Schnauzer Love Rescue, Inc.

Bella started her journey with Schnauzer Love Rescue when she was given away in rural Mississippi and then surrendered. It looked like her future would be filled with promise and happy days. Her fresh start quickly become very difficult when she developed a mysterious, serious, and painful medical problem. SLR needs your help to fund the care that this sweetheart needs.

Bella has been in SLR foster care since the beginning of February. Off and on for the past three weeks, she’s been in severe pain, unable to walk and constantly crying. This is why she was initially taken to the vet. She was taken to the vet in Nashville, near her first foster home for her spay and shots. She had to return multiple times for her excessive pain. Her vet bill in Nashville was right at $800. The Nashville vet was unable to determine the cause of her pain.

SLR moved Bella to Memphis, where a foster mom experienced in caring for a dog with a back injury volunteered to take her. She was doing well in her new foster home, but overnight the excurciating pain returned. The foster home took her to our regular vet in Memphis who diagnosed her with a UTI but stated that her pain was beyond anything they could care for at a normal vet office. She would need to be transferred on Monday, February 27 to the emergency and specialty clinic there for further testing. The specialty vets assessed her and quickly suspected something more complicated; they kept her overnight in the Intensive Care Unit. They also did additional bloodwork, administered methadone and fentanyl pain control and indicated that a CT Scan would not be effective. Bella would need an MRI. The bill at the specialty clinic was $1,200.

Early the next morning she was driven to Mississippi State University (MSU) Veterinary School by SLR's VP and medical liaison and TN's foster coordinator, where the emergency team was waiting to accept her. The pain must have been relentless; even with strong pain medicine, she trembled most of the 2.5-hour drive to Starkville, and she would not move an inch. Any movement caused her severe pain. The ER vets jumped into action and began treating her pain and running tests. Most dog owners have had dogs who were in pain. But what Bella was experiencing was uncommon – it truly broke everyone’s heart to see this loving little girl cry out in severe pain when she was barely moved or even gently patted anywhere on her little body.

Upon arrival at MSU, on Wednesday, March 1, Bella was admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, and the emergency and medicine specialists worked together to attempt to diagnose Bella. An injured back was still a possibility, but the way her pain presented and other symptoms caused the team to suspect something else. Through a battery of tests (blood tests, urinalysis, sonogram, snap test), they ruled out some conditions and were led to consider other diagnoses. The specialists learned that Bella’s UTI was caused by an unusual organism, which led to even more questions. They were able to keep Bella relatively comfortable with pain medication. The night of March 2, Bella again became extremely painful and was transferred to the vet neurology specialist clinic at Mississippi State on the morning of March 3. The pain she’s suffering is so intense that the vets have Bella on a constant Fentanyl and Ketamine drip.

The neuro team performed an MRI, a spinal tap and additional blood tests. The results of these tests indicated a possible serious infection. As of Friday night, March 3, they are waiting on an analysis of her spinal tap and the high-level blood tests. Bella is now in the neuro ICU and receiving the best care possible to keep her comfortable until the next panel of results is in next week.

Precious Bella has meningitis, a very scary medical condition that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can be non-infectious and can have several causes. Or, meningitis can be caused by an infection, including bacterial, viral, fungal, or protozoal infections. The specialists are narrowing down Bella’s type of meningitis so they can recommend a treatment for her. The MSU team has told us that meningitis in dogs is very different from how it presents and behaves in humans. It is not contagious. It is often treatable and the dog can go on to live a healthy life without the risk of a relapse.

Bella is a truly special little dog. Through all this pain, Bella has never once tried to nip or bite the humans who are trying to save her. She still looks into their eyes with love and still wags her tail Everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her. And everyone is doing everything they can to save her.

As you can imagine, SLR needs help in covering the medical care that is Bella’s only hope. Our estimate today is that her bills will top $10,000. Her vet care in Nashville was about $800. She then saw the vet and specialty vet in Memphis for another $1,200. Her bill so far at MSU is over $7,000. Each night in the ICU is approximately $400 and then there is a treatment cost expected.

Together we can cover the cost of Bella's medical care. Thank you for helping SLR.

This video is of Bella as she's being delivered to the ER at MSU. https://youtube.com/shorts/nGjumI3Ie_4?feature=share

If you are more comfortable sending PayPal directly to Schnauzer Love Rescue, Inc. you may do that at https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=Eyf4gaSSW5YiRwgMsRfbj5qxmjh8s1G9D5EPB5q4XHkWrwNRa9iHAzPalZZ21BxeDlmvtrX975X0eIjr&locale.x=US Youcan also mail a check to Schnauzer Love Rescue, Attn: Marty Morgan, 2924 19th St. N, Hueytown, AL 35023-3134.