Hi, my name is Jenn, and I’m the proud mom of our sweet Frenchie, Boo. On Friday, September 12th, our world was turned upside down when we learned that Boo has an aggressive form of oral cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.

In the days leading up to September 7th, we started noticing changes in Boo. Her left jowl became swollen, which we initially thought was a bee sting since she had been outside in the backyard (and has had a similar reaction before). We gave her Reactine, and the swelling went down that same day — but over the week, her appetite dropped to just one meal a day, usually late at night, and she became increasingly lethargic and unlike herself. When we saw blood in her water bowl and bright red drops on her dog bed, we knew something was seriously wrong and rushed her to the emergency vet.

On Tuesday, September 9th, Boo underwent a dental cleaning and oral surgery. What we thought would be a simple extraction for a tooth root abscess became much more serious. They had to remove three teeth, and they discovered a soft tissue mass on her left maxilla (upper jaw). The mass was submitted for histopathology, which confirmed our worst fear... cancer.

Our vet immediately sent an urgent referral to a veterinary surgical oncology clinic. On Tuesday, September 16th, we met with a specialist who recommended surgery as Boo’s best chance for a good prognosis. The goal is to remove as much of the tumor as possible to give Boo more years with us. The median survival time for untreated dogs is 54 days with a 0% 1-year survival rate.

Boo is scheduled for surgery on Thursday, September 18th. The procedure will include:

CT Scan & Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping – $3,350

To determine the full extent of the tumor and check for spread to local lymph nodes (includes hospitalization, sedation, medications, and result analysis).

Maxillectomy Surgery – $11,650

Removal of the affected portion of Boo’s upper jaw bone and reconstruction using a flap from the inside of her lip. This is a highly complex surgery (especially for a Frenchie) and includes anesthesia and monitoring, hospitalization, IV fluids, histopathology, nerve blocks, pain management, and lymph node excision.

Any additional funds will go toward post-surgical radiation therapy if cancer margins are not completely removed. This would involve 4 weeks of daily treatment (Monday to Friday) at either Cornell University in New York or the Ontario Veterinary College (which means additional travel and lodging costs).

Boo is only 5½ years old and has so much more life to live. She’s been with us through every major milestone, and now, just days before we welcome our first human baby (due September 20th!), we are determined to give her the best chance to meet her baby sister and continue to fill our home with joy.

If you’ve ever met Boo, you know how special she is — sweet, goofy, and full of love. She’s the first one to make us laugh and the first one to curl up with us when we need comfort. We cannot imagine our home without her.

We are so grateful for any support, whether it’s a donation or sharing this campaign. Every single dollar brings us closer to covering Boo’s surgery and giving her a chance at more happy, healthy years.

If you'd like to donate directly to us, please feel free to e-transfer us. You can contact me below for our e-mail address.

Thank you for reading Boo’s story and for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

With love and gratitude,

Jenn, Eric, and Boo