Hello! My name is Zeus and I am a five year old Australian Shepard. My owner rescued me when I was a puppy and I have lived a happy life with her so far. My favorite things to do are to hike and play fetch. I have lived on a small ranch most of my life and had all the toys and treats I could dream of. I am very loud, playful, affectionate, and loyal but I am also suffering from a chronic illness that has impacted my life significantly.

Two years ago, my Mom (Carly) noticed that my eyes were a little cloudy. She took me to the vet and I was diagnosed with something called Pannus. Pannus is also called chronic superficial keratitis, a progressive inflammatory auto-immune condition affecting the cornea or clear part of the eye. I also have a variation of pannus which can affect the third eyelid, and is called nictitans plasmacytic conjunctivitis or plasmoma. Basically, my immune system is attacking my eyes.

As soon as I was diagnosed my Mom started giving me all kinds of expensive eye drops. She's been giving me them off and on ever since, and since Pannus is aggravated by UV light, elevation, and allergens, I have become an indoor dog and I'm supposed to wear special sunglasses to go outside in bright light. Even though I take my eye drops and stay inside, my eyes are not getting better because I need them 24/7 and I have built an intolerance/allergy to one of them.

I have two doctors, a regular one and an eye specialist, who have both run out of ideas so they referred me to another specialist at CSU. This place has an operation that will help me, but it's pretty expensive and experimental so not just anybody can do it.

The surgery is called a cyclosporine episcleral implantation, where my new vet inserts a small slow release pellet into the tissue around my eye that continuously medicates my eyes for up to a year. This has only been done in around 20 dogs and a bunch of horses, but has an excellent success rate. I will be the first dog in Colorado to have this done, and I will gradually get my sight back and will no longer have to depend on my eye drops. I will have to take some drops forever, but not as often.

The drops are expensive ($45 for 5 ml and $85 for 10 ml) and have to be refilled every 3-6 weeks. Just to see my doctor is $140. Other treatment options include short term shots in my eyes that don't last very long and are almost as expensive as the implant surgery. Pet insurance doesn't cover my condition because it is chronic. To get this surgery, my Mom needs to raise $1500-2000. The clinic will contribute $300 from their research funds because I am the first in Colorado, but other than that, my Mom wasn't expecting that many numbers at once.

The cost will cover the exam, surgery, anesthesia, post-ops, medication, and give me my eye sight back! I am about 60-70% blind right now, but I will improve drastically after about 4-6 weeks. If I'm good, there's a chance my vet can use topical anesthesia and mild sedation, which will save Mom some money, but I usually feel anxious when doctors are touching my eyes so I'll probably need to be asleep. Because the medicine takes 4-6 weeks to take affect, I will also need shots in my eyes during surgery to help me out in the meantime. Since I'll already be asleep, this is only about $150, but I will be uncomfortable and have to wear a cone for a few weeks after.

Money is not something I can give my Mom but I can give her lots of kisses! For now I will continue to play fetch and go on hikes, but soon I won't be able to, so this is pretty important. I can have the surgery in a few weeks if Mom can afford it. She's also reached out to a few non-profits to see if they can help!

Thanks for listening! If you can spare a dime or two, Mom and I would be eternally grateful. If not, we appreciate your support and kindness always.

Love, Zeus!