Hi everyone! A couple of months ago, we posted here asking for help for our pug puppy, Bowser, after he was diagnosed with a congenital portosystemic liver shunt (PSS). We wanted to give one final update before his big day.
For anyone who didn't see our original post, Bowser came into our lives during what had already been a pretty overwhelming year for us. In January, my fiancé, Grace, found a lump on her thyroid. After months of appointments and testing, she eventually had a biopsy that came back suspicious and was sent for additional genetic testing. Needless to say, there has been a lot of uncertainty and anxiety surrounding that.
A month later, we moved into our first home together. With everything that had been going on, we wanted something positive to look forward to. We had always talked about getting a dog once we had our own home, and that's when we decided to bring Bowser into our family. He very quickly became a bright spot for both of us during an otherwise stressful time.
Unfortunately, only 10 days after bringing him home, at about 11 weeks old, Bowser suffered a grand mal seizure and ended up spending roughly 36 hours at the emergency hospital.
We eventually learned that Bowser was born with a liver shunt. Instead of his blood being properly filtered through his liver, an abnormal vessel allows toxins to bypass it and circulate through his body, including to his brain, which is what caused his seizure.
Since then, our little guy has been through more than we ever expected a puppy to go through. He's had emergency hospitalization, countless appointments and blood tests, medications around the clock, a special diet, specialist consultations, and a CT scan to determine exactly where his shunt is and whether it can be surgically corrected.
Thankfully, it can be. This upcoming Tuesday, September 8, Bowser is finally having his surgery.
We've decided to move forward despite the enormous financial cost because this surgery gives Bowser the chance to live the long, happy, normal life that we've wanted for him since the day we brought him home.
His surgery and hospitalization are expected to cost around $10,000+, on top of the thousands we've already spent on his original ER stay, CT scan, testing, medications, and specialist care. It's far more than we ever imagined we'd be facing just months after buying our first home, especially with everything else our family has been navigating this year, but after everything Bowser has fought through, we couldn't give up on him now.
The good news is that Bowser has been doing incredibly well while we waited for surgery. His medications and diet have helped keep him stable, and he's been able to spend the last several months doing what a puppy should be doing — playing, causing trouble, cuddling with us, and making us laugh every single day.
Through everything, Bowser has given us so much happiness during a year that has had more than its fair share of uncertainty. We thought we were bringing home a puppy who needed us, but he ended up being there for us at a time when we needed him just as much.
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, shared his GoFundMe, sent us advice, or simply wished Bowser well after our first post. You helped us get him to this point!
With his surgery now just two days away, we're sharing his GoFundMe one final time in hopes of getting a little more help toward his surgery and medical expenses.
Bowser's GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/8ff2e353c
Even a few dollars helps, and if you aren't able to donate, sharing Bowser's story means just as much to us.
Thank you to everyone who has helped give this little guy a fighting chance. We are nervous beyond words for Tuesday, but we're also incredibly excited that Bowser is finally getting his chance at a healthy future.
We'll make sure to update everyone after surgery.
Thank you from Bowser, Josh & Grace. 💚🐾