Help Stella Survive Poisoning

Thanks for being here. My name is Cameron. I made this page on behalf of my best friend, my soul dog, Stella.

Stella is the sweetest, kindest animal (all pet parents say that, right?), but it's true, she's my best friend and has been for the last eight years. My heart is breaking, and I need your help to buy her more time.

What happened?

On November 22, I was getting ready for work and found Stella seizing in my living room, unconscious. I immediately drove her to the nearest hospital, where they gave her lipids and fluids. Soon after, I learned the hard way that Stella's breed (Australian Shepard) has a much higher chance of negatively reacting to certain drugs due to a gene mutation (MDR1).

After about 10 hours, I transferred her to another hospital that could provide overnight care, but after transferring her, they recommended I take her to yet another facility that was 2.5 hours away that had a ventilator, as they saw signs of pneumonia.

Why a Go Fund Me?

Once a dog with this gene mutation has ingested a toxic level of a particular drug (such as ivermectin), the drug must work its way through the system. Unfortunately, this can take days to weeks, and there is no antidote. All I can do is wait and provide supportive care.

She has been in a coma for 6 days, the medical costs have risen by over $15,000, and I’m rapidly running out of funds. That's why I need your help.

Stella’s Status:

It seems some things are working for us and some against us. She is currently on a ventilator (low setting), using a feeding tube, and currently has severe pneumonia. However, she had a high fever for the last two days but has normalized since 11/27 so there is still hope.

Currently, Stella is in the only hospital that provides a ventilator in the State (NC), which costs about $1200/day. Her condition is still critical but improving, but she needs more time to process the toxin out of her system, which is becoming very costly.

Please help give Stella give more time to recover. I sincerely appreciate any help you can provide.

If I can give Stella one more week, it could make all the difference.

I would also like to use the funds to build an awareness campaign (website, social media flyers, vet and breeder education) for other Australian Shepard lovers, including veterinarians unaware of the gene mutation. I want to help educate, so no one else has to go through this with their best friend.

From my heart to yours,

Cameron