Our sweet little guy is in serious need of medical attention.

About a week ago we noticed Pablo's eye swelling and irritated. I thought it was an eye infection or maybe he had scratched it. As it spread to his cheek and continued to grow. I started to suspect a tooth infection as I remembered when I was pregnant I had a tooth infection that spread to my eye and sinuses. The next business day, we took him to the Auburn Spay and Neuter Clinic (Where they've gone for shots, alteration, and for VERY affordable low income dental care that they unfortunately no longer offer). They confirmed it was carnassial tooth abscess. This is unique in the way the infection/abscess spreads to the eyes and face. It can be caused by something as simple as a small crack in the tooth or bacteria in the gums. It affects the roots of the tooth which is their 4th molar and largest tooth and its roots are larger than the tooth itself. If you'd like to know the details, this website has a great explanation and lists of complications explained to us: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?articleid=995  

In short, (Sorry for the graphic description) but It develops an abscess aka a pus-filled infection that in Pablo's case spread to his eyes and cheek then with a quick scratch it tore off a chunk of his skin exposing his flesh, leaving it oozing and infected. Apparently, this would have opened on its own anyway. I carefully cleaned and bandaged it up until we could get to the pet hospital. I had stayed up for 23 hours just holding him and  making sure he didn't scratch himself.

In a matter of two days of it opening he went from jumping around to not being able to walk across the living room. He wouldn't eat, drink or urinate. They put him on antibiotics and told us to go see our full-service vet immediately. We were really concerned about the cost but we took them to their regular "full-service" vet at The Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital. The wonderful staff got us in for a same-day appointment. We learned that he was in desperate need of dental and trauma care.

This condition if left untreated the tooth abscess will continue to release bacteria into his bloodstream, infect his other teeth and progress throughout his body. If the abscess rebuilds around his eye again, he risks going blind. He has now just finished his antibiotics and pain medication so will soon be at risk for reinfection or worsened infection. This morning I noticed a small “knot” in his jaw area which raised concerns about that already happening.

Now for the hard part- The Cost...

I suffer from a rare disease, chronic illness, pain and traumatic brain injury. I am often house, bed or couch bound the majority of the time. It's affected my life greatly. I have not been able to work in about 7 years.

I have supplemented my income in the past doing artwork and photography. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do artwork from home for months because of the pain and tremors. I'm working on OT in hopes I can return to it soon. In the meantime, my son is working and can pay a good quarter of the procedure cost but he just started a new job and isn't making a whole lot yet. I'm on a very small fixed income of  SSI and Social Security and between the two of us we can barely get by.

Like a lot of people, I never imagined we would ever be in this position. It's definitely taken a toll on me mentally and physically. It's heartbreaking not to be able to care for your furry loved ones.

Due to his age he's also required to get a few extra tests before anesthesia as well as an extra pre-surgical one due to signs of a possible collapsed trachea. We got high and low estimates based on the minimum care to full care. Minimum  includes an x-ray and extraction of the single tooth and the minimum standard pre-tests. This would not include a full mouth x-ray (which would mean we might be back in this situation in months or even weeks from now.) It does not include the x-ray of the trachea which could put him at risk for unforeseen complications with anesthesia. There is a good chance the premolar on the other side will also need extraction but without the full mouth radiographs we won’t know. The cost of the single extraction is $176.75. They won't know for certain if it's spread to the other teeth until the x-rays and scaling.  After all necessary tests and bearing no complications the minimum is $682.15 and “high total” is $1222.15 These quotes do not include any other possible infected teeth or aftercare so the cost estimate is likely to go up after the x-rays, cleaning and exam. Rather than asking for possible costs we are only asking for help with the major known expenses so we can put our money toward whatever we don’t raise and whatever else may come so he doesn’t have to go through the risk and recuperation of multiple procedures.

We will discontinue the fundraiser as soon as we meet our goal and will share moment with you in celebration and deep appreciation!

***To maintain full transparency, I would be happy to email you the actual quote invoice upon request***

So here's where YOU come in- We REALLY need your help and believe you, yes, YOU can make a difference!

We are asking you to please donate what you can afford and if you cannot afford a cash/credit donation we ask for you to please share this on all your social media, friends, family, churches, etc. The more people who see it the better chance of us making our goal before he gets worse. He has just finished his antibiotics and pain medication and risks re-infection and further complications. Due to the urgency of his situation I hope you will share and take action ASAP!

