Our beloved 10 year old Australian Shepherd, Oli, has had a rough few months. I am not one to ask for financial help from others, but am seeking a little bit of help, as we have surpassed our reimbursement limit with his insurance.

First he potentially presented with Kennel Cough back in May of this year, and it progressed into pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. This caused two separate overnight ER stays, a CT Scan, bronchoscopy, lung wash, multiple x-rays and multiple medications to try to cure these issues.

We kept seeing weeks of improvement and then back to being very sick, over and over like a rollercoaster. We finally thought he was on the mend this time.

Sunday night, Oli, started showing rapid breathing, lethargy and was not wanting treats or food (which is a big red flag for him). We brought him into a different ER vet, where a mass was found on his heart with a lot of fluid surrounding and leaking into his abdomen.

We have learned it is either mangiosarcoma, or a tear and blood clotting due to heart disease. Both have no cure, but if it is due to heart disease and not the scary C word, we may have a few more months with him.

We can’t determine which condition he has without seeing a cardiologist and getting an echocardiogram. We are wanting to seek this option to potentially have 6+ months longer with him (with treatment), or learn if it truly is cancer and how to determine how to spend the time he has left.

I only ask for help since we have had so many tests and er visits and appointments in the last four months. We have unfortunately surpassed his $10,000 insurance reimbursement limit and are already over $5,000 in out of pocket expenses. A cardiologist and tests/potential treatment will be even more of an expense and we are stretched pretty thin.

We love Oli more than anything, and he is my first dog that I have ever owned. This is all very overwhelming and I just want to do what’s best for our boy.

Anything would help, and if you cannot donate, please share with your friends. I appreciate every single one of you, even if you are here just to learn about our story. ♥️