Ranger’s Road To Recovery

About a week and a half ago, our 3 year-old French Bulldog Ranger, started showing signs of pain and discomfort by sporadically yelping and shaking uncontrollably. It was difficult to diagnose him at the initial vet visit because he was not showing the same symptoms as he was at home. They prescribed both pain and an anti-inflammatory medication. After taking both medications that evening, Ranger continued to yelp, shake, and show signs of pain and discomfort. We made a second trip to the vet the following morning. After a long, sleepless night, we needed answers fast as his pain was only getting worse. Examined by another doctor, it was determined that Ranger’s pain and tension was located in his back and he needed to rest. While the next day showed some sign of relief for all of us, the following evening took a turn for the worse. At 3 AM, the most terrifying screams put us into a full panic. We rushed to the nearest 24 hour vet. When we arrived, Ranger’s back legs started to give out and was barely standing. The vet immediately suggested it was a neurological issue and to rush him to Long Island Veterinarian Specialist. Around 5 AM, we arrived at LIVS and he was diagnosed with IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease). IVDD is when the spine compresses and causes the discs between the vertebrae to herniate or bulge which causes severe pain and compression on the nerves and muscles surrounding it. In Ranger’s case, he lost all mobility in both rear legs. An MRI confirmed his diagnosis and was immediately rushed into surgery that morning. We are very fortunate the surgery went well but he will require a longer recovery time than anticipated and physical therapy to help gain mobility back in his legs. While you try to prepare for the future, one could not anticipate an emergency spinal surgery and it’s financial burden. Current vet bills and physical therapy have brought us to a hefty $10,000 balance. While we can try to pay this off over time, we are also getting married in November which is another large financial responsibility. We are asking for help and support during this difficult time to ensure that Ranger gets the best possible care in hopes for a full recovery.