Elmo's Cancer Battle

Elmo is an 8 year old Golden Retriever. As a pup he was trained to be a companion dog and was placed in our home with my then 6 year old daughter Layla, who is autistic.

Before Elmo joined our home Layla was unable to be away from mum. She was extremely anxious, unable to sleep alone or be in another room from mum. She would often get dysregulated and Elmo would offer 'hugs' or 'lap' to give her deep pressure. When Elmo joined our home this all changed for Layla. She started sleeping in her room with Elmo. She would allow mum to leave the room and no longer needed to be in the same room at all times as mum. Layla would read to Elmo, which helped give her confidence with her reading. She would share her feelings, her worries and all her happy moments with Elmo, who is her pawfect companion. Elmo has also helped the other members of our family in many ways.

Last week Elmo was diagnosed with Sarcoma (cancer). He was immediately referred to a surgeon at SASH Adelaide. We need to do further investigations to determine the best line of treatment for Elmo and what stage the cancer is. Elmo is forever at the forefront of our minds as we try and decide the best path forward.

Elmo is showing signs of muscle wastage on the leg with his tumour. There is concern that there also may be more happening that we can't see. Elmo requires a CT scan and biopsy done on the lump. He needs to go under for the procedure and will have a half day stay at SASH. He is booked in for this on Wednesday. He may need his rear leg amputated to save his life.

The estimate for Elmo's tests is between $3610-$3810.

The testing we did last week for the initial diagnosis was $306 and today I paid the deposit for Wednesday at $762.

We are also needing to find a new rental in the current rental crisis as our landlord of 11 years is now selling and our 2 year old is booked in for her Autism Assessments in October.

We are asking for donations to help with Elmo's current vet bills. Any funds left over will be used to help with his ongoing vet bills and care. We realise that this is a difficult time for everyone and are so grateful for any donations. Thank you for helping our beautiful boy and I'm sorry for the novel!