Help Save Smokey – Life-Saving Surgery for Our Sweet Boy

We are reaching out with a hopeful and heavy heart to ask for your help. Our beloved Cocker Spaniel Smokey, just one year and eight months old, has been diagnosed with a life-threatening liver condition called PSS, a portosystemic shunt.

A portosystemic shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that bypasses the liver, preventing it from filtering toxins from the bloodstream. In Smokey’s case, this means dangerous toxins are building up in his body, leading to symptoms like bladder stones and confusion, with the potential for seizures and organ failure. The only real chance Smokey has at a normal, healthy life is through a life-saving surgery to correct the shunt and restore proper liver function.

Over the past week, Smokey has spent four days in the animal hospital undergoing emergency treatment and extensive testing, which has already cost us over $8,000. Now, his surgery, post-operative care, and long-term medication are estimated to cost an additional $15,000—an amount we can not afford on our own.

Smokey isn’t just a pet—he’s our heart, our family, our everything. He’s incredibly loving, playful, and full of personality. He’s a gentle cuddle bug who brings light and laughter into our home every single day. Smokey is not facing this alone, he has two sisters who are absolutely inseparable from him. They do everything together—eat, sleep, play, and snuggle. They are his best friends and constant companions. Watching them without him, confused and worried, breaks our hearts. We truly don’t know how they would cope without their brother. Their bond is one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever seen.

Despite everything he’s going through, Smokey still wags his tail, gives kisses, and tries to play like the happy boy he wants to be. All we want is to give him the chance to grow old surrounded by the love he gives so freely.

Every single donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward Smokey’s surgery and medical care. If you’re unable to give, we completely understand and would be so grateful if you could share Smokey’s story with your friends, family, or social media. Spreading the word can make a world of difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. From the bottom of our hearts and from Smokey’s—thank you for your kindness, compassion, and support. With your help, partnered with the medical staff at the VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, a successful surgery will give Smokey the long, joyful life he deserves by his sisters’ side and in the arms of us, where he belongs.

With endless gratitude,

Smokey’s loving Mom & Dad

Erin & Aldion

Visit this link to learn more on PSS