                                              ***Let's get Pablo his smile back!***

Q&A

After posting pictures and updates or our little guy on social media, it raised a lot of questions so I’d like to answer them here:

1. Have you checked around for lower priced care?

I assure you the wonderful veterinary care at the Rocklin Ranch Pet Hospital  is competitively priced for our area and we have full trust in them for excellent care!

1. How could we let it get to this point? We did not neglect his care to get to this point. We are responsible pet owners who love their babies and would protect them with our lives! He is licensed, altered, has a healthy diet, gets his teeth brushed, and just had his yearly wellness exam about a month ago. This health issue is something that is commonly mistaken by pet owners for an eye infection, scratch, or other small issue and progression can happen fast. We got him into the clinic the morning of their first business day and to the pet hospital the following day.
2. Have you checked with all the organizations that can help with emergency financial pet care assistance? The answer is yes we have , and then some! The ones we qualify for are out of funds. We found there are very little organizations that even help with dental regardless of the spread of infection.
3. Have you applied for Care Credit? Yes, we have and we do not qualify for Care Credit . I have huge student loans and medical bills that make qualifying for any credit at this point, impossible. My son is 19 and also doesn't qualify for it. We do not have a cosigner.
4. Are they rescue dogs? People often ask if they were rescue dogs. Although, I would have ideally adopted, they came from a very good home. Their "Pops" was a retired Police Captain and Naval Commander with a HUGE heart. Our family had relocated and were going through an especially difficult time. We are survivors of trauma and emotional and physical abuse. 8 years ago, a few days before Christmas he responded to an ad asking for therapy dogs for my kids. He heard our story and wanted to help. The next day we were blessed with two amazing dogs, Pablo and his Sister, Delilah. So, in a way, you could say they are rescue dogs, only we didn't rescue them, they rescued us .

ABOUT US:

For those who don't know me, I'm Meadow. I'm a proud single Mama of four- Two children, Amber and Brendan and two fur-babies, Pablo and Delilah! I’m a fighter of chronic illness and passionate advocate for others with chronic illness (particularly “hidden illnesses”/ inspired by The Spoon Theory). I’ve committed myself to raising awareness for a better public understanding of not just the illness but the individual struggle and challenges of the person with them. I do so in support but also in hopes of  finding a cure to rare and often overlooked diseases. I love art, photography, camping, nature, and am a TV and movie binger and blogger.

Our Fur Babies: Delilah Noelle and wait for it...Pablo Diablo, El Taquito! (named by their my kids of course lol). We most commonly refer to them by one of their many nicknames. Delilah, AKA Lilars, Kibbles, TROUBLES, Princess, Stinker and WHY WHY WHY??? Delilah!!!! She’s a VERY spunky dog with loads of personality! She’s the on your lap and in your face kinda girl and she’s very vocal and always looking for a snack! Much like her Mom, my daughter, Amber, minus the lap! Lol  

Pablo, AKA, Pabs, Da Pabalo, Pablocito, Sausage, Hampster, Bittles, Rodent, Chicken (description to follow) Tubbers, Bits, occasionally Grumpy old Man! (And, yes he responds to all of them!) He's like a Sour Patch Kid Sweet and Sour! He’s also a quiet and gentle, loving guy, much like his Dad, Brendan. Pablo enjoys spying on birds and walking bare-pawed on the grass. He loves kids, especially babies, snuggling, and burying himself in as many blankets as he can!
Both dogs are loaded with unique personality! (trust me, anyone who meets them will attest they are truly "one of a kind"). They both came from a farm and when they came to us Delilah actually meowed and Pablo ran around clucking like a chicken! When he gets excited, he STILL runs in circles and clucks!
More than anything, they are a continuous source of pure love! They get more attention and love in return than you could possibly imagine.

I really can't imagine anything happening to them. It's killing me to see one of them suffering so much and not being able to make sure he gets the care he needs...not being able to care for him the same way he's been caring for us.

Much gratitude to those who do and much love from us all!

 ***Update***
I just noticed at donation checkout there is an automatic donation suggestion of $4.00 to the website provider to keep their business running free. It can seem a bit confusing because it automatically shows at checkout. However, if you click on "other amount" then choose "skip for now" then it will get rid of it and you can donate only to our fundraiser not the site if you wish. 
Again, thank you so much for your donations!