Mr. Marcus Has Addison's Disease

Hi! We are Mel and Justin, and we would like to tell you a little (or a LOT) about our dog, Marcus.

 

Rescued almost seven years ago from the desert in California, he has been the grumpiest, most curmudgeonly mainstay of our lives. Though he came to us with the name "Denver," we christened him Marcus after...his propensity to mark every rock, tree, and bush in sight. Yes. We named him after how much he loves to pee. It fits him perfectly. Marcus came to us during a really difficult time in our lives, and we speak often about how he saved us from a very dark place.

 

 

That is why we are asking for help now. Marcus is the one in a very dark place. On April 9th, Marcus suffered from a sudden, acute case of Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) and was rushed to the hospital. He coded (technically died) almost immediately upon arrival, but the phenomenal team at Springfield Emergency Veterinary Hospital brought him back and is working diligently to both keep Marcus stable and figure out the underlying cause of his HGE. While there are a few working theories at this time, the cause remains unknown. At this time, he is still in critical condition but is stable.

 

We are extremely lucky. The team has told us that had Marcus arrived at the hospital even five minutes later, we probably would not have been able to get him back at all.

 

Financially, the costs are high, but not insurmountable. We are in a position where have been able to pay for the first several thousand dollars of Marcus' care out of pocket, in full, from our personal emergency fund. We are asking for help in making up the difference. His care cost estimate currently sits between 10 and 11 thousand dollars. That does not include the possibility of ongoing medication upon release, or a possible extended hospital stay. Depending on which medical theory prevails, the costs have the potential to continue increasing.

 

To know Marcus is to love him. We have been unsure of his age from the beginning, but most vets put him in the 10-12-year-old range. While he might be old in attitude, he certainly is not old in spirit! His throaty grumbles have captured the heart of many a dog-neutral or dog-ambivalent person. We call him our Taun Taun, our Scrooge, and The Grump. Or Mr. Grump. Or Grumpus. Or, "dog!" or "hey you!" Regardless of what we shout, he'll trot over with his little nose, assuming we are obviously ready to give him a treat.

 

 

He grumbles when he's happy. He grumbles when he's annoyed. He grumbles when he is demanding chin scratches and belly rubs. We cannot imagine our home without his grumbles, his attitude, and his love. Him sleeping on our heads. His spontaneous rolling around with his toys. We received a taste of grief at this hospital when the vet told us he was technically dead. We grieved and cried together for what felt like an eternity before the doctors were able to safely tell us he was stable.

 

While the amount we are asking for assistance with is high, even the smallest amounts help and add up over time. We are exceedingly thankful for the emotional and physical support we have already received from our families and friends, who have loved and continue to love us so well during this stressful time.