Around 12:30am on August 9, 2019, my very best wiener Moose woke me up screaming in pain like I’ve never heard before. He’s normally pretty chill, to the point I’ve never even seen him limp before.



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He hadn’t wanted to jump into bed the night before, and he was in clear distress when I lifted him back down off the bed once we were awake. He could walk, but it was clearly labored. I put him in his crate and called the emergency line for our vet (shoutout to Dr. Kelly at Dogwood Animal Hospital for calming me down at 1am); she advised me to bring him in first thing in the morning, which I did, but it was clear by that point his condition was deteriorating rapidly. She examined him and called to Veterinary Specialty Services in St. Louis to let them know we were on the way.



That’s the first time the phrase “IVDD case” was used to describe him, and my blood went cold. It’s the diagnosis every dachshund owner dreads getting.



For anyone unfamiliar the condition, Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund explains it thoroughly here , but to summarize:



“IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) is a condition that affects about 25% of dachshunds as well as some other breeds as well, especially those with longer backs. Our bodies have little discs between our vertebrate – sort of like jelly-filled donuts, that act as cushions between the vertebrae. IVDD is when these discs deteriorate (calcify/harden), wherein they become susceptible to bulging or bursting – especially with hard impacts (jumping off a couch, steps, rough play, etc). Owners generally first notice IVDD in their dog (if it’s going to happen) between ages 3 and 7 (essentially when the dog is most active in their life). When the jelly in the disc bursts, it usually goes upward based on the shape of the surrounding bone, but can also go side to side. However, if it goes upward, it’s going straight into the spinal canal where it can compress the spinal cord. This can cause pain, discomfort, loss of motor control, and complete paralysis in a matter of days following the injury and depending on how severe it is.”



The best chance of recovery comes when the injury is caught early, ideally while the animal is still able to stand on its own. By the time I got Moose to the emergency vet at 10:00, he was dragging his back feet, which is not a good sign.





￼He did, however, attempt to bite the vet during his exam, which would normally be cause for concern, but was very good news this time, because it meant he still had feeling in his back and it gives him a better chance of making a full recovery.



The best news is that his surgery was successful: he has feeling in his back legs and he’s making clear motor improvement every day. He has his first physical therapy appointment on August 15, after which we’ll have a better idea of what to expect in terms of recovery time.



Although surgery fixes the immediate problem, IVDD is a lifelong disorder. When it happens to one disc, it’s likely to happen to others, so serious preventative measures have to be taken once the dog is recovered and rehabilitated, and none of this is cheap.



A low-ball estimate for everything at this point is as follows:

Preliminary vet visit at Dogwood: $65

Surgery at VSS: $4336.90

Hotel stay: $250 (two nights, plus food etc)

Physical therapy $880: 11 sessions at $50/each, plus approximately $30 in gas each trip (never mind the wear and tear on the car, and losing at least $50 a week that I could’ve been working at the mall - that alone adds another $550 in losses)

Lifestyle modifications (ramps, gates, more secure pet carrier, back brace, additional vet visits, exercise equipment, etc.): $500-$1000 or more



At bare minimum, the ordeal cost me around $5700 that I just honestly don’t have, and the expenses will continue to mount for the rest of his life as we continue to adjust and modify and hope that we don’t ever get to this point again, but repeat injuries are extremely common. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this dumb little dog. Getting him the help he needed today wasn’t even a question, but my financial situation right now is such that I don’t really have an extra 5-10 grand just laying around for emergency dog surgery.

I was approved for $4000 in CareCredit, which is interest free for six months, so my goal is to pay off as much of that as possible during that time period. The rest so far has gone on fairly high-interest credit cards, but the physical therapy had to be paid cash, so that took precedence for sure. Update 2/10/20: CareCredit starts accruing interest next month, so I would really love to pay it down ASAP.



I wouldn’t ask for help like this if I had any other option, but at this point, I really don’t. Anything you might be able to contribute would be an enormous relief. The best news is, surgery and rehab have been a huge success! If you didn’t know it happened, you would just think he’s a clumsy little wiener (which he most definitely he is). Now all we have to do is pay off a moderately priced used vehicle.



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Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and for your generosity. ❤️