About the Campaign
He’s only a little over a year old,
but his liver is failing… fast!
He’s just a year and a half old!
It is a birth defect. Lying dormant, and then suddenly becoming a problem at 17 months of age. An intrahepatic shunt, basically a hole in his liver. Put simply, a liver shunt is a birth defect where blood bypasses the liver and is not processed.
Lucas is 17 months old now, here he is as a puppy:
Now here is the problem for Lucas, his is inside the liver. This is the worst kind, intrahepatic. In fact until recently there was no surgery to fix this for dogs. But modern medicine can work miracles, and there is now a procedure, performed only at a few places in the USA, that not only fixes the shunt, but has a very high success rate!
Lucas’s owner, Khoa, got him as a puppy. As he grew up it turned out that Lucas has a birth defect with his eyelids, requiring surgery that Khoa paid for, at nearly $2000. You can see Lucas recovering from that procedure here:
At the end of October Lucas started acting strange. It came on quick. He seemed a little out of it at times for a couple days, and then suddenly he was walking in circles, and then bumping into walls. He was zoned out, and looking like he was on drugs or poisoned…. which in a way he was. His liver wasn’t processing his blood, and toxins were building up!
Lucas went to the vet. They did a lot of tests, including an expensive CT-Scan, and discovered the shunt. Khoa spent over $4000 on this. And here is the thing about Khoa, he is a student! Khoa attends a Master’s program at North Carolina State University. He doesn’t have that much money, and has already had to get credit to pay for Lucas. Now comes the surgery, and it will be over $10,000.
There is some good news! Lucas will have the procedure at the North Carolina University Veterinary Hospital, and the school is providing a grant of $3000. That’s a big help, but it is still a lot of money to get Lucas the life saving surgery he needs. He is now on prescription food and getting medications to stabilize him temporarily. He is stable now, but needs surgery in the next month or two, if he stays stable.
With our fundraising campaigns we hold all the donations, and pay them only to the veterinarian when the procedure is performed. The owner receives no money. It is like donating directly to Lucas! And if the surgery is not done, we will refund your donation. We deduct no fee from your donation, 100% goes to Lucas. And we have verified this case, and you can check the estimate below. If you can help Lucas get the life saving surgery he needs, please donate in confidence now, thank you!! 🙂
Vet estimate (click to enlarge):
24 comments
Chloe N
Always want to take you out for a coffee chat back there in VN and never have a chance. Consider this as one (;
November 9, 2022 at 5:43 am
kdzlucas
Thank you for your support, Chloe! And yes, would definitely love to go out for a coffee with you some time when it is convenient!
November 14, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Bevin
I hope this helps. Get well soon Lucas.
November 10, 2022 at 4:10 am
kdzlucas
Thank you for your kindness and support, Bevin! Any little help and support counts and means the world to me and Lucas!
November 14, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Haven Lawton
my friend sandra told me this is her close friends dog i hope the poor baby gets better
November 10, 2022 at 6:14 pm
kdzlucas
Hi, Haven and thank you! He definitely feels much better and is temporarily stabilized at the moment with the diet and medications. However, he is not as healthy as he used to be anymore. Even his favorite treats in the past, the ones that he loved very much and had no problem after eating them, would now upset his body badly.
November 14, 2022 at 12:34 pm
Nguyen Le
He’ll be cured and get better than ever
November 12, 2022 at 1:31 am
kdzlucas
Hi Nguyen, I hope so too that he will get a chance to get completely cured. I am trying my best provide him a full and happy life like any other dogs deserve.
November 14, 2022 at 12:40 pm
Dustin Wilgus
Good luck
November 12, 2022 at 6:44 am
kdzlucas
Thank you very much, Dustin. Lucas and I need this now more than ever!
November 14, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Amy Nguyen
Feel better Lucas ❤️
November 12, 2022 at 9:44 am
kdzlucas
Thank you, Amy. He definitely feels better and stabilized with the diet and medications at the moment!
November 14, 2022 at 12:43 pm
V Ng
Hang in there, Lucas!
November 12, 2022 at 10:19 am
kdzlucas
Hi V, he is. He is a brave little “pup” I know for sure!
November 14, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Cate Wells
Lucas – hope this is the beginning of a great life.
November 12, 2022 at 2:02 pm
kdzlucas
Hi Cate, I will make sure that he will have a wonderful life no matter what happens.
November 14, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Daksh Trehan
Get well soon Lucas.
Love from 🇮🇳
November 14, 2022 at 11:23 pm
kdzlucas
Hi Daksh, he will! Thank you for your donation!
November 22, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Kathy Chau
Hoping for a speedy recovery!! <3
November 15, 2022 at 6:25 am
kdzlucas
Thank you, Kathy!
November 22, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Tracy Nguyen
Best of luck, Lucas!
November 21, 2022 at 8:21 pm
Jamie Cruz
Good luck 🙂
November 22, 2022 at 9:00 pm
William DeCarolis
My parents’ dog had a similar issue, and the surgery he got was a huge success. It saved his life, and I hope it saves the life of Lucas too!
November 24, 2022 at 10:28 am
Anonymous
Get well soon, Lucas! Sending you healing thoughts and support from Southern California.
November 29, 2022 at 10:25 am