Help Athena beat Cancer

Hi, my name is Ashley, I'm writting this because my therapy dog Athena has gotten sick. We need your help urgently! 

I got Athena as a pup 3.5 years ago, for my mental health. Shortly after getting athena,  i noticed a 'bump'  on her side. I was told sometimes dogs get them and it was nothing to worry about. I was told to watch for changes in size and consistency regarding how firm or soft it was. The cyst never seemed to bothered her, it did not cause any pain, it suggested we continue to monitor it. 

Without warning Athena started getting sick, she could'nt keep food down. In a panic i thought she ate something outside and it got stuck, I called the vet and made an appointment.  

After that call when Athena was drinking water,  I saw wet fur where the 'cyst' was, I patted it with paper towel and saw blood. I shaved the area down to get a better look and saw this .  ( graphic image ) 


her mass,  became very firm with no movement and was swelling a lot. The vet  suggested i bring  her in as planned the next day and put a cone around her to discourage irritating it. 

The next day Athena would not walk or move, the pain was too much, her cyst was even larger then before.  We rushed her to the vet,  we were told Athena’s mass had ruptured leading to a secondary infection / causing pain which is why she was getting sick. We thought some antibiotics and antiinflammatorys would clear it up. 


 The vet said after the swelling goes down we could proceed in assesing the situation for removal. 

We brought Athena home and her energy continued to drop even lower. She was so tired and sore, she wasnt her self. After a nap she wanted to strech a bit,  as soon as she did i could see a large swinging sack of fluid hanging from her flank. 


over the course of 3 hours she developed this fluid filled sack and it kept getting larger. it got to the point it started pooling under her. 



After another rushed visit to the vet, they figured she completely ruptured her mass internally, After some reassurence we brought  athena home with a plan to remove her mass and infection as soon as we could. 

Her energy just kept dropping, all she could do was rest. the day befor surgury we brought her in for a check up to make sure she was hydrated even though she had been getting sick. The  fine needle aspiration on her mass revealed athena actually had a MCT (mast cell tumor) It was never a cyst. the pooling of fluid was her tumor degranulating. 

Mass cell tumors are also known as mimicking tumors. MCT can often look like a cyst or fatty mass, some times they will show misleading symptoms of infection and be misdiagnosed which is why we aspirated the mass to make sure we knew 100% what it was before removal. 

So far with all your support your funds have contributed to  Athenas  tumor removel.  and the many vet visits. ( thank you all!) 

( the vet tech took this photo for me of athena waking up after her tumor was removed.) Even though the tumor was removed athena is not yet out of the woods. 
She's been slowly recovering, and now is feeling much better with the tumor removed.  as you can see in the image above the mass is gone and a large margin of tissue was removed for testing to determin grade and stage of her tumor/ making sure all cancerus cells were removed. 

With MCT the first line of treatment is removal of the mass and surrounding tissue, if you can remove a clear grid you can map how far the cancer has spread or if it still present. 

During her surgery, her doctor was initially going to remove a 4x4 grid around her tumor. However, when the surgeon saw the tissue, it became clear the swelling was out of control/ worse then we imagined. Being as aggressive as he could, he ended up removing a 8x9 space of tissue.  

Sadly, even with her doctor’s efforts, We’re not able to rule her surgery a success. The amount of swelling was too severe, it's not a garentee he was able to retrieve all effected tissue. It’s most likely that she still has cancer cells in her body, cells could have traveled through the inflamation ( when she had pooling of fluid accumulating under her skin )

so far her tissue sample was sent to a pathologst to determin her grade which is stage 2, stage 2 MCT are unpredictable tumors, however givin her historical and physical health + age (3.5)

Athena stands a great chance at recovery, as long as she recieves the treatment she needs. Without it her odds drastically decrease. 

Stage 2 MCT requirestumor removal, and additional testing to make sure there was no cellular spreading missed with the pathologist. These test include a bone marrow aspiration with sedation and radiologist to scan her vital orgens for potential masses or growths.  Additional testing/treatments are of highest priority at this time, the sooner we know the sooner we can treat her and increase her odds of living old and grey.

I love her with all my heart, the reason i am seeking support urgently at this time is, I'm in a hard place, my mental health disorder(s) limit my ability to earn enough to cover these expenses.  Athena has been well cared for up to this point  but i am not able to cover these costs.

My costs are now estimated at 3600CAN$. this includes all the treatment shes recieved thus far since this all started and the additional treatments she needs to insure shes cancer free. 
 
Athena urgently needs your generosity, she still has a fighting chance to live a long healthy life.   I am in desperate need of  your support so athena receives the help she needs.  Athena has a great chance to beat this with her specialist /proper treatment.  Anything helps us, and we are greatful for all the kindness we have recieved so far. 

More about athena, 

 Athena is more then a pet to me, she's more then a dog.  My mental health disorders took a turn for the worse around 4 years ago, I was advised to seek a therapy dog. I live with my inlaws.

I expressed how desperately I wanted to feel better again, medication was not working. Mostly I could not bare to keep struggling with my (PTSD, Depression, OCD and Panic disorder with agoraphobia) anxiety disorders.

After the family agreed i could get a dog 1 week maybe later Athena found/picked me. The day we met changed my life. For starters I learned very quickly to always carry poop bags! (on the way home from getting her, she pooped in my purse!) but I did'nt mind, in fact I was laughing. Something about Athena just captivated me, I watched her rest in my arms, I was calm the whole way home. It’s not until I write you this story do I truly see the immediate impact and hold Athenas had on me since day 1.

Athena has been by my side since, she's what I was missing in my life. Everyday unconditional love, kindness and understanding and encouragement to keep going.

She makes me try harder and aim higher. It was not until I got Athena was I able to leave my house without having a crippling panic attack. As time passed I found my self wanting to leave the house and do things that made me happy, i wanted to live again. Athena gave me that light and hope again. 

The first time I was able to leave on a long distance car ride, Athena was there she sat quietly and calm helping ease my anxiety.
The first time I went for a walk without my spouse for support, Athena was with me, she guided me out and home again. 
The first time I started leaving the house to get help with my mental health Athena was by my side. The first trip away from home, Athena was right there. Every personal milestone I've experienced in the last 3.5 years is due to this amazing soul.

If I'm in a crisis or not coping, I see her wagging tale and big smile, suddenly the world seems brighter/ more manageable. When I'm having a depressive episode, she can sense it and finds me, she gets me moving again. If I feel like I can’t do it anymore, she’s in my face telling me I can. Athena is by far one of the most cherished souls in my life, I can’t imagine a world without her by my side.

I am seeking to cover her treatment costs as soon as I can. I and athena need your help to do it. Please help us. She’s everything to me, she has the ability to beat her cancer and live a long life. 

I added extra pictures of athena so you can see her over the years as i have. 
first time camping. 
when she noticed the back window for the first time. 

first trip away

daily cuddles

first picture i had kidney stones, she never left my side
then camping, more cuddles 

beach trip and silly faces 

walking, and the duck she got for christmas that she carried everywhere

athena loves playing in the snow and REALLY love snow balls 

beach trip 

a gift to athena on her birthday from edna and bob the 2 people i thank most for letting me get her. 

eating like a lady 

first day home 


what i see every day looking back at me 

first trip far from home 

another snow picture that makes me smile she was annoyed because she was waiting for me to toss another snowball.

portraits i took of her last spring



last summer

the day i brought her home and noticed the poop in my purse this was the little face i had looking back at me 

the first time i took her to the beach and taught her how to play fetch,  

our first christmas together
I love athena so much, please share her page and/or donate if possible. thank you for your time reading Athenas story it means the world to us.