Helping Roshan fund Appa's veterinary care

My name is Roshan and I am the owner of a 6-year-old rescue dog named Appa. I adopted Appa back in 2017 when she was the second to the smallest in a litter of 15 puppies to a mom who passed away shortly after giving birth to the litter. Appa had separation anxiety but otherwise appeared to be a healthy, growing puppy.

During the beginning of 2020 (pre-March) I was diagnosed with PTSD and began seeing my therapist multiple times a week, beginning medications for OCD, depression and anxiety, and working with a domestic violence counselor weekly. I dropped out of school at that time to focus on my mental health, which took a dive because of mass community exile and harassment instigated by a former partner. Dropping out meant my scholarship funds became debt I needed to repay immediately, and I racked up a good bit of credit card debt that year once the pandemic made it even harder for me to access what limited support was available to me.

During this time, I took Appa to the vet regularly because I noticed she was struggling to keep on weight. I assumed this must have something to do with my own mental health problems; was I not giving her the best care? My vet regularly told me to keep feeding her more and suggested a high-protein dog kibble brand, but didn't do any tests to see what the issue was when she began to lose more weight and become severely underweight. Appa has a great appetite, is food-motivated, gets high-caloric treats/supplements, and has normal stool and urine. But it's clear to all that something is happening to affect her ability to absorb nutrition.

Last year, I decided to switch to a more pricey vet who could give Appa more intentional care. We've gone through multiple rounds of diagnostic tests, which is something my last vet never did, and I feel heard by the staff there. They have confirmed that I'm doing all I can to figure out what's happening and why she is so underweight. We've had an abdominal ultrasound, a full panel blood and feces test, and checked her for any parasites. She is alert, affectionate, and not exhibiting other signs (like fatigue, aggression, etc.) of illness. I've been recommended to see an internal medicine specialist for more diagnostic tests, to figure out what underlying issues are at play.

Each of these appointments is incredibly expensive, because of the full panel diagnostics tests. On average, appointments are about $400, prescription food is $95/bag, and I'm on a limited income myself. I don't have a car or a driver's license, and I have to ask for favors to get her to and from appointments. I've accrued a lot of debt paying for her care and I've maxed out my credit cards. I need help paying down my debt, so I can have wiggle room on my credit cards to cover the costs of her appointments and treatment. Raising these funds will help me clear my slate on debt, and allow me to pay off the balance on cards in the future on time so that I can stay on top of her care.

I struggled on deciding whether to make this ask because I know folks are all struggling economically right now. Yesterday, I went on a walk in my local neighborhood and a stranger screamed at me, followed me, and called Animal Control & the police on myself and Appa because they were alarmed at how underweight she was. I was visited by a sheriff's deputy who says he will be following up with me to ensure she is receiving veterinary care. I don't take this issue lightly - I am a stalking and harassment victim already, and I'm being stalked and harassed by someone who knows where I live. The county/city appears to be on her side. Anything I can do to ensure Appa is receiving care, I will do - she remains my priority. I wouldn't have made it the past couple of years through the intense trauma without her, and I want to make sure she is cared for and healthy. It's become an urgent situation with police and sheriff involvement that I get more diagnostic tests done immediately. Please consider chipping in to help me fund regular, quality veterinary care for Appa.