Ellie needs your help!

Ashley Gemma is organizing this fundraiser.

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From the moment we rescued Ellie from a shelter in Kentucky on March 31st, 2017, she changed our lives in the best way possible. She is the most loving pup, and at 1.5 years old, she is every bit the handful that we expected! However, just a few months into having her, she started to lose weight rapidly, and the once ravenous pup would barely eat. She has dealt with fevers, vomiting, and a cough. After multiple veterinary appointments and different medications, Ellie went in for an ultrasound, x-ray, and biopsy.

We have received heartbreaking news.

Ellie has disseminated histoplasmosis, a dangerous fungal infection found in the Southern U.S. around the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississipi River valleys. She was likely infected a few months before we rescued her, giving the spores time to infect her lungs, liver, and lymphatic system.

Because of the rare and complex nature of this infection, treatment is expensive. Despite this, we have decided to give Ellie a fighting chance to beat this illness and live a long and happy life surrounded by her toys, and tons of cuddles.

Ellie will need multiple treatments daily for a minimum of 6-8 months. Currently, she is taking Fluconazole, Terbinafine, Prednisone, Ondansetron, and Mirtazapine daily.

Ideally, she would take 200mg of Itraconazole daily (approx. $600 USD per month), instead of the Fluconazole and Terbinafine, and eventually have 12 treatments of Amphotericin B ($200 USD per vial), an injectable anti-fungal, which will require all day hospital stays to monitor kidney and lung function. During this time she will also need routine blood work, urine antigen testing, and x-rays.

Without the recommended treatment, Ellie will not make it. We never expected to reach out for help, but we have no options left, and the treatment must be started as soon as possible. We have already spent over $3,000 USD to diagnose her, get baseline readings, and start treatments, and this is just the beginning.

Please, we are asking for any help, well wishes, and prayers you can send our way to save our baby girl. We don't know what we would do without her in our lives.

Despite the long haul ahead of us, we know Ellie can make it!

Thank you ❤

-Ashley & Colin

For more information on Histoplasmosis in dogs, please follow the link below: