Phife's Bone Cancer Surgery and Chemotherapy

Elyse Mauk is organizing this fundraiser.

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HAPPY UPDATE: 3/6/24

It has been a BUSY few weeks, but things have finally calmed some so I can provide updates:

Firstly, Phife's instagram page is now up and running as of today: @PawsForPhife (Phife's Instagram). It has many more photos and videos(!) so you can get to know us more. <3

Secondly, Phife has had 1 of 6 rounds of chemo, each will be three weeks apart. We are desperately hoping that the quick amputation post-diagnosis follwed by immediate chemo will give Phife a year or two of additional time with us. We are currently waiting on a blood test from today to assess his white-blood cell count and learn about the cancer's progression.

I am currently uploading all the media from the past few weeks, which include Phife's amputation surgery which went well, his first round of chemo (also good), and how we are currently waiting for some blood test results from today.

The doctor originally told us that dogs heal in about a week from an amputation, which seemed pretty ridiculous to Kevin and myself - but we have been surprised that he truly did heal very quickly.

You will see a post on instagram that includes photos of his bruising the day after his surgery and, to be honest, it looked really bad to me and made me very emotional when we first saw him. But, now, a couple weeks later he just got his staples out (this past Monday, March 4) and looks as if he has been a tri-pawd for weeks!

He has learned to adjust his remaining rear leg to be in a more equidistant position when balancing for standing, bathrooms, or playing with the rest of the puppy pack. A few falls have taken place, but with no injury, and Phife will wait at the stairs for Kevdad or myself if he does not have the energy or feel confident climbing them. Typically he will do well throughout the morning and early afternoon and ask for assistance in the evenings as he is now working on building up muscle and comfort in that back leg.

Please share Phife's instagram (@PawsForPhife) and this GoFundMe page as much as you can so we can reach his goal to pay his bills, which at this point are over 10K, with 5 more sessions of chemo to go over the next 30 weeks.

Original Post: Includes Background Story

When I adopted Phife I told myself he would be the first and only man who would never disappoint me; it's been a decade, he never has, and now I need to be the best mom possible so I don't let him down.

I will add more story, photos, videos over time as Phife begins chemotherapy and learns to adapt to his new journey. Today, it's just the basics as the last two weeks has been impossibly disorienting for myself, my husband, and all three of our sweet little pack (2 pitbulls and 1 frenchie...the weirdest and cutest dog family I never imagined having).

Phife when I got him as a puppy, and him grown up!

Phife, Lumen with her arm wrapped around him, and Ricker too cool for the photo.

The basics:

Phife has osteosarcoma, which is bone cancer. This cancer is not recoverable, cited as being the most painful type of cancer in dogs, and the only way I can get him more time to live, and just be a dog, is through surgery and chemotherapy.
Currently, we have been told that 2 months is given to dogs who do not receive treatment, 6 months for amputation of the leg which has the osteosarcoma, and possibly a year with chemotherapy...there are 2% of dogs with this that live past a year and even into 2 years.
On Feb 7th, we took Phife in for a limp that lasted over a week, and were told that there was concern for bone cancer.
On Feb 8th, he had a procedure to take a sample of bone from his rear right leg
On Feb 16th, we received a call that his bone sample was positive for osteosarcoma
On Feb 20th, his rear right leg was amputated
On Feb 21st, he is having his first oncology (cancer doctor) consultation regarding chemotherapy

Once Kevdad came into our lives and brought Ricker with him, Phife chose his person, hence "kevdad".

Phife deserves more time; he is our goofy "scooby-doo" dog that zooms around the house, has derpy faces whenever you call his name, was rescued from pitbull fighting as a puppy, and found happiness, a silly pack of him, his pitbull sister Lumen, and his french bulldog older brother Ricker. I don't know how I could ever match his vigor for life, for excitement, or for his laughable annoyance when it is 4PM and he wants us to know, very audibly, that dinner is at 5PM and it's almost time. ;)

Loves a good butt-scratch!

Lumen is ever the annoying sister to Phife

We do have pet insurance, which is helping pay for some of the bills, but not all. Lumen and Ricker also have their own medical expenses. Unfortunately, even having insurance for all three of them, it does not pay as much as one would hope for large issues like bone cancer.

Currently, the three visits he has had amount to over $7k, and we still have more work to do.

I have never done a gofundme before, but, will be happy to share any info that is asked for. We have plenty of photos and videos of Phife, and I am happy to be transparent about vet bills with any evidence needed.

Thank you for your time in this.