Hello, my name is Stanley and, boy, do I have a story to tell.

First things first, I'm the best copilot, big brother, dog cousin, Chuckit! ball catcher, and lapdog I know. I love running soooperfast at our weekend play places (yay for Sniffspot!), so much so that I didn't notice I'd hurt my toe a few weeks ago. By morning time, I was limping, and my person noticed it was swollen. The next day she took me to the vet who gave me antibiotics and some pain meds to help me heal. When that didn't work in a couple of days the vets gave me stronger antibiotics and pain pills, but I didn't seem to like those and I refused to take them even when my person tried to hide them in some of my favorite foods (hello, cheese! pepperoni? don't mind if I do!). Fast forward a few days and my person decided that a visit to the emergency vet was in order because I had stopped eating entirely and was vomiting a little bit (but not on the carpet because I'm a polite pupper!).

After spending the night at the emergency vet for what they thought was a treat stuck in my tummy, I went home to rest and relax. But my person noticed I seemed to be getting worse; not only was I still limping from my sore toe, but now I couldn't open my mouth and I seemed very uncomfortable. Back to the emergency vet we went!

The emergency vet thought it could be an infection or cancer or a whole host of other things that sounded scary, but they just couldn't figure out what it was. They told my person I should go to the animal hospital and have a neurologist take a look. So, we jumped into my car and took off across town to see if they could help. When we go there, I was so nervous and scared that I was panting and shaking. Luckily the specialists at the animal hospital took one look at me and knew immediately what was wrong. I was one of the lucky few dogs who contracted tetanus. It's so rare that none of the other vets even thought it was a possibility. Unfortunately, by the time I was diagnosed, it was because some of the worst symptoms had set in.

My person was told that there were very few options. One was euthanasia (but I'm only 8 and a really healthy guy...normally) and the other was to pay for what she knew would be a very expensive treatment. The original estimate was spendy, but she was willing to fight for me to get better (and I really, really, really wanted to get better, too). So, they put me in the hospital, they amputated my toe where they thought the infection had started, and they put me in a quiet dark location to get treated for this yucky illness while the toxins worked their way through my system. For those of you who don't know, tetanus is a toxin which is very rare in dogs and cats, so we don't get vaccinated for it like humans do. And without an antitoxin the only way to get rid of it is to let it work its way through the body. It destroys nerves that eventually have to be rebuilt and it's painful.

Fast forward and it's been two weeks in the hospital and I'm starting to show signs of recovery (like, I really want some solid food now, people!), but I still have a way to go before I can go home to all of my people and my furry siblings. I can finally open my mouth a bit, which will help me regulate my temperature, and I might be able to try solid food soon, rather than getting tasteless stuff through my PEG tube. I'm even trying to get up on my own, which makes the doctors and my person very excited.

Sadly, the treatment has been way more expensive than originally thought. The final total for my person (who had just started looking at pet insurance the day I went to the vet....oh, the irony!) is a lot more than even her credit cards can handle.

So, I'm sharing my story for a couple of reasons. Mostly I want everyone to know about tetanus and how to prevent an infection. From VCA Hospitals, "The most effective way to prevent tetanus is to ensure that all wounds receive prompt veterinary treatment. Wounds should always be flushed thoroughly (which may aid in the mechanical removal of C. tetani spores) and treated with antibiotics (to further aid in the prevention of C. tetani infection)." Second, I want to remind everyone that there are amazing people in the world called veterinarians and I want to thank the ones at Friendship Animal Hospital in Washington DC for never giving up on me!

Finally, if you're able to provide any support me and my person would greatly appreciate it. We know it's a lot to ask and we don't expect anything, and if we get more than we need, we'll pay it forward for sure. Because nobody should have to make the sad decisions because they can't afford treatment. Amiright?

TLDR: I'm Stanley, I'm the best, I have tetanus, tetanus sucks, and it's an expensive treatment.