Please help us pay for Lulu’s eye surgery

Lulu needs new eyes! Well, not really, but she has developed cataracts in both eyes and needs surgery to remove and replace her damaged lenses. About six months ago, we noticed her bumping into more things and having trouble seeing in the dark, and it’s been getting progressively worse. Being a sighthound, Lulu is notoriously bad at using her nose, so even finding treats is getting difficult, and watching her lose us at the dog park is heartbreaking.

The good news is that surgery should be able to completely and permanently restore her eyesight. She’s otherwise in excellent health as she nears her 11th birthday, and we expect to have many more years with her. The specialist told us she is a prime candidate for surgery at her age and current condition, and we feel it is necessary for her quality of life as otherwise, she will go fully blind.

The bad news is that the procedure does not come cheap. The estimate for the surgery itself and all other pre-surgical testing and follow-up is expected to be in excess of $11,000. Between Odie’s broken leg in 2018 and Ferd’s broken jaw at the end of 2019, our emergency pet funds are essentially non-existent now, coupled with a few extensive home repairs in the last year. As the cost of the operation dramatically exceeds our pet budget, it would take us years to save up the funds in advance.

We’re asking friends and family if they can donate any amount to help offset what we’ll otherwise have to put onto credit cards. We have her scheduled for surgery in mid-March, so any assistance would be greatly appreciated as restoring her vision is a priority for us, regardless of the cost.

She’s a good girl.