Matisse is a loving, determined geriatric toy poodle whose gallbladder was almost completely blocked and bile sludge was building up. Pain and infection made him struggle to stand. Because of his tiny size, a severe infection in his liver (cause by the gallbladder), pancreatitis, and an enlarged heart, his case was highly complex.  He required round-the-clock intensive management at Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care in St. Petersburg, Florida under a coordinated team of specialists: a board-certified team including a criticalist to overseeing him pre-and post-op,  a veterinary surgeon, and an internal medicine specialist.  He was also seen by a cardiologist to make sure anesthesia could be administered safely.  All of this was after multiple emergency room visits, a surgery consult, and multiple ultrasounds, including by an internal medicine specialist. 

The Financial Issue:
This multi-disciplinary, lifesaving intervention cost an overwhelming $17,282.35.  This was after paying more than $5,000 in emergency vet bills in less than a month and without the cost of follow-up care. Payment was required prior to surgery, so to prevent him suffering a ruptured gallbladder and further severe infections, the best financial option at the time was to immediately charge the entire balance to a credit card.  The monthly payments are crushing--I can't afford them at all.  My mother is offering to pull money out of her limited retirement fund to help pay for this, but she can't afford to do that.  We need help!

The Proof:
The fully itemized veterinary hospital receipt is five pages long!  (I will attach it shortly--I only have a paper copy.)

Every dollar raised by this campaign will go directly toward paying off this specific credit card debt. The clinic balance is $0 because it was charged, but the resulting personal debt is not manageable.  Without fully paying, I would not have been permitted to take Matisse home.

The Update:
The good news is that the surgery was a success!--so far. After 3 days in the dog version of an ICU, he is currently in his recovery phase at home, resting comfortably, and fighting hard. He's not a fan of his multiple medications, but they are needed.  During this process, he lost about a pound (not good when you are so tiny to begin with), mostly in muscle mass, so I'm feeding him a special diet to try to help him gain it back.

In a few days, he has his first follow-up with the internal medicine specialist.  Hopefully that will go well.  Not sure what it will cost or how many specialist follow-ups he will need.

Thank You in Advance:

I am humbly asking the community to please donate if you can and to please share this link.  I t hank you, and Matisse thanks you.