Please Help Gunner Beat Cancer!

My name is Alyssa and my fiance is Cody. Gunner is our 5-year-old German Shepard rescue that we took in when he was only 3 months old and found on the streets. Up until last week, he was the healthiest, most fun-loving pup we could have ever asked for. He is not only our best friend but a huge part of our family. He is loved by everyone that is lucky enough to meet him and warms everyone's hearts, even people that don't care for dogs. I joke all the time about how he was raised by Shih Tzus and thinks that he is the size of a 10lb dog and it doesn't stop him from sitting in your lap and giving you kisses even though he is actually 90lbs. He is the biggest cuddler and loves (more than anything) to have you scratch his butt.

Last Thursday, we received the most heartbreaking news when bringing him into the vet for a small bump near his butt. They found a malignant tumor believed to be 2cm. We were recommended to an oncologist and told that if the tumor remained small, they potentially could remove the tumor and we could get a good amount of time with him since he is still young. The closest appointment we could get was in February but we believed we would still have enough time to get this.

By Sunday, we have to go into urgent care as the bump on Gunner's rear is so large it's preventing him from going to the bathroom. He still is in high spirits and playful at this time so I hope for the best. The doctor sends us home with antibiotics and pain meds just in case. By the next day, he is so uncomfortable that we end up calling every surgical oncologist we can to see if anyone can fit us in but everyone is still booked out to February.

We decided to take a chance and schedule him with a regular surgeon to see if they can possibly relieve some discomfort but we received the news that because of the area and size of the mass, the doctor did not feel comfortable performing the surgery. This vet (whose team and himself were absolutely OUTSTANDING) took care of Gunner for the next 24 hours getting him on fluids and doing an x-ray and ultrasound so that when we find a surgical oncologist, we have the most information we can.

I don't know how but our prayers were answered when we received a call from one of the best surgical oncologists in the area that they had an opening that next morning. We picked up Gunner from the overnight stay with our vet and he seemed like his own goofy, loving self (except he had the cone of shame because of his IV which of course he didn't like). After the exam, the oncologist recommended a CT as she said it felt so large she was not able to detect the entire mass from a rectal exam. From there, the CT only made us more confused. The mass is indeed large but it was so large, the oncologist wasn't able to tell if the mass was attached to the rectum or if it was even attached to anything at all.

After getting to see our baby tonight before deciding on the next steps, we didn't want to give up on him especially if he wasn't going to be in pain if the tumor is removed. He is strong. He has more years to live on. He is supposed to be at our wedding in June. He is supposed to be there for our first baby. We just couldn't give up. We have put almost everything we have into saving him. We have faith and will continue to have faith.

We are just asking for support whether it be just prayers, contributions for medical bills, or simply sharing our story. Please just keep Gunner in your hearts. His surgery is tomorrow morning and we are praying for a miracle.