Contributions for Carter's emergency surgery

Hello, all. My name is Adam, dog dad to the sweetest 5-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier, Carter. Those who have met Carter know what an adorable, sensitive, goofy love bug he is. Those who’ve admired from afar know what a ✨ c u t i e ✨ he is. He’s a simple guy that likes to play tug-of-war, meet new people, sleep, and eat. When I noticed he wasn’t acting like his usual self and was visibly uncomfortable—unresponsive, fully body tremors, and vomiting, I knew I needed to take him to the ER. After some x-rays and tests, they found inflammatory fluid in his stomach and an abscess full of bacteria located within the connective tissue between the organs in his abdomen. This kind of infection generally happens when there is a previous penetration of the gastrointestinal tract from sharp things like sticks or rawhides that seed infection into the abdomen and get walled off. Significant symptoms don't show up until it's at a point of emergency. I was told the mass was like a bomb waiting to go off. My three options were to put him through a costly surgery quickly, let him live his life with this abscess inside him and wait for it to rupture, or euthanize him. I felt heartbroken and helpless, and I needed to make a choice quickly.

Factoring in the success rate of this type of surgery and that he’s still a young dog, I decided surgery was our option. Protecting Carter was the only thing I was clear about. Carter has carried me through hard times and has brought such love and joy to my life and so many others.  Loving and protecting him and was the only thing I was clear about. 

Carter was swiftly taken to surgery the next day. The mass and fluid were removed without any issues. Samples are being sent to the lab to confirm what exactly was inside the mass and whether it was cancerous.

After three and half days in the hospital, Carter is now recovering at home comfortably and getting smothered by my cuddles and kisses.

The thought of losing my best friend so suddenly has been emotionally exhausting. I'm fortunate that doctors could save Carter's life. Unfortunately, I did not have pet insurance prior, and I never understood its importance until now. Although my angel face is on the mend, I now face a large amount of debt for the foreseeable future. 24-hour hospital care, x-rays, medication, labs, surgery, all add up to an immense amount. If you know and love Carter or sympathize with our story, please consider donating to our gofundme. Proceeds will go towards his hospital bill. Any overflow will be split between Angel City Pitbulls  and NKLA — two wonderful organizations in Los Angeles that were a part of Carter's journey before he came into our lives. If you’re not currently in the place to donate, please send Carter well wishes for a speedy recovery. And if you see him out and about, give him a deep neck scratch and a big kiss.

 

Thank you