Help Oreo Fight Cancer and Finish His Bucket List

My name is Keira and my best friend Oreo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called hemangiosarcoma on Monday, May 15, 2023. • About four weeks ago, Oreo started showing signs he wasn’t feeling well -drinking a ton of water, urinating more often, and not greeting me at the door when I arrived home from school. We brought the big O to the vet where they did a blood and urine samples, xrays, and scheduled an ultrasound for the following morning. The results came back that Oreo was slightly anemic, had blood in his urine, and a mass on his spleen but no indication that there were spots on Oreo's lungs or liver. We were told that often dogs can have a mass and 50% of the time it is not cancer. Once the mass is removed and if it is not cancer Oreo would be back to normal. Based on that information and the fact the scans and X-ray didn't show any spread we decided that Oreo should have emergency splenectomy. • The mass was removed before it ruptured Friday morning. Oreo was back home Saturday, May 6, 2023. The spleen was sent to a lab in Texas called AmTech for a biopsy and we were told the results would be back in approximately 2 weeks. Honestly, everyone felt positive and Oreo was already starting to look and feel better by Wednesday. • On Monday, May 15 my mom picked me up from school with tears in her eyes and I knew immediately Oreo had cancer. After A LOT of tears and hugs, we decided to come up with a plan. This summer I had planned to visit colleges, taking Oreo with me and completing his bucket list that I had started when I first got him back in 3rd grade. Based on current research dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma (HSA for short) will live up to 3 months with surgery but possibly six months to a year with surgery and chemotherapy. Because there aren't a lot of treatment options for hemangiosarcoma (HSA) and they are all expensive I also began to reach out to different Universities for a possible clinical trial for Oreo. • Unfortunately, we haven't been able to match with a clinical study close by so we decided to move forward with chemotherapy, a beta blocker called propranolol (that is used to treat high blood pressure in humans), and another supplement that has shown promising results called I'm-Yunity®. • I've learned that HSA in dogs is quite similar to angiosarcoma in humans. Due to the difficulty in human trials, there is a partnership that uses canine genetic profiles and subsequent treatments to better understand human cancer treatments. As a result, I would also like to submit Oreo's biopsy to a company called FidoCure® which will look for mutations and recommend immune therapy. This information will then be entered into a database and shared with research communities not only to help animals but humans as well. • Funds raised will go toward Oreo's chemotherapy and prescriptions, supplements such as I'm-Yunity®, genetic analysis, and appropriate targeted therapy thru FidoCure® and of course to visit colleges this summer and finally finish Oreo’s bucket list! Good News! After visiting the oncologist on May 19th, we learned that Oreo only had stage one hemangiosarcoma which means his tumor is, at the date visited, smaller than 5cm, and there have been no secondary tumors developing. This means Oreo's odds of surviving longer than a year are much higher since HSA is commonly found after the mass has ruptured (80%), indicating that the cancer has already begun to metastasize elsewhere. Additionally, Oreo is in peak medical condition making him an optimal candidate for new treatment. The Challenges Already, after the initial X-Ray, ultra-sound, and surgery, Oreo's treatment has cost me a little over $5,000. The total that is estimated for chemo is $2,500 and the FidoCure genomic sequencing and a lifetime supply of medication is estimated to be $3,000 for a total of $5,500. Throughout the years I have had Oreo he has given me his undevoted love. He's been with me through my struggles and has helped cheer me up when I've been down. Oreo has always given me his all. My goal is to do the same for him both treatment-wise and his personal enjoyment-wise. These next few months are going to be filled with lots of walks, car rides, special meals, and treats! Something that has continued to help me through this process is knowing that Oreo's treatment may not only be benefitting him but will be used to help others study and fight cancer. Thank you for taking the time to read about Oreo. Any donation will be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to donate please consider sharing our story.