Hi there!
Meet Oakley, she is my 5 year old German Shepard pup. Oakley and I became an inseparable pair in May 2020 when I adopted her at 8 weeks old. When choosing to get Oakley, I was naive in thinking the purpose of having a puppy around was simply for fun. Over the past 5 years, Oakley has not only been that fun puppy to have around, but she has been a consistent sense of love, safety, and purpose. I struggle to say ‘everything happens for a reason’ because it often feels unrealistic, but the timing of Oakley entering my life when love, safety, and purpose were things I so deeply needed makes me question whether there may be some truth to that phrase.
In early March 2025, I came home from work to find evidence that Oakley was not well. With two ER visits, the second leading to a short hospitalization at a specialty animal hospital, Oakley was diagnosed with a nasal chondrasarcoma. The diagnosing vet described a ‘large’ tumor located in her right nasal cavity showing evidence of killing surrounding tissue and beginning to cause thinning in her bone. Oakley quickly began showing signs of difficulty breathing, severe nose bleeds, trouble sleeping, and increased anxiousness.
Initially we were apologized to by the vet team caring for her at time of diagnosis, them sharing their empathy and compassion for Oakley and I as we were told this type of tumor will never fully go away. We were given stats showing the rapid nature of her cancer, often leaving dogs in irreversible pain and experiencing potentially fatal symptoms within 30-90 days of diagnosis. We were also told there are a few treatment options to be explored at our next appointment with the veterinary oncology team, but admittedly I felt hopeless.
Fast forward 3 weeks, Oakley and I are both exhausted from trying to manage her symptoms- I often felt as if I was trying to care for her blindfolded and dizzy after playing that dizzy bat game we all were in love with as kids….minus the lightheartedness. But then we heard from oncology, and for the first time since coming home to a heartbreaking situation I felt relief instead of defeat.
Our veterinary oncologist strongly recommended we consider SRT, Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, for Oakley. She shared that while these kinds of tumors tend to pose significant risks to a dogs life, SRT has shown to be effective in prolonging impacted dogs life by 1-2 years. While there is no way to guarantee, the vet additionally shared that taking Oakleys young age and otherwise good picture of health into consideration, there are no signs as to why Oakley would not be on the latter half of the median. In other words, it is likely that receiving this care would allow Oakley to stay around for several years instead of the couple months we expected when this all started.
Heartwarming story right? Unfortunately there’s one more stressful twist. The bills. Simply working to receive a diagnosis, Oakley maxed out the allowed amount for reimbursement from our insurance…and by no small amount. Without support, we cannot afford to fully finance care that would save Oakley’s life, so we are asking for help. I have applied to several scholarship and grant programs aimed at supporting pet parents in keeping our furry family around, but these will not cover the extent of the bill (if awarded). As our friends and family, we are asking if you are able to help keep Oakley around a little while longer by donating to lessen the financial burden of treatment. No amount is too small, we are indescribably thankful for anything you can give.
We truly appreciate your love and support!
Kayla & Oakley