Appeal to help a very special support dog get treatment for possible tumour

[rhenders]

Hi everyone.

I am new to the forum so please forgive me if this post is inappropriate or in the wrong section but I have put this here as it is dog health related.

I am just trying to help a friend to try and raise some funds for urgently needed treatment for his very sick support dog Harvey as he himself is quite unwell and unable to fund it himself.

We are doing this on the fundraising website GoFundMe and it does not matter where in the world you are from, if you wish, you can kindly donate as little as you wish. GoFundMe converts all donations into UK currency and even 50 pence will all make a difference.

We have tried a twitter appeal but I didn't really know how to do it so no-one took any notice :(

I will post the URL for the GoFundMe page below then under that I will cut-n-paste from the appeals page. There are more pictures of Harvey on the appeals page so please have a look at this very beautiful dog.

Thanks everyone

www.gofundme.com/ojt198

Taken from the GoFundMe page...

I am trying to raise £3000 for my companion dog Harvey who desperately needs to have a Brain MRI scan costing £1,500 and a series of tests known as a Spinal Workup costing £1,500.

He has started to have very serious Grand Mal Seizures and my Vet urgently needs to have the procedures done to find out why. He is my whole world and to see him go through these seizures is breaking my heart.

It started a month ago when I noticed that Harvey was having slight tremors when he either stood still or sat upright. He seemed unwilling to lay down and when he did he seemed restless and uncomfortable. Of course I took him to the Vet straight away and he had blood and urine tests which all came back clear. My Vet said that the tremors were down to his age and that I should just keep a close eye on him.

Last week out of the blue he had his first seizure around bedtime and even I could tell it was a bad one. I called my vet straight away and I was advised to bring him into my vet the next morning.

She checked him over and said it may be a one off seizure and that as he was not showing any symptoms I was advised to keep him under close watch at home. She also said that, hard as it maybe to do so, if he does have another it would be helpful if I could video it on my phone so she may see what's happening.

He had another seizure last night and it was as bad as the first but I did manage to video about 20 seconds of it which I showed my Vet this morning.

She said it was a very serious Grand Mal Seizure and given how serious and how soon after the first this has happened she wanted to refer him for the tests straight away.

My Vet says it could be epilepsy but it could be something more serious like a brain tumour and before she prescribes any medication she needs to have the correct diagnosis. If its a tumour the sooner we find out the better his prospects are for recovery.

I dont have any children of my own but I know if I did I would want them to have all the tests I could to find out whats happening and in many ways Harvey is like my child.

He is in everyway my support and my companion and I would be so lost without him.

Harvey is a 8 year old Short Haired Collie cross boy and he is a rescue dog that has blessed my life since he was about a year old.

Normally he is such a happy lad, he does not have a bad bone in his body and he is always pleased to see everyone, even strangers. He loves to play with me and with other dogs and always had such a excitement for life. He always does everything at 100 miles an hour, so much energy and so much love (he is very affectionate). He is completely loyal and in every way, a dream dog.

He knows something is wrong, since he had his fits he is constantly seeking reassurance and wanting cuddles. He is not himself, I have caught him just sat in the middle of the room with his head hanging down staring into space. I had to call his name twice before he snapped out of it and this is just not how he is.

The reason why I am unable to afford to pay for his fee's to have these procedures is because I suffer from a debilitating medical condition which sadly stops me from working. Some days Harvey is the ONLY reason that I can get out of bed for, he is keeping me going. I am on a lot of strong daily medication myself and he is not just a pet, he is my only companion.

My consultant suggested one day that I should consider getting a companion animal to share my life, to give me something to live for. At the dog re-homing centre he chose me, he came over and sat down next to me which the staff said he had not done to anyone else.

In more ways than one he saved me, not the other way around and now that he needs help it's killing me inside that my personal circumstances won't allow me to return all of the love and care that he has given to me without expecting anything in return.

Due to my health I have been through some truly hard times but he has always been there with a happy smile (yes some dogs can smile) and a very waggy tail.

We are deeply bonded and go everywhere together. He has helped my health as he is walked twice a day and we played games in the garden but today (this evening) he had no interest. Normally he is bright as a button and solves any mental game I come up with to get his treat (a slice of dog safe sausage) straight away.

