Hunter has Lumbosacral (Spine) disease

Hunter is a gorgeous 4.5 year old Shepherd blend rescue dog.
He was found wandering the streets in 2015, where he was picked up and placed in the pound.

His previous owners didn’t want him back.
His bad behaviour and fear and cowering towards men suggested that he was abused in some way.

His likelihood of being re-homed was slim; euthanasia was highly likely, until German Shepherd Rescue Victoria (GSRV) stepped in.

I adopted him from GSRV in 2015 and have spent years training and showering him in love, resulting in Hunter becoming the social, obedient, loving dog that he is today.

Over the years he has had many health troubles, with repeated falls. Hunter has had several Vet visits over the years that hadn’t led to answers, until now.

At the start of November 2018 Hunter was diagnosed with Lumbosacral disease; a spinal disease that indicates his lumbosacral vertebrae is damaged.
The spinal canal (where the nerves pass through) is swollen, which puts pressure on his nerves, cutting off feeling to his back legs, resulting in him falling over.

This can result from a history of trauma.

Hunter has had multiple x-rays to provide more answers, and has had several rounds of pain relief medication, anti inflammatories to try and make daily life more comfortable for him.

The next step is to get a CT scan which alone has been quoted by a specialist Veterinarian at $2500.
This scan is going to give us more answers as to how extensive the damage is to his spine, and what we can do next.

Our next steps following the scan are:

- Rounds of Epidurals into his spine to help assist with the lower back pain. This is a temporary fix until he has surgery, or is sadly put down (depending on his quality of life)

- Spinal surgery. Alone this is upward of $6000 and would include placement of screws into his Lumbosacral joint to stabilise his vertebrae. This surgery could potentially fix the problem. While he may never be a youthful agile dog, he would experience much less discomfort.

So, if you have ever met Hunter you would know he lights up the room and can make even the worst of moods better. Please help me provide him with the best care to give him a comfortable and loving life!

He is a beautiful soul and deserves the best. Thank you ❤️