A bit over 2 months ago, Ruffo had a large lump on his leg. We assumed it was swelling from falling off the bed. After going to the vet, we found out it was a tumor, a soft tissue sarcoma. At the time, we planned on trying to treat his leg and remove the tumor, but things got really complicated really quickly. At first, the medications reduced the size and gave a possibility of removing it via surgery. Then it started growing again, and Ruffo started having issues walking. We had to do a biopsy to get a better idea of what was going on.

This was the start of a really rough week. First, his wound wouldn't close. By all means, he should have been fine, but he nearly bled out on us, leading to his first emergency room visit. He was able to power through but was still in rough shape. After a few days, we got results from the lab; the tumor was really aggressive. We would later learn that it was starting to eat the leg bone. We scheduled the amputation soon after with plans for a blood transfusion should it prove necessary. At first, the surgery seemed to have gone well with no abnormalities. Roughly 3 hours later, he began to bleed and had to be rushed to emergency care. Over the next 2 or 3 days, he received 2 doses of blood, and we had to consider letting him go. He had done more than I could have ever asked of him, so I laid down next to him and spent the night with him. If he survived, I would be able to celebrate with him, and if it was his time, I would be able to gather the family so he wouldn't feel alone. He pulled through once again but was in even worse shape than before. He has luckily gotten better and can now move around easier. Unfortunately, his wound did get infected and will require another surgery to correct. We believe we found the underlying bleeding issue and have a better idea of what to expect.

As of now, I have been funding it out of pocket. Last year, I saved up money to buy a house in the future but decided to push it off as I felt uncertain about how things were going. Then a drunk driver crashed into both my parents' cars, totaling them. He was underinsured and had ruined at least 3 cars, possibly 4. I gave my car to my parents at a steep discount to help them out of a bind and got myself a car. I figured with the money I still had saved up, I would be able to deal with most situations. I have redirected that money to keep Ruffo; I'm running on fumes at this point.

I adopted Ruffo after he had been saved from a shelter in Georgia where they planned to put him down. He had a fear of belts, was missing a part of his tooth, and was scared of being left alone. He has since gotten over most of his fears and has shown a love for our family as a whole. He has always been a reliable companion in tough times and a very unique character in calm times.

If anyone would be interested in helping my boy, I currently plan on spending funds from this effort in the following order:

Immediate care costs

Quality of life stuff

Treats/food

A prosthetic leg (I don't want him to deal with arthritis issues if possible)

Any leftover debts, after 2 months of Ruffo's last medical issue

All other funds will be kept separate and only used for Ruffo's well-being.

I thank you for your time and consideration.