help. 

 

Bo chose me to be his human.  I would do anything for my dogs to give them the world and the comfort they deserve in the end. Any amount of money donated would help pay for Bo's treatments and vet bills going forward. It is going to be a long road, but I plan to continue to spoil him and make his remaining days full of love and comfort. Thank you for listening and I appreciate you taking the time to read his story.

 

Here is a little more about Bo's story...

 

I found Bo roaming the streets of Jacksonville, FL in 2009. Driving to work one morning, I came up to San Jose Blvd. from University. I took a left onto San Jose, and there goes the most beautiful dog I had ever seen bolting across traffic from the Winn Dixie parking lot into the parking lot of my work (a vet clinic) on the other side of the street. I immediately called the receptionist, who was there early, and between the two of us, we managed to get a leash on him and bring him inside the vet clinic. He was very skinny, and you could tell he had been on the streets for a long time. He was estimated to be about 1-year old. We placed fliers and notices of a found dog in the area. After the waiting period was over and he went unclaimed, I figured Charlie could use a friend. Their bond was solid for 10 years until Charlie passed in 2019. Since then, Bo has been with me solo, attached to my hip and underfoot at all times. He has been nicknamed "the snuggler" for wanting to be in my lap or right next to me in bed and tucking his head under my chin.  He has brought me so much love and support in times when I was down to lift me back up.   Now it's time for me to support him.

Fast forward to last week. I took him to the vet because he had been randomly panting and had become winded on his walks. They did chest x-rays and told me they found "something." They sent those off to a radiologist, who determined that his lymph nodes were enlarged in his chest, which they said was very unusual. ($478.50)

 

My vet sent me to Capital Veterinary Specialist for an ultrasound and cytology, where they confirmed he had even larger lymph nodes in his abdomen and diagnosed him with Stage IV Lymphoma ($775). I am told it is incurable and I am completely devastated.

 

The vet at the specialist gave me 3 options. The first option was hospice care to make him more comfortable with prednisone until it was his time to go (life expectancy 1-2 months). The other 2 options were two different types of chemo treatments. One option was the "Gold Standard" CHOP protocol for lymphoma care which gives him the highest chance of remission and longest estimated life expectancy (1 year), but at a greater financial cost. The other was a less effective and shorter treatment with shorter remission rates, meaning the cancer would likely come back very soon after treatment ended. Life expectancy was much lower (6-9 months) and cost about half as much as the "Gold Standard."

 

I went with the Gold Standard treatment after discussing my options with the vet and speaking to several other pet parents who have unfortunately had to go through the same thing, and it was highly recommended for best quality of life (~$500 a week for 18 weekly chemo treatments). His first chemo treatment went well and we plan to go every Friday for the next 18 weeks.

 

Thank you again for your time and donations.  He has provided me with companionship and unconditional love for many years and I hope to be able to return the love.  I will continue to update things as his treatments progress.