r/ChloeTheMorkieWarrior

Unfortunately, Gizmo has had a couple of tough days.

Yesterday alone, our poor little guy had to have two baths. The first was to finally wash off all the hospital nastiness. The second was to clean blood out of his fur from checking his glucose, clean him up after having diarrhea and wash his little paws after he managed to stand directly in his pumpkin purée. Because, of course he did.

His glucose has also been running lower than we’d like. Right now, we don’t know if it’s because his tummy has been upset and he hasn’t wanted to eat as much or if the liver shunt is contributing to it. He’s also had some vomiting, so we’re watching him very closely.

I called the specialty hospital where he needs to have surgery and asked them to put us on the cancellation list in hopes that we can get him in sooner. Unfortunately, it’s becoming very possible that we may not be able to wait and will have to move forward with emergency surgery.

That’s the part that scares me the most right now. We haven’t raised nearly enough to cover what emergency surgery could cost and I genuinely don’t know what we will do if that becomes our only option.

These past 11 days have been incredibly difficult. We’re exhausted, scared and just trying to do everything we can to give our little boy the chance he deserves.

If you’re able to help us right now, one of the biggest things you can do is share Gizmo’s story. Please share his GoFundMe on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or anywhere else you can. We’ve tried posting in several Reddit communities, but because I wasn’t an active Reddit user before all of this, many of our posts have been removed.

To everyone who has donated, shared his story, checked on us, prayed for him or sent us love, thank you. We appreciate every single bit of it more than I could ever put into words.🩵🐶

We’re just hoping we can get our little guy through this.

Gizmo’s GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/15478ad3c

Hi everyone. I previously shared Gizmo’s story, and I wanted to provide an update now that we finally have a surgical plan.

Gizmo is our 19-month-old, 3 lb Yorkie. He has a bladder stone that caused a urinary obstruction, as well as a liver shunt that needs to be corrected. He was hospitalized last week, and although he is currently stable enough to be home, he still needs surgery to remove the stone, repair his bladder and correct the liver shunt.

Today, his regular vet examined him, tested his blood sugar and removed his IV catheter (in true Gizmo form, he removed his urinary catheter on his own last night). Until surgery, we’ll continue giving him medication at home, checking his blood sugar daily and watching closely for any signs of distress or another urinary obstruction.

Metro is the only hospital in our area that can perform the shunt procedure, and Gizmo’s surgery is now scheduled for August 25. He’ll remain in the hospital overnight afterward and come home to us as long as everything goes smoothly.

We understand there are hospitals in nearby states that may be cheaper, but we are unable to travel as I am my mother’s full time caregiver and she is terminally ill with non-small cell carcinoma.

We’re incredibly grateful to have him home while we wait, but we’re also nervous that the stone could become lodged again before surgery. We’re watching him closely and trying to remain optimistic.

We now expect the surgery to cost between $4,000 and $6,000. We’re trying to offset the additional $2,000 to $4,000 we did not initially anticipate, while raising a little extra in case there are complications.

If we are fortunate enough to raise more than Gizmo’s care requires, we will donate the remaining funds to the Shamrock Pet Foundation so other animals in our community can receive the medical attention they need.

If anyone is able to donate, our GoFundMe is:

🩵 https://gofund.me/15478ad3c

We completely understand that not everyone can contribute. Sharing Gizmo’s story, offering advice about additional resources or simply sending prayers and positive thoughts would mean just as much to our family. Thank you for reading and caring about our little guy. 🩵🐶