On October 2, 2025, just one day after celebrating her first birthday, we noticed something alarming — bladder stones in our dog Winnie’s urine. We immediately took her to the vet, who sent the stones out for testing. The results confirmed they were urate bladder stones, which are often linked to a liver shunt, a serious condition where blood bypasses the liver instead of being filtered properly.

Our vet drew blood to check Winnie’s organ function and strongly suspected a liver shunt, but wanted a specialist to confirm it through a Doppler ultrasound.

While waiting for that appointment, Winnie’s health declined rapidly. She stopped eating, barely drank any water, and went almost 24 hours without going to the bathroom. She lost nearly four pounds in just a few days, so we rushed her to the emergency hospital.

The ultrasound couldn’t confirm which type of liver shunt Winnie has. There are two main possibilities:

• Intrahepatic shunt (inside the liver) – typically not surgically correctable, requiring lifelong medications, special diets, and regular monitoring to keep her comfortable.

• Extrahepatic shunt (outside the liver) – surgically treatable, and with correction, dogs can go on to live long, happy lives.

To determine which one Winnie has, she now needs a CT scan with contrast, an angiogram, and possibly a biopsy. She was hospitalized overnight for fluids, medications, and further testing.

We’re already at $5,000 in veterinary bills, and the next phase of diagnostics and potential treatment could cost up to $30,000. Unfortunately, we do not have pet insurance, and this has all come so suddenly. Winnie is only one year old, full of love and sweetness, and deserves the chance at a healthy life.

Our family — especially our three girls — has been devastated seeing her so sick. They cried just from her being away for one night. Winnie is such an important part of our family, and we’re doing everything we can to help her.

If you’re able to donate or share this fundraiser, it would mean the world to us. Every little bit helps us get closer to giving Winnie the care she needs to survive and thrive.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reading, sharing, and supporting us in saving our baby girl.

With love,

The Goode Family & Winnie