Puppy's Radiation Treatment

"Puppy" (her real name is Toriko but we've always called her Puppy), is a seven year old Shiba Inu, a semi-rare Japanese breed of dog. She's the friendliest dog--she's the only dog I've ever known who actually WANTS to go in the back at the vet's office to see all the vets and assistants! She's been the unofficial mascot at conventions and we take her everywhere. Even more important, she provides love and comfort in times of stress and anxiety.

Just last month we found a lump on Puppy's gumline, next to one of her molars. It was diagnosed as an "acanthomatous epulis", or a bone-based gum tumor, that can be very aggressive and can eventually close off a dog's airways because it grows so fast. The good news is that it is benign, not maligmant, so it won't spread to other parts of the dog's body. But because it was so aggressive, we had to treat Puppy immediately.

Two weeks ago, Puppy underwent radiation therapy, which cost a total of $10,000.00. She's our baby, and we couldn't imagine giving her up when it was something treatable, with a high rate of success.

If that wasn't bad enough, a week ago I was laid off from my job. So now I'm left with a huge credit card balance for her medical bills that I can't pay off. I would appreciate any help!  More pictures of Puppy to come as she recovers. She's been feeling a little down lately and having some pain, so we're spoiling her with soft canned dog food.