Skip to content
  • n
    • Signed in as
    • Contributions
    • Campaigns
    • Organizations
    • Messages n
    • Account settings
    • Support
    • Sign out
  • Sign in

Your share could raise $30

Before you go, did you know that simply by sharing this campaign, you could help it raise $30? It's an effective way to support the cause.

Share this campaign No thanks

Not ready to contribute just yet?

Subscribe to email updates on progress of this campaign.

Subscribe No thanks
Team Save the Ajax Boy-O
SubscribeUnsubscribe
Gallery (3)
$3,739 raised
37% of $10k goal
70 contributions
2 Years running
Donate to the Dude
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Link
  • Pin it
  • SubscribeUnsubscribe
  • Embed
By Jenna Marie
Personal campaign Keep it all Louisville, US Report
  • Story
  • Highlights
  • Updates4
  • Activity71
    • Highlights
    • Updates4
    • Activity71

Jenna Marie hasn't added a story.

Ajax stopped eating over a week ago, but I do not know exactly when. It is common for him to skip a meal or two occasionally, so initially, I was not concerned. However, Wednesday night, 3/15/23, he threw up four times and later had two bouts of urgent diarrhea. I tried to feed him some bread and a banana to entice him to eat, but he did not want it. I was starting to get concerned, so I tried testing out other tasty food he would normally eat. He refused microwaved wet food, freeze-dried treats, and cheese sticks. He threw up several more times over the next few days. At this point, he’s not acting himself and is more aloof. He does not want to be near me to snuggle, and he does not want to play with my other dog, Pixie. He also does not want to walk at his usual pace on the leash, and he will randomly get stiff and stop with his hackles up.

I took him to the vet Monday, 3/20/23. They did a physical exam and decided not to run any tests on him. They gave him an anti-nausea shot, Cerenia Injection 10mg/mL (per mL), and some prescription wet food and sent us home. The shot and the prescription food did not work, and he was still refusing to eat. He has not thrown up since getting the injection on Monday, though. He is also drinking an excessive amount of water and peeing more than usual.

The next day 3/21/23, I called the vet to tell them that he still would not eat, and they said his condition was not urgent, but I could come in for radiographs if I’d like. I chose to have them do the imaging, and they said they came back negative, meaning he was “empty” and did not have a gastrointestinal blockage, nor was he constipated. They prescribed him mirtazapine, which is an appetite stimulant, and sent us home.

I gave him the medication around 3 pm. He is still refusing to eat and is pacing around my room, panting and shaking uncontrollably. He does not want to be near me, and he cannot get comfortable. He is making frequent trips to his water bowl and asking to go outside quite often. He has now lost 3 pounds over the last week (22 to 19 pounds).

He was eventually able to get comfortable overnight, so we stayed home last night, and I called an emergency vet first thing in the morning. They got him in within an hour, and they were extremely concerned about his behavior. The vet found a lump on his neck and also wanted to run some bloodwork. She took some imaging, did a CBC, and biopsied it. She stated that his initial test results showed head and neck cancer that is blocking his esophagus, but she needs to send everything to a pathologist for confirmation and treatment recommendations. His bloodwork also revealed extremely elevated liver enzymes that we “off the charts” and unreadable (>1000 when normal values are usually less than 130).

Update 3/22/23 at 2pm: As of right now, they said he is in acute liver failure that needs immediate intervention. They also found cancerous cells under his chin and included malignant thyroid carcinoma as a differential. They are fairly certain the liver failure is separate from the cancer, and that they happened to stumble upon it during his exam. They think they can stabilize his liver, so I have made the decision to pursue medical treatment to buy us some time to allow us to undergo a full oncology workup to better understand his cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Right now, he urgently needs to get transferred to a specialty hospital for IV fluids, a feeding tube, and a catheter to stabilize his liver. The medical expenses are piling up, and as a full-time graduate student, I cannot afford the thousands of dollars it is going to cost to save my guy. Please, anything will help. I am not ready to give up on him. Even if you are unable to contribute monetarily, sharing this post would be extremely helpful.

 

I received a call from the vet on 3/22/23 at 11:30 pm, and unfortunately, we did not get the miracle we were all hoping for. Results from cytopathology confirmed a diagnosis of an aggressive late-stage large-cell metastatic lymphoma

 

Update 3/28/23: At the end of last week, I was not sure Ajax would last more than a few more days. I was almost certain that euthanasia was inevitable at that time because he was not showing any signs of improvement in his condition. For two days after returning home from the hospital, he was still refusing all food, and he had not eaten in over two weeks. He was lethargic, shaking, and having small incidents of urine incontinence.

However, Ajax turned a corner this weekend and responded well to the prednisone and supplement regime. It gave me some time to sit down, have a moment to breathe, and think about what would be best for him moving forward. I ultimately want to provide him with the best quality of life for as long as possible, so I decided to pursue oral chemotherapy. We went for a CBC last night, and his white cell count improved enough to make him a candidate for chemotherapy; we had our first treatment this morning.

Although the injections show the best response rates, they would require him to be hospitalized for a full day while undergoing an IV infusion. They also show a greater risk for adverse side effects. Although I am sad that I did not opt for the treatment that would give him the best chance at remission, I could not stomach the thought of subjecting him to that during what is likely his final 10-12 months of life.