As I type this he is laid right on my feet and I do mean right on my feet (he is a handy foot warmer).

Right now I do not know what else to say, he is such a lovely soul and I just want to give him back the love he has given to me.

Thank you if you have read this far.

Surely your friend would b

I can't donate atm but I will do it tomorrow. Sad story-hope you manage to get enough donations!

Sorry, not sure what happened there .., would your friend not be eligible to get treatment from the PDSA? And have they tried approaching assistance dog charities? Or seeing if the vet is able to reduce the cost in any way? I hope you all manage to get it sorted

Hi Basildonbond

Yes I have contacted the PDSA and the RSPCA on his behalf but both only provide help with things like Neutering, vaccinations and so on.

Anything else and it seems your own your own.

The vet can do nothing about the cost as the MRI and CT would be carried out under referal at a specialist canine hospital so my vet has no control over the costs :(

Hi Poochlover. That's really nice of you to say and if you could help in any way it would mean a lot, even 50p, as lots of 50p's add up :)

What organisation is your dog affiliated with?

RandomMess i don't understand what you mean? My friend adopted Harvey from the RSPCA!

"Yes I have contacted the PDSA and the RSPCA on his behalf but both only provide help with things like Neutering, vaccinations and so on."

You've been misinformed, the PDSA provide treatment on a donation only basis for anyone in receipt of council tax or housing benefit, assuming your friend lives in the place listed in the go fund me page he's in the catchment for the Leicester pet hospital.

The PDSA don't have the funds for specialist investigations (my dog has started having little absence seizures and is treated by PDSA).

I take it that your friend doesn't have the dog insured?

The most common cause of seizures in dogs is epilepsy. Most vets wouldn't start medication after only 2 fits. It's usually considered when there have been several fits in a short time frame.
Some can be caused by brain lesions but what the vet is recommending here is 'the gold standard'. Yes an MRI would be ideal but lots of people can't afford referral investigations. Your friends vet should be giving him other options.

lougle - but they might give the dog better options than 3k investigations after 2 fits.

Harvey is a pet and a valued companion, not a support dog, you may wish to ask MNHQ to change your title to prevent confusion. The term support dog is generally reserved for specially trained dogs to help the disabled and those with medical conditions to increase their independence and quality of life. If he was a support dog he would possibly get assistance through the organisation that provided him (hence Random's question).

As an uninsured pet and if your friend cannot afford vet bills the best advice is the advice already given, that is to go back to the PDSA and take whatever care they can provide, it will not be expensive tests, but they will make sure he is comfortable and not in any pain.

Your friends sounds as if they have things a bit hard, but I would not get their hopes raised that the general public will fund expensive "gold standard" vet bills for their pet.

Wishing Harvey the best of luck

I agree with weallhavewings. I have no objection to someone trying to fund raise but you really should be making it clear that your friend's dog is a much loved pet NOT some kind of assistance dog which is altogether a very different thing. It feels a little misleading and that could put people off

WeAllHaveWings is correct with my reasons for the question.

Yes go back to the PDSA, whatever the diagnosis is the owner may struggle to afford the ongoing costs so that has to be taken into consideration.

Whatever Harvey's outcome if you friend benefits in some from having a dog due to their disability perhaps they should consider getting an assistant dog from one of the charities such as Canine Companions or Dogs for the Disabled.

It is heartbreaking when our pets become ill and finances come into but sadly it's a harsh reality of pet ownership and if you choose to not take out insurance then it does leave with you far fewer options

So the fund raising is just for the diagnosis? Then what happens if the diagnosis means your friend's dog needs ongoing medication?

Does your friend's vet know about her financial situation? If he knows she can't afford the MRI then the vet should have an alternative - for instance would it be an option to try the epilepsy medication to see if it works?

Very sorry for your friend OP and what a gorgeous looking dog.

I am surprised at the insistence on tests. The PDSA vet said that minor seizures are best left untreated because the treatment is worse than the disease. More serious seizures will be treated and it will become obvious if a tumour is the cause because a rapid decline will ensue.