A Dublin man is appealing for help to raise money for his beloved pooch's medical treatment.
David Kremser was left heartbroken when his three-year-old Pittweiler, Pablo, was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia and early osteoarthritis.
David told Dublin Live: "Pablo started limping badly three and half weeks ago.
"I took him to get some x-rays and the vet said he has elbow dysplasia and early osteoarthritis which is a genetic disease in certain breeds of dogs. It’s the deformation of the cartilage of the elbow."
David needs to raise €4,000 for Pablo's treatment - €1,000 for physiotherapy and €3,000 for stem cell therapy.
He spends all his free time tirelessly fundraising in Dublin city centre to help pay for Pablo's medical bills.
He added: "Pablo means everything in the world to me, I’ll do anything for him. I’m currently staying in a hostel because I'm in a bad financial situation so he's staying with a friend.
"I’ve been raising money for him via GoFundMe. I also started an Instagram to raise awareness and I’ve been campaigning on the streets.
"I work in the bar trade so I work nights but I spend my days taking Pablo for a walk and then going out to fundraise for him."
David, who's had Pablo since he was three months old, said the illness has taken a toll on the poor pooch.
He said: "He can’t run around and play much at the moment. I used to take him out for three hour walks every day but now he starts limping really badly after half an hour or 45 minutes so I have to take him back home which makes him really sad.
"All he wants to do is run around and play. It’s a very difficult situation for me because when I take him out for walks, the worst thing for him is pulling on leads.
"Before he was diagnosed he was well-trained and he’d never pull on the lead but since he’s not getting the exercise he’s used to he pulls on it very hard.
He added: "I can’t let him off the lead either because he starts playing with other dogs then he starts limping really badly."
Because he can't go on walks as much, Pablo has gained weight which puts extra pressure on his elbow.
David said: "The only thing I can do for him now is get him painkillers and anti-inflammatory steroid injections to soothe the symptoms.
"However, he’s having trouble with the pain killers because they lead to stomach problems."
David has raised over €600 so far from his online and street fundraising and hopes he can get the money together soon so he can get Pablo the help he needs.
He said: "I’m grateful for any support I can get. Pablo’s a really, really smart dog and he means the world to me.
"Unfortunately there is no cure for elbow dysplasia. There’s an option of surgery but he’s too old and the surgery can only be done on puppies because the bone plate isn’t fully developed.
"Other than that, it’s a lifelong illness but it can be mitigated using treatment."
You can donate here to help David raise money for Pablo's treatment.
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