Willa Wafer Fund - Infection and Cancer Treatment

I adopted Willa Wafer from the shelter in 2019. Like any new pup parent, I questioned my ability to be an owner at times. Little did I know this dog would turn into the most important thing in the world to me. She has been my best friend, my girl, my soul pup. I can’t remember my life before I had her.

She has always been a healthy girl, given a few GI issues/allergy issues here and there (pitty parents know). On August 4th I had to rush her to the emergency vet for possible GDV. Upon x rays, I heard the sentence no pet parent wants to hear. She had a mass in her lung. That mass has since been confirmed to be a primary pulmonary carcinoma (lung cancer). When beginning our journey to remove the lung cancer, she randomly started limping on her right hind leg one day. The primary veterinarian told me it was likely a partial CCL tear and to rest and medicate. However, she was not improving. We returned to her oncologist for a closer look at the area. They drained an abscess from her hip and began her on antibiotics. One day later I woke up to her unable to walk using her hind legs and rushed her to the emergency vet. The specialists have since taken an MRI, run several tests, and ended up performing spinal surgery to relieve her spine from the infectious fluid that had built up around it. After weeks of testing, we finally found out it is a rare fungal infection typically found in the Midwest. They began treatment as soon as possible. She has since made great progress! However, we are not out of the woods yet. There is more to be done as far as removing her lung tumor.

I have been told by many clinicians that they have never seen anything like this. Less than 1% of dogs develop a primary lung tumor. It would also be extremely rare for her to have developed a separate second cancer (which would be the case if the hip was cancerous), or another extremely rare development of a bacterial/fungal infection. Update: rare fungal infection indeed, yet treatable!

Though the uncertainty and rarity of her issues present a daunting battle, it also leaves hope for a good prognosis as it opens the door for equally possible odds.

Anyone that knows me knows that I would do anything in the world for Willa Wafer. We just need a little help with this one. Anything at all is greatly appreciated.