Bump's Recovery Fund
Donation protected
Hi, My name is Dan, and this is the story of our dog Bump. He is a 5 1/2 year old Rottweiler that is currently facing some health challenges. These challenges often result in the affected dog being put down, but a combination of shady veteranarian tactics and dishonest pricing, coupled with my own stubbornness have placed Bump in a precariously optimistic position.
Let me go back to the beginning.
Bump has been our family pet, friend, and companion since he was born on May 5, 2010. After 3 months of being married to my wife, we decided it was time to commit to having a dog. Part of this decision was influenced by the urging of my brother who wanted the pick of the litter to go to family. I was reluctant at first, knowing fully the stigma attached to Rottweilers and the amount of training needed to make sure bad habits didn't become destructive behaviors.
Bump is a very active dog. He loves going camping with us, hiking, walking, running, playing fetch.. He's protective of his "pack" and no-doubt has caused many a person with ill intent to pass on by
As much as Bump loves activity, he also loves comfort-- namely, any pillow that is currently unoccupied.
Bump has a goofy side.. like my goofy side, its there, but it doesn't let you get more than one picture of it.
Bump really never got along with children until we had one of our own. Over time, he went from being terrified of the tiny human beings to one of their favorite snuggle toys.
Unfortunately, on Wednesday, January 20th, 2016, our lives were changed when Bump was found huddled in a corner, unable to move his hind legs. A panicked trip to our regular vet turned into a trip to the emergency vet, where he was given a dire prognosis. He needed an immediate MRI to confirm if one of his disks had ruptured. We were quoted an initial figure that, while high, was still affordable. However, each successive time we met with the vet to discuss options, the price was raised. During this time, the MRI was done and the largest portion of the bill was already our responsibility.
Fueled by adrenaline, love for our dog, and a bit of naivete, we continued on with the doctor's recommendations. Since the MRI came back negative for disk disease, the next possibility was an FCE- a Fibrocartilagenous Embolism- something seen in larger-breed dogs. A piece of cartilage entered the blood stream to the spinal cord and caused what could be thought of as a spinal stroke. This left Bump paralyzed in the hind end.
The initial news was not altogether great, although some signs of improvement were seen on Friday (2 days after), namely that of bodily waste functions.
Day 3 (Saturday) brought better news, as it was discovered that Bump had slight movement in his left leg. We visited Bump that day, and I caught a glimpse of him trying to hobble on the leg as they led him away when it was time for us to go. At first, I thought I was mistaken. This development convinced us to keep hope and push for rehab, should the opportunity arrive.
Day 4 (Sunday) started as a disappointing day, as it seemed progress had stalled. The urinary catheter had been pulled and he was able to urinate by himself with manual expression needed to empty. The evening update didn't bring any new updates, but the vet called a second time and rather non-challantly mentioned that they had observed movement in the second leg! At the time, I was in the middle of the local grocery and I started weeping in the aisle as people passed by. What great news!
This set the stage for Day 5 (Monday). This was the day that Bump was transferred to a rehabilitation facility for continued treatment. Since his condition requires no medical intervention at this point, his recovery is entirely variable and depends on how his body heals and how much time he has to do so. We're hoping and praying for a quick, complete recovery, but we'd be content to bring him home with normal body functions and the ability to walk on his own.
This is where we need your help. We've already incurred a large amount of expense from the vet stay and more will be added when we're done with the 10-day rehab program Bump is starting. At this point, the initial program is all we can afford, as we do have a 16-month old, a mortgage, and various other financial commitments. By supporting Bump, you can help us afford the cost of his treatment and rehabilitation and make it possible for us to continue therapy.
Additionally, support donated will help us with any equipment that will be needed to facilitate a dog with physical needs.
The most difficult part in all of this has been facing the reality that we might not be able to afford what is necessary to bring him home and that we would have to put Bump down. It's a shame that something like this has happened to an otherwise-healthy dog-- a condition that isn't terminal, but often results in euthanization based solely on expense.
