Hi, my name is Derek Oudie. I have created this GoFundMe to help raise money to help pay for surgery for my service dog, Pepsi.

About me

I am a US Army veteran who came home with physical & mental issues, and my wife & I decided that a service dog would be able to improve my quality of life. I adopted 3-month-old Pepsi in February 2023 with the intention to train him to be a psychiatric service dog for myself. After Pepsi graduated Puppy class at PetSmart, I spent a year training Pepsi how to behave in public as well as his service dog tasks. I have been able to go many places with Pepsi where without him I would have issues such as panic attacks & PTSD triggers.

Medical history

About 1.5 years ago, Pepsi had an abdominal X-ray done to see if he had any GI blockages. While no blockage was found, the X-rays did find that he was developing osteoarthritis in his hips at age 1. The arthritis was only the tip of the iceberg unfortunately. In early 2025, a vet visit confirmed that Pepsi had developed hip dysplasia as a puppy, and was causing him severe pain as it went undiagnosed & untreated until then. Pepsi has been treated via medication since Spring 2025, however Pepsi is still having severe pain despite our efforts to treat him medically. Pepsi's veterinarian recommended a total hip replacement (THR) to treat the hip dysplasia permanently, and a surgical consult on October 9, 2025 confirmed that a THR is the best course of action. Pepsi is currently scheduled for surgery on October 14, 2025 to replace one hip, with the other hip to be replaced at a later date.

What is hip dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia in dogs occurs when the ball & socket joint of the hip does not develop properly. The hip socket becomes too shallow to fit the femoral head, and the femoral head becomes dislocated. Because of this improper connection, the misaligned femoral head rubs bone-on-bone against the pelvis. In Pepsi's case, the bone-on-bone rubbing has caused bone spurs, hip instability, limited range-of-motion, and severe pain.

Costs of treatment

Not counting the examinations done or medications prescribed by Pepsi's veterinarian, there are 3 categories of expenses associated with a THR:

Why we are raising funds

Fortunately, Pepsi has health insurance to cover most of the expenses. Pepsi's insurance covers 80% of the costs associated with treating his condition. Pepsi's sudden need for surgery could not come at a worse time. As of today, 10/10/2025, the US Government has been unable to create a national budget for the fiscal year. My wife works for the US Department of Defense and is currently working without receiving her wages. There is no guarantee that she will not become furloughed without pay. Because of this, my family is losing 66% of our income. I have estimated a $5000 goal for this fundraiser, which is roughly 20% of the cost of Pepsi's treatment.

Thank you for taking time to visit Pepsi's fundraiser page. Any donations will be greatly appreciated, and any extra funds raised will be used to for Pepsi's other expenses. Examples of where excess funds will go toward include Pepsi’s prescription food, treats, and routine veterinary care.