Santi's Hail Mary

It's likely that Santi has Physitis, an infection of the growth plate of the vertebrae. This is causing him significant daily pain.

An x-ray from two years ago shows evidence of this, however, the vet that we were seeing at the time believed that it was an old fracture and, if I'm being quite honest, acted like I was ridiculous for being concerned about it, so I didn't pursue it further at the time. I feel absolutely awful knowing that this is something that we could have treated years ago, and that Santi has been living in pain for so long. Thankfully, our current vet is wonderful and is working hard to find solutions for us.

A definitive diagnosis would require an MRI and spinal tap, totaling about $4,000 before treatment. This is simply unachievable for me, and would also be difficult on my sensitive guy, as we would have to go to a new vet clinic with all new people. Our vet has suggested that we instead take a fresh set of x-rays at our usual clinic to get a better idea of how things have progressed in the past two years, treat with a 3-4 month course of antibiotics, and then do another set of x-rays to evaluate progress. This will be about $2200 total - still outside of what I can afford to do, but a more reasonable goal.

In addition to being medically complex, Santi has always been behaviorally complex, too. Things have gotten much harder in recent months, to the extent that behavioral euthanasia has been on the table, at the recommendation of multiple professionals. While I've known that Santi has chronic pain that directly affects his behavior, discovering that his pain is much more intense than we suspected is like finding the missing puzzle piece. My hope is that this treatment would have a significant impact on his mental wellbeing and reduce some of his dangerous behavior, which would improve quality of life for both of us.

In addition to this treatment, our vet has recommended that we start Ketamine injections to help with his chronic pain (which exists in his elbows and knees, too - he's a mess!). This will be about $50 every 1-4 weeks, in addition to his existing daily drug regimen. Santi really struggles with medical procedures of any kind, including injections, so there's a chance that this won't be realistic for him, but we're working on a plan with his medical team to set him up for success.

Each round of x-rays comes out to about $1000 (see estimate in photos), including sedation and all of the other appointment fees. The antibiotics are about $200 (although I am hoping to find them a little cheaper online). This is a grand total of about $2200, but there are some other 'extras,' like probiotics to help him not feel so sick from the antibiotics and a better-fitting muzzle, that I'm hoping to cover as well.

If we raise more money than we need for the x-rays and antibiotics (or, if, for some reason, our vet advises against treatment or changes the plan after the first round of x-rays), the funds will go towards other costs:

• Probiotics to be given while on antibiotics, as recommended by our vet (~$100-150 for 3-4 months)

• A custom muzzle to be worn during appointments, as his current one is too narrow and uncomfortable to wear for more than a few minutes, and I've yet to find a standard option that will be any better (~$150)

• Ketamine injections (~$50 each, including the cost of the tech appointment)

• Daily meds and supplements (~$100/month)

• End of life care, should treatment end up not being an option, is unsuccessful, or his dangerous behavior continues to escalate ($??, pricing this out will make me cry too much right now)

• Probably some extra yummy treats and a new ball, because he deserves them

I really hate asking for help again, but I also really don't want my dog to die. Even with the generosity of others through past fundraisers, I've spent tens of thousands of dollars on his care - money that I absolutely did not have, which has made everything else in life that much harder. I'm so grateful for any and all support, especially knowing that so many people are also struggling financially right now. My sweet, silly, sensitive boys deserves a second chance at life.