Help Us Treat Calvin's Soft Cell Sarcoma
If you're reading this, you are probably familiar with our dear, sweet buddy, Calvin.
People actually tell me all the time, that although they may have never met Calvin in person, they just love him, and look forward to posts about him. His smile, his happy face, and his sweet demeanor have touched so many people - it surprises even me! More than one friend has confessed they share Calvin updates with their partners. Those who have met Calvin, would probably agree that he's a sweet, quiet, well-mannered soul, who just wants to be near people at all times. His favorite things are going for walks, hoarding any stuffed animal that squeaks, and especially... SNOW!
He's been an indispensable part of our little family since Justin and I first moved in together in 2009. As the Dog of Honor / Ringbearer, he was an important part of the ceremony at our wedding.
We adopted Calvin when he was about a year old, and his DNA panel claims one of his parents was a purebred lab. (He's also part husky.) He's always struggled with separation anxiety, and last year, he developed a rare eye disease - but with treatment, that is now under control. Other than that, he's lived a very happy and healthy life, thus far!
Although he's 12 now, he's still a puppy at heart! He plays with his toys, goes for frequent walks, and occasionally gets riled up enough to roughhouse, or run around the yard!
Because he's pretty happy and healthy, when we discovered a new lump under his front elbow earlier this year, we weren't too worried. But upon getting it checked out, his vet was concerned. Instead of putting him through surgery immediately, we decided to wait, and see if it would just peter out on its own, and not grow much further. We were wrong. It has grown quite large, and besides being cumbersome for him to lay on, we're afraid it could metastasize into his body. Calvin's vets now believe that removing it before it gets worse is the best chance to preserve / prolong his quality of life.
Last month, we finally saw an oncology specialist, after waiting to get in most of the summer. The official diagnosis is likely a soft cell sarcoma. They are recommending surgical removal of the tumor, and after, most likely electrochemotherapy (ETC) treatment to eliminate any cells that are missed or left behind. However, being a large tumor (about the size of 3 golf balls) wrapped around his elbow, which is a very mobile area, the surgery will be very difficult. She may choose to remove his lymph node as well, to slow the spread, if cells do metastasize.
This surgery is scheduled for FRIDAY, AUGUST 13th, of all days. It's coming up really, really fast.
We do have pet insurance, and the $3k we are trying to raise is the cost of care that our pet insurance will not cover. This amount will enable us to pay down our CareCredit card bill after the surgery, and not have to finance for months to come - which will be especially helpful if there are many follow-up appointments in our future.
- Oncology consultation = $462
- Surgical removal of the tumor = $4k
- ETC sessions - $1300 each, two sessions = $2600
It is always tough making decisions when it comes to aging pets, but we believe Calvin deserves a fighting chance. We're hoping there are still more happy dog smiles ahead.