I'm incredibly grateful for the time you've spent on this site reading about our "pack" and any support you could offer would be extremely appreciated!
Help get Bump back on his feet!
Help us bring him home!
Let me go back to the beginning.
Bump has been our family pet, friend, and companion since he was born on May 5, 2010. After 3 months of being married to my wife, we decided it was time to commit to having a dog. Part of this decision was influenced by the urging of my brother who wanted the pick of the litter to go to family. I was reluctant at first, knowing fully the stigma attached to Rottweilers and the amount of training needed to make sure bad habits didn't become destructive behaviors.
Bump is a very active dog. He loves going camping with us, hiking, walking, running, playing fetch.. He's protective of his "pack" and no-doubt has caused many a person with ill intent to pass on by
As much as Bump loves activity, he also loves comfort-- namely, any pillow that is currently unoccupied.
Bump has a goofy side.. like my goofy side, its there, but it doesn't let you get more than one picture of it.
Bump really never got along with children until we had one of our own. Over time, he went from being terrified of the tiny human beings to one of their favorite snuggle toys.
Unfortunately, on Wednesday, January 20th, 2016, our lives were changed when Bump was found huddled in a corner, unable to move his hind legs. A panicked trip to our regular vet turned into a trip to the emergency vet, where he was given a dire prognosis. He needed an immediate MRI to confirm if one of his disks had ruptured. We were quoted an initial figure that, while high, was still affordable. However, each successive time we met with the vet to discuss options, the price was raised. During this time, the MRI was done and the largest portion of the bill was already our responsibility.
Fueled by adrenaline, love for our dog, and a bit of naivete, we continued on with the doctor's recommendations. Since the MRI came back negative for disk disease, the next possibility was an FCE- a Fibrocartilagenous Embolism- something seen in larger-breed dogs. A piece of cartilage entered the blood stream to the spinal cord and caused what could be thought of as a spinal stroke. This left Bump paralyzed in the hind end.
The initial news was not altogether great, although some signs of improvement were seen on Friday (2 days after), namely that of bodily waste functions.
Day 3 (Saturday) brought better news, as it was discovered that Bump had slight movement in his left leg. We visited Bump that day, and I caught a glimpse of him trying to hobble on the leg as they led him away when it was time for us to go. At first, I thought I was mistaken. This development convinced us to keep hope and push for rehab, should the opportunity arrive.
Day 4 (Sunday) started as a disappointing day, as it seemed progress had stalled. The urinary catheter had been pulled and he was able to urinate by himself with manual expression needed to empty. The evening update didn't bring any new updates, but the vet called a second time and rather non-challantly mentioned that they had observed movement in the second leg! At the time, I was in the middle of the local grocery and I started weeping in the aisle as people passed by. What great news!
This set the stage for Day 5 (Monday). This was the day that Bump was transferred to a rehabilitation facility for continued treatment. Since his condition requires no medical intervention at this point, his recovery is entirely variable and depends on how his body heals and how much time he has to do so. We're hoping and praying for a quick, complete recovery, but we'd be content to bring him home with normal body functions and the ability to walk on his own.
This is where we need your help. We've already incurred a large amount of expense from the vet stay and more will be added when we're done with the 10-day rehab program Bump is starting. At this point, the initial program is all we can afford, as we do have a 16-month old, a mortgage, and various other financial commitments. By supporting Bump, you can help us afford the cost of his treatment and rehabilitation and make it possible for us to continue therapy.
Additionally, support donated will help us with any equipment that will be needed to facilitate a dog with physical needs.
The most difficult part in all of this has been facing the reality that we might not be able to afford what is necessary to bring him home and that we would have to put Bump down. It's a shame that something like this has happened to an otherwise-healthy dog-- a condition that isn't terminal, but often results in euthanization based solely on expense.
I'm incredibly grateful for the time you've spent on this site reading about our "pack" and any support you could offer would be extremely appreciated!
Help get Bump back on his feet!
Help us bring him home!
Organizer
Dan Campbell
Organizer
Spencerport, NY