Support Gilligan's Fight

If you know me, you know Gilligan. She has been my absolute right hand for over 11 years. We have accomplished an unbelievable amount together, she is my Novice A dog and has never put a foot wrong trying to do absolutely anything I ask of her.

This morning I woke briefly at 4am to her tucked beside me in bed, belly up as usual, in a deep relaxed sleep. I drifted off again with my arm around her. At 5am I startled awake to the bed shaking. She was at my feet, violently hunched and shaking hard. I knew something was deeply wrong. We raced to the local ER vet. They took one look at her and administered methadone, which didn't even begin to touch her pain. X-rays and bloodwork came back unremarkable. A bedside ultrasound suggested possibly something with her gallbladder. With that information we raced from there to a specialty clinic with better machines. She was in so much pain yet remained so calm, so strong. Undoubtedly for me, as she always has been. A better ultrasound determined that it was far worse than an inflamed gallbladder - she had a perforated duodenum. Or so they believed, she was in so much pain and so hunched they could barely see anything.

Emergency surgery was the only way forward. The $32,000 estimate was a shock, but I knew I had to give my best girl every chance. I swiped my credit card for $30,000 (after spending $1,500 at the other ER) and had the chance to briefly hold my girl while sobbing before leaving her. She made it through the surgery this evening. Her prognosis is guarded and will require ongoing hospitalization to make it through the bowel resection recovery and now looming pancreatitis. She is not out of the woods, but she is fighting. We don't know exactly what caused this, but we do know that just yesterday she was riling all the young dogs up to rumble. This girl has a lot of spice left in her.

I feel deeply strange about asking for help. But I know Gilligan has touched many more lives than just mine. Her joyful can-do attitude and kind interactions with everyone and everything she meets have made her a favorite in the PWD community. I would appreciate anything, even just words of hope and good vibes for my best girl.

My partner and Gilligan’s second “mom” Melissa will be listed as “beneficiary” as she is managing the financial details with the hospital while I focus on Gilligan’s care.