Radiation Therapy for Minnie
Donation protected
Our Bulldog Minnie is the most amazing, lovable, cuddly, rambunctious, furry ball of sass you could ever meet. For 12 years she has brought so much joy and love into the world. From camping trips to beach days to snoring her way through our wedding, she has always enjoyed life to the fullest and helped us to do the same. She is and has been the center of our universe and we are so grateful she is ours to love and care for.
Six weeks ago, Minnie developed a hacking cough and was having trouble making it through her walks. After x-rays found a mass in her abdomen, an attempted biopsy unfortunately came back with no additional information. Our wonderful, compassionate vet referred us to a specialist in radiation oncology to see what more we could learn. After a CT scan, we discovered that Minnie has a large tumor pressing on her heart which is causing her cough and making it difficult for her heart to pump normally without lots of extra effort. After discussing options with both our vet and the specialist, we came to the conclusion that, if we did not choose some form of specialty care, we would lose her in a matter of months and most likely in a painful way. This would mean her quality of life would continue to decline and she could end up in respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. While Minnie is 12 years old, we and our vets agree, she definitely has more life in her to live. If you know her, either personally or through her countless videos and photos we post, you know she is proof that age is but a number.
The treatment we've chosen with the guidance of our vet and specialist is called Stereotactic Radiation Therapy. They are able to send precise dosages of radiation directly to the tumor with little to no side effects for Minnie. To us, it seems like a miracle. The tumor is expected to reduce in size considerably over a few weeks time, allowing Minnie's heart to pump efficiently again and ceasing her debilitating cough. This treatment is likely to give Minnie 1 to 2 years of life without the pain and suffering this tumor would cause her.
The cost of this life saving treatment is higher than we anticipated, but we know it is the right call for Minnie.
Including all of her recent appointments, consultations, diagnostic tests, anesthesia, radiation treatment, and follow up testing, we are looking at just over $13,000. We can reasonably handle a portion of this, but any help would be greatly appreciated. We love Minnie with all of our heart and want her remaining time (hopefully still several years) to be as easy and pain free as possible. Thank you for caring enough to read this far, your love and support is already felt!
-Scott and Tori
Six weeks ago, Minnie developed a hacking cough and was having trouble making it through her walks. After x-rays found a mass in her abdomen, an attempted biopsy unfortunately came back with no additional information. Our wonderful, compassionate vet referred us to a specialist in radiation oncology to see what more we could learn. After a CT scan, we discovered that Minnie has a large tumor pressing on her heart which is causing her cough and making it difficult for her heart to pump normally without lots of extra effort. After discussing options with both our vet and the specialist, we came to the conclusion that, if we did not choose some form of specialty care, we would lose her in a matter of months and most likely in a painful way. This would mean her quality of life would continue to decline and she could end up in respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. While Minnie is 12 years old, we and our vets agree, she definitely has more life in her to live. If you know her, either personally or through her countless videos and photos we post, you know she is proof that age is but a number.
The treatment we've chosen with the guidance of our vet and specialist is called Stereotactic Radiation Therapy. They are able to send precise dosages of radiation directly to the tumor with little to no side effects for Minnie. To us, it seems like a miracle. The tumor is expected to reduce in size considerably over a few weeks time, allowing Minnie's heart to pump efficiently again and ceasing her debilitating cough. This treatment is likely to give Minnie 1 to 2 years of life without the pain and suffering this tumor would cause her.
The cost of this life saving treatment is higher than we anticipated, but we know it is the right call for Minnie.
Including all of her recent appointments, consultations, diagnostic tests, anesthesia, radiation treatment, and follow up testing, we are looking at just over $13,000. We can reasonably handle a portion of this, but any help would be greatly appreciated. We love Minnie with all of our heart and want her remaining time (hopefully still several years) to be as easy and pain free as possible. Thank you for caring enough to read this far, your love and support is already felt!
-Scott and Tori
Organizer
Scott Tingley Ryan
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA