Oskar has been my best friend and the stabilizing force in my life, making sure I get out of bed and keep moving forward. As my emotional support animal, he’s helped me manage anxiety and depression with his constant, unconditional love. His excitement to meet new people and experience the outdoors inspires me every day, reminding me to be present and find joy in the little things.

Recently, Oskar developed a limp of unknown cause. Our journey began with a vet visit and a trial of Novox, which unfortunately led to severe gastric distress and a probable ulcer. This quickly escalated to an emergency room visit, where bloodwork suggested he might have ingested a foreign object. After inconclusive radiographs, Oskar was hospitalized overnight. Thankfully, things started moving in the right direction, but the next morning he had a terrible reaction to his stomach medications, resulting in three long days of constant illness. During this time, I didn’t sleep more than one to four hours at a time for the entire five day ordeal, as I cancelled my tattoo appointments to stay home and care for Oskar and tried to manage everything on my own. He is finally stable, but further consultations have pointed to a likely peripheral nerve tumor as the cause of his limp and muscle loss. We now face expensive diagnostic scans and the possibility of surgery, chemotherapy, or even more difficult decisions, depending on what the tests reveal.

On top of this, I am facing a very last-minute move to another apartment in my building so I can get quality sleep and focus on my health. The costs of Oskar’s care and the move have been overwhelming, and the upcoming specialized care, including CT scans, MRIs, and additional vet visits, could be much more. Any support you can offer means the world to us. Your kindness will help Oskar get the care he needs and give us both a chance to heal and move forward together.