Help Pickles: Urgent Veterinary Care Needed

Our sweet baby boy Pickles is suffering from some serious complications of what was supposed to be a not-so-serious operation. Because of his all his bizarre personality quirks (that make him so adorably special) and our extreme distance from a clinic capable of treating him daily for the next week (at least), the safest and most effective option is to treat him inpatient at a clinic about 90 minutes from our home. We are still unaware of the full scope and cost of his recovery but it is likely to be in the range of $15,000-$30,000.

On Weds July 9th, Pickles had an operation on his bladder to remove a large amount of crystals that had accumulated and were hindering his ability to urinate. He also had two large cysts removed from his back that had begun bothering him recently. The surgery was successful, and his recovery process began normally. By the late evening of Fri July 11th, his abdomen began looking red and swollen. When his vet contacted us the next morning to follow up on some medication side effects we were troubleshooting, we provided her photos of the concerning belly area. She told us it was likely nothing, but scheduled us for a check first thing Mon July 14th. Over the course of the weekend the swelling and redness continued to progress, and by Monday morning the swelling had spread into his legs and he had developed a drainage channel, from which now a full blown infection was draining. The vet provided an antibiotic injection and said he should recover well, sending us home. Over the next 7 hours, 4+ more of these drainage channels opened up and were leaking excessively, and it became obvious this was actually much more urgent than previously indicated.

After an 8 hour wait at the Vet ER, at 4am on Tue July 15th, Pickles was admitted for further assessment and development of a treatment plan. We now have somewhat of an understanding of what next steps and costs will be, but a lot is still unknown and will depend on how well he participates in his own recovery (ie: eating/drinking/medicating by mouth or not) and how much damage the infection has done to the tissue in his abdomen.

Today, July 15, they created a larger opening for the infection to drain from and attached a special bandage that utilizes sutures to keep it in place. This bandage needs to be replaced daily, under sedation, until Monday. On Monday he will be assessed for next steps, which could mean simply closing the wound back up, but may require additional surgery to remove damaged tissue before closing. At the time of closure he may also require a drain to be temporarily installed, which will then require a procedure to remove it and fully close the wound. We received an estimate of $8,500-$18,000 which only includes his care through Sunday night, not any of the steps to be determined Monday needed to close or further drain the wound, which we were told to "buckle up" for that estimate.

Those who know us well know we have had a lot on our plate the last few years, even if only the numerous ongoing health issues. The financial burden of living with chronic illness like Laurie's is significant. It's been very important to us to be self-sufficient and avoid asking for monetary support as much as possible. It's funny how as humans we might put off or decline our own treatments for concern of the cost, but when it comes to our furry friends, we can't bare to deny them what they need. So of course we are going to find a way to get Pickles the care and support he needs, and we would be so grateful for any support you are able to give.