Help Us Save Nugget – A Frenchie Who Was Hours From Euthanasia
On February 28th, we adopted a little French Bulldog from the shelter who was red-listed and scheduled to be euthanized. His shelter name was Wade (A1901913), but the moment we met him, we knew he deserved a fresh start. We renamed him Nugget.
Nugget had been dumped in Hemet and picked up by animal control. The shelter medical notes warned of severe breathing issues and suspected he would need BOAS surgery, a common airway surgery for French Bulldogs.
We’ve rescued a Frenchie before, so we expected the surgery might cost around $2,000. We immediately scheduled a consultation with our vet for Monday, March 2nd, with surgery planned for the following morning.
But things quickly became much more serious.
A Life-Threatening Emergency
As we were leaving the shelter with Nugget, he suddenly began turning blue and struggling to breathe. We rushed him straight to VCA Animal Hospital in Murrieta, where he had to be placed on oxygen immediately.
To keep him alive through the weekend until he could see our regular vet, we paid $4,000 in emergency care.
On Sunday, the hospital said he seemed stable enough to go home with sedation to keep him calm.
On Monday, our vet confirmed Nugget absolutely needed BOAS surgery. He could barely eat, was choking on food, and his breathing sounded like a frog struggling for air.
The Shocking Discovery
On Tuesday morning we dropped Nugget off for surgery.
Not long after, the vet called with devastating news.
Nugget had a large mass deep in his airway, and they could not safely intubate him. They performed a biopsy and rushed him back to our car with his IV still in place, telling us to drive immediately to the nearest emergency hospital and keep him upright so he could breathe.
During the 12-minute drive back to VCA Murrieta, Nugget kept turning blue in the car. We truly thought we were going to lose him.
The Only Chance to Save Him
The emergency hospital required an $8,000 deposit immediately just for the surgical consultation.
The surgeon then told us Nugget urgently needed:
A CT scan under anesthesia
A STAT radiology report
Surgical removal of the airway mass
BOAS airway surgery
Full pathology testing
High-risk anesthesia
A temporary tracheostomy
Oxygen and intensive ICU care
Before they could begin, we had to authorize and pay $23,472.79 upfront.
We didn’t hesitate. We said yes.
Nugget’s Fight
After days of intensive care, Nugget was finally discharged Sunday, March 8th.
The incredible news:
The mass was benign.
Despite everything he went through, Nugget has recovered beautifully and is expected to live a long, healthy life.
He even gave us a scare Thursday night with a coughing episode that required another overnight emergency vet visit, but thankfully he continues to improve.
Why We Need Help
Between the emergency hospital stays, surgery, ICU care, diagnostics, and follow-up visits, we have had to charge nearly $30,000 across multiple credit cards in order to save Nugget’s life.
We would do it again in a heartbeat.
Nugget was hours from euthanasia when we found him. Now he has a future, a home, and a family who loves him.
But the financial burden is overwhelming.
How You Can Help
If you’re able, please consider donating to help us pay down the medical debt from Nugget’s life-saving care.
Every donation — no matter how small — helps.
If you can’t donate, sharing Nugget’s story would mean the world to us.
Thank you for helping give this sweet boy the second chance he deserved.
❤️