Save Teddy: Urgent Surgery Needed

Hello! I'm Teddy's mom and dad, Kass and James. Teddy is our 12-year-old Pomeranian. He first entered my life 8 years ago when my grandmother adopted him when he was 4. As soon as I met him, I knew he was going to be the most important animal I have ever and will ever meet. Kass has always been allergic to pretty much everything, but somehow never reacted to him. Kass' grandma always said, "Kass! I got you in dog form! You both wear all black, neither of you can breathe, and you're both really fat!" (Thanks, Gram.) Her grandma always said, "When I die, I want Teddy to be yours. You're just the right fit. He should go to your family, where he'll be happy and have playtime with your daughter. She deserves him too." Later on, she was diagnosed with dementia, and when she was gone, Teddy came to our home.

He has become like a second child to us and is her certified ESA. He also alerts to her seizures and will get my attention when she faints and/or need to get to the floor. He's a very sweet, smart, and stubborn boy.

Teddy has a collapsing trachea, luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, and pancreatitis. He has treatments, and his vet has been really positive and said he still has many years ahead. Teddy still goes on walks, runs, jumps, and plays. Until today.

Last weekend he wasn't eating so Kass took him in for an emergency appointment, thinking it was a pancreatitis flare. However, when they did an x-ray, an unknown obstruction was found. Teddy had to have an exploratory surgery to find out what it is and to save his life. However, the surgery is more than my family can afford.

The mass was mostly hair and random things he licked, his tongue is too big for his mouth, so it catches things that we can't always see. It solidified into a trichobezoar and twisted in his intestines and lodged itself where his small and large intestines meet. Stretched out it was about as long as my hand, maybe more, and it started a very minor twist in his intestines, which if we didn't catch it when we did, would have caused a very painful death. Almost a week later, he developed a hernia.

Teddy's vet says that his quality of life is fantastic, and despite his age, he's in great shape and has more life to live. His life is worth fighting for, so we're going to fight for it. This vet has been very brutally honest in the past, so him saying it's worth the fight means it's worth the fight.

My partner, our daughter, and I are trying to get the funds together to be able to afford this to save my Teddy's life. He may be old, but he is worth fighting for.

Thank you for your time and attention. We appreciate it so much!