Trigger, a seven-month-old purebred dwarf beagle, needs an expensive surgery on his front two legs before he turns eight months old.

"If he doesn't get the surgery, it's very likely that he will get arthritis at a super young age. He's already showing signs of discomfort and when he does run around, sometimes his paw gives out which is a sign of lameness," said Catherine Laforest, Trigger's owner.

In the forearm region of a dog, there are two bones: the radius and ulna. According to Trigger's vet, Dr. Suresh Sathya, his ulna growth plate closed too early, meaning his elbows fused together too soon.

"[It] can lead to one or more of the following: a short ulna, a bowed radius, a foot which turns/twists outwards from the level of the carpus (wrist), and an elbow joint which doesn't fit snugly and is said to be 'incongruent," he wrote in an email to Forester.

Dr. Sathya works at Guardian Veterinary Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The centre is the closest clinic to Terrace, B.C. that specializes in this surgery, which is where Trigger and her live.

The surgery involves removing a small section of the ulna bone below the elbow joint, which will allow the radius to grow straight without interference, he wrote. However, it needs to happen before Trigger turns eight months old as the older a dog gets, the worse the prognosis.

The operation costs between $4,600 and $5,400, depending on estimates of injections and medications. Laforest has been raising money through collecting bottles, selling her homemade quilts to family and friends, and collecting donations.

To help Trigger, send an e-transfer to catherine_laforest@msn.com.