Since receiving his diagnosis, I’ve read a great deal about what other pet parents chose for their animals in similar situations, which I felt was clouding my decision-making. I’ve experienced an intense amount of uncertainty and guilty about my initial decision, but I feel confident about where I have landed. There will always be people who disagree with my decision, but I chose this path out of love for him and what I think would give him the best quality of life for the short time he has left. The past week has been one of the most intense rollercoasters of emotions I’ve ever experienced, so I appreciate everyone who has supported me through my grief and indecisiveness. I hope the oral chemotherapy is the best choice for him and will give him the best chance at living a somewhat normal life for a bit longer. This was not an easy decision to make, and I empathize with anyone who was faced with such an enormous decision. To anyone who needs to hear this, whatever you choose, I know it is out of love. I know in my heart that we always try to choose the option that will be best for our little guys, and I see you.
  • Activity feed
  • Email
This is a preview
✕

Highlights

See all activity71
Show more

Updates

Jenna Marie hasn't posted any updates yet.
Newest | Oldest
Show more

Activity

Show more
Recent contributions
Show more
Browse View Slideshow Add Hide comments Comments ✕

Uh oh!

Your media gallery is empty. That means you're missing a powerful opportunity to bring attention to your cause.

Add pictures now

(You can add videos, too.)

The media gallery is empty.

Add
Comment Share Delete Set as
Show more

Delete media item?

Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.

Cancel Delete

Set as ?

The campaign video will appear in social media and email.

The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.

The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.

Cancel Apply

Reset ?

It won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.

It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.

Cancel Apply

Edit description

Cancel Save

Embed

Embed a campaign widget on your Website or blog with just a few snippets of code.


Help

Embed a campaign widget on your Website or blog with just a few snippets of code.

Include the Loader script on your page once.
Copy to clipboard
Include the Widget code where you want the widget to appear on your page.
Copy to clipboard
Help

Share a link

Send anyone this link to the campaign.
Copy link
Download QR code

Delete update

Delete this story update?

Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.

Cancel Delete

Delete milestone

Delete this milestone?

Cancel Delete

Share this post

Edit your message

Cancel Save

Report campaign

Report submitted

Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.

Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.

Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.

Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.

Please fill in both fields above.
Close Cancel Report

Record a video

Upload a video

Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.

Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.

  • Most effective video length: about a minute.
  • Maximum length: 5 min.
  • You can preview or redo your video before you post it.

Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.

Email your friends

Share this campaign with up to 10 of your friends. We'll send them details of the campaign and your personal message (optional).

Add up to 10 email addresses separated with a comma.

We never share email addresses or send spam.

Join our team

Your endorsement banner

Use your endorsement banner to tell why our cause matters to you. Such personal endorsements are proven to increase campaign contributions. When enabled, your endorsement banner appears at the top of the campaign for everyone who visits a link you shared.

You can always adjust your endorsement from the campaign Share page—even if it's been disabled.

Your message

Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.

Please provide a valid message (500 characters maximum).

Say it in video

Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.

Remove video

Add a personal goal

Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.

$ .00
Please enter a valid goal.
Cancel Join our team Update

We have a video!

Video thumbnail

We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?

Not now, thanks Yes, definitely
Jenna Marie manages the funds for the campaign. The campaign is for a personal cause.

, you're already on the team.

PetFundr
Best platform for funding animal and pet care
  • For Nonprofits
  • For Veterinarians
  • For Pet Owners
  • How to be Successful
  • FAQ
  • About Us
  • Help Center
  • Explore Campaigns
  • Pricing and Fees
Powered by ConnectionPoint
Start your free campaign
  • Support
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
Powered by ConnectionPoint®

Story assist — generating contentworking

To create an engaging campaign story, please answer the questions below. Don't worry about full sentences or grammar—the focus is on providing detailed information. The more details you give, the better the final story will be. Once you submit your answers, a draft story will be generated for you to review and edit as needed.

  1. What is the problem you want to solve?
    Provide a description of the underlying problem or situation you want to improve with funding. Explain why this issue is important and what negative effects it currently has on people, the environment or your community.
  2. What is your solution?
    Describe your plan to address the problem and highlight what makes your approach unique or effective.
  3. How will the funds be used?
    Outline how the money will be allocated to specific programs, resources or services.
  4. How will contributions make a tangible difference?
    Explain the benefits and positive changes resulting from your project being funded. If appropriate, also explain how the lives of beneficiaries will be impacted.
  5. How will you keep supporters involved in your campaign?
    Detail how you will provide updates on progress, share stories on the impact of contributions and keep supporters connected to the project.
    Please answer at least one question to generate a story.
Back

Voila! Check out Story assist's suggestions below. You can edit the content directly or use Story assist to make changes. When everything's to your liking, click the button at the bottom to add the content to your story.

Pro tip Be sure to review all the content. Story assist is smart, but you know your cause best.

Heads up! Ending the session will permanently delete your work.

Story assist — generating contentworking

Check out Story assist's suggestions below. You can edit the content directly or use Story assist to make changes. When you're satisfied, click the button at the bottom to apply the changes to your story.

Pro tip Be sure to review all the content. Story assist is smart, but you know your cause best.

Select entire story?

Do you want Story assist to suggest changes for your entire story? If not, cancel the request and select the portion of the story you want to change.

Cancel Select entire story

Custom prompt for Story assist

Have an idea to improve your story? Simply tell Story assist what to do in everyday language, for example, "Add headlines" or "Optimize text for crowdfunding."

Go
Please provide a prompt (100 characters maximum).
Cancel

Replace all story content?

Replace all your story content? Alternatively, you can copy the content to the clipboard and paste it anywhere.

Cancel
Copy content Replace all story content

Story assist

Disclosure

Before displaying content, please note that the AI-generated output may not always be accurate and could touch on sensitive topics. We recommend proceeding with caution and reviewing all AI-generated content carefully before including it in your story.

By selecting continue, you agree to our Terms of Service regarding the use of AI.

Cancel Continue