Help Koda the Husky Fill Her Lungs Again

Koda is a six year old Siberian Husky with the energy of a puppy. Since the day I took her home she has brought so much love and joy into my life and the lives of my family. A few days ago I noticed she wasn’t quite herself as she seemed to struggle to take full breaths. Her labored breathing continued and only seemed to get worse as time went on. I took her to the veterinarian, who after performing an exam and chest x-rays, informed us that there was excess air filling her chest cavity. The Veterinarian then gave us a referral to a specialist at Access Animal Hospital in Woodland Hills and advised us to bring Koda in soon as possible. We left immediately and upon arrival, Koda was admitted to the animal hospital. Due to the current Covid pandemic, Koda was taken inside and we were not allowed to enter the building with her. The Doctors confirmed via phone that Koda was suffering from a Spontaneous Pneumothorax, meaning there was a rupture within her lungs. With every breath, air that was supposed to stay in Koda’s lungs would escape into her chest cavity and accumulate around her lungs leading to the collapse of one or both of her lungs. The specialists performed an emergency  thoracentesis, by placing a chest tube in between her ribs to relieve some of the pressure. Initially, Koda released a full liter and a half of air through the chest tube, and was then prepped for her hospital stay ahead. Before leaving for the night I was given the bill to cover the first 48 hours of her stay. That bill came to $3,928, and without hesitation I paid to help my little girl (a very important family member) begin her fight to survive. We were unable to say goodbye to Koda due to current covid rules and it was difficult to drive away. Later that evening I received a call from the Doctor updating me about Koda’s condition. She told me that they suspected one or more bullae (small air-filled sacs) had burst in her lungs causing the Spontaneous Pneumothorax. In order to fix the problem and save her life, Koda will have to undergo a chest CT Scan to identify the area of compromise and then a Chest Sternotomy to fix the problem. The surgeon described it as the dog equivalent to open heart surgery as they will have to open up her ribcage to access her lungs properly. This surgery, scheduled for Thursday, June 25th, along with all the care and medication involved, as well as aftercare will cost me approximately $8723.56. This would bring her total medical bills to about $12,650. The Doctors and Surgeon staff have been very kind and keep me updated on her condition and assure me that this type of surgery has a very high success rate, but without it Koda’s condition will only deteriorate. I would do anything for my Koda girl just as she is there for me everyday and has helped me with my own struggles and depression. She saved my life now I need help saving hers. She is my world, my little girl and I owe it to her to do my best to get her the care she needs. Any type of help would be greatly appreciated, whether that be a donation of any amount, or if that is not possible, a simple share. Thank you in advance for your time and your help. God bless you.


All our love and gratitude,

Christian and Koda