Help Save Spryte
Donation protected
On Friday we received a staggering diagnosis from our vet: our beloved dog Spryte has bone cancer and the only options we have are to put her down to end her pain or amputate her whole leg to save her life.
Recently, she developed a slight limp that got progressively more painful over the last few weeks. At first, our vet took some x-rays and suggested it was a bone spur or a form of arthritis in her shoulder. But when the medication he prescribed had no effect, we took her back for more x-rays the next week. That's when the vet realised Spryte had Osteosarcoma (or bone cancer) in her front leg.
It's been a real shock for all of us, seeing our dog who's always been so athletic and full of life suddenly become almost unable to walk in a matter of weeks. She loves running, swimming and playing fetch more than anything in the world. She adored marathon walks around the city and hikes from one end of Toronto island to the other, with swims at every beach in between. Up until last month, she would keep us playing fetch until our fingers were frozen. Suddenly, we had to start carrying her up and down the stairs and limit her walks to just around the block. It's been painful to watch, and now we realise, much more painful for her.
Luckily our vet was able to work some magic and get her an appointment at the Ontario Veterinarian College's Animal Cancer Centre for treatment right away. They assessed her condition and have fast tracked her for treatment. We're grateful that the OVC is one of the best animal cancer centres in the country and the care she has been getting is top of the line, but unfortunately the fees for the tests and procedures are remarkably high. The tests, x-rays and ultrasounds to assess her condition have already run into the thousands in a matter of days; the amputation surgery has been quoted somewhere between $3000-4000 not including her hospital stay and after care. They've recommended a few rounds of chemotherapy drugs after the surgery to make sure nothing no other cancer will spread through her system later on, with a handful of treatments costing another $1500.
The upside of all her tests is the confirmation that the cancer has not spread & the doctors agree that she is otherwise a very strong, healthy dog, which has been very reassuring. The doctors say that with the cancerous leg removed, the rest of her system will bounce back quite quickly, and she will have years more to live on. It will be a struggle for her, but she has already stopped using her sore leg and learned how to trot along on just three. She is a strong pup and we are confident that fighting this cancer is the right thing to do. She has a lot of life left in her yet.
It has been a whirlwind week, with her diagnosis coming just Friday and now she is going into major surgery on Tuesday afternoon. It has been very shocking and very emotionally devastating, but the doctors at the OVC have given us a lot of hope, and done everything they can to save Spryte's life. She means the world to us, she's one of the sweetest, most kind-hearted dogs we've ever known. She wins the hearts of everyone that has the good fortune to meet her and is the delight of the children she helps babysit. This is a difficult struggle, but completely worth it to give this beautiful dog a few more years with us all.
Unfortunately, as anyone who has had a sick pet will know, the costs of her emergency treatments will run up very quickly. We hope that any of you that have met Spryte and had your life touched by her kindness and warmth, or anyone that loves dogs and knows how difficult times like these can be, would be able to donate a few dollars to help take care of Spryte's surgery bills. It is developing into a staggering sum and we hope that with your generosity we can help bring this total down and concentrate on giving Spryte a comfortable recovery and cozy golden years. Any amount at all, however big or small, will help and all well wishes will be appreciated. Even if you can't contribute yourself, please consider sharing this funding campaign around to others, in hopes of aiding Spryte. We can't even say how much we appreciate all of your love and donations at this difficult time.
We look forward to having many more opportunities for you all to come over and spend time with Spryte this year and share in her love and gratitude, which is endless. Thank you all again for your support!
Recently, she developed a slight limp that got progressively more painful over the last few weeks. At first, our vet took some x-rays and suggested it was a bone spur or a form of arthritis in her shoulder. But when the medication he prescribed had no effect, we took her back for more x-rays the next week. That's when the vet realised Spryte had Osteosarcoma (or bone cancer) in her front leg.
It's been a real shock for all of us, seeing our dog who's always been so athletic and full of life suddenly become almost unable to walk in a matter of weeks. She loves running, swimming and playing fetch more than anything in the world. She adored marathon walks around the city and hikes from one end of Toronto island to the other, with swims at every beach in between. Up until last month, she would keep us playing fetch until our fingers were frozen. Suddenly, we had to start carrying her up and down the stairs and limit her walks to just around the block. It's been painful to watch, and now we realise, much more painful for her.
Luckily our vet was able to work some magic and get her an appointment at the Ontario Veterinarian College's Animal Cancer Centre for treatment right away. They assessed her condition and have fast tracked her for treatment. We're grateful that the OVC is one of the best animal cancer centres in the country and the care she has been getting is top of the line, but unfortunately the fees for the tests and procedures are remarkably high. The tests, x-rays and ultrasounds to assess her condition have already run into the thousands in a matter of days; the amputation surgery has been quoted somewhere between $3000-4000 not including her hospital stay and after care. They've recommended a few rounds of chemotherapy drugs after the surgery to make sure nothing no other cancer will spread through her system later on, with a handful of treatments costing another $1500.
The upside of all her tests is the confirmation that the cancer has not spread & the doctors agree that she is otherwise a very strong, healthy dog, which has been very reassuring. The doctors say that with the cancerous leg removed, the rest of her system will bounce back quite quickly, and she will have years more to live on. It will be a struggle for her, but she has already stopped using her sore leg and learned how to trot along on just three. She is a strong pup and we are confident that fighting this cancer is the right thing to do. She has a lot of life left in her yet.
It has been a whirlwind week, with her diagnosis coming just Friday and now she is going into major surgery on Tuesday afternoon. It has been very shocking and very emotionally devastating, but the doctors at the OVC have given us a lot of hope, and done everything they can to save Spryte's life. She means the world to us, she's one of the sweetest, most kind-hearted dogs we've ever known. She wins the hearts of everyone that has the good fortune to meet her and is the delight of the children she helps babysit. This is a difficult struggle, but completely worth it to give this beautiful dog a few more years with us all.
Unfortunately, as anyone who has had a sick pet will know, the costs of her emergency treatments will run up very quickly. We hope that any of you that have met Spryte and had your life touched by her kindness and warmth, or anyone that loves dogs and knows how difficult times like these can be, would be able to donate a few dollars to help take care of Spryte's surgery bills. It is developing into a staggering sum and we hope that with your generosity we can help bring this total down and concentrate on giving Spryte a comfortable recovery and cozy golden years. Any amount at all, however big or small, will help and all well wishes will be appreciated. Even if you can't contribute yourself, please consider sharing this funding campaign around to others, in hopes of aiding Spryte. We can't even say how much we appreciate all of your love and donations at this difficult time.
We look forward to having many more opportunities for you all to come over and spend time with Spryte this year and share in her love and gratitude, which is endless. Thank you all again for your support!
Organizer
Mark Burnett
Organizer
Hamilton, ON
