Hi friends,

We are finally out of choices to help my sweet Riley, so I’m turning to my community in hope that you might be able to help her get the attention she needs.

If I am unable to raise enough money for Riley‘s medical bill, there may be no choice but to put her down to end her suffering.

This is Riley. She is 6 and a half years old and the most gentle, caring dog you could ever meet. Riley is a German Shepherd and coonhound mix who has been part of our family for years. She is fiercely loyal, incredibly loving, and we truly cannot imagine life without her.

For the past two years Riley has been suffering from a severe skin disorder that has slowly gotten worse. What started as itching turned into constant scratching, painful sores, hair loss, and inflamed skin across her body. Watching her go through this has been heartbreaking.

Over the past two years we have done everything we can to try to help her. Riley has been tested for mange as well as yeast and bacterial infections, but those were ruled out. She has tried multiple treatments including strong antibiotics such as Bactrim and cephalexin, different medicated shampoos, and major diet changes including gluten free food and switching to salmon-only protein to rule out food allergies.

We also removed many cleaning products and other possible irritants from our home in case Riley was reacting to something in the environment.

Despite all of these efforts, Riley is still suffering and the veterinarians still do not know exactly what is causing her condition. That being said there seems to be common skin disorders within her breed, so if we could get these tests done then we might be able to finally help her heal.

The next step recommended by the vet is a blood test. Blood testing would require Riley to stay at the veterinary clinic for several days so they can draw blood multiple times throughout the day to study what is happening in her body. If that’s inconclusive then it is a skin biopsy next. This test would allow specialists to examine Riley’s skin under a microscope to determine whether she may have an autoimmune disease, a severe chronic allergy condition, or something more serious such as skin lymphoma.

Unfortunately, after everything we have already spent trying to help Riley over the past two years, our family cannot afford these next steps on our own.

I’m praying Riley can have one last chance to find out what is wrong and whether there is a treatment that could help her live comfortably again.

If you are able to donate, even a small amount would mean the world to us and to Riley. If you cannot donate, sharing Riley’s story could help us tremendously.

Thank you for taking the time to read Riley’s story and for helping us try to give her a chance.