My 6-year-old dachshund Gracie is still not well, and I’m running out of time to get her the care she desperately needs. Over the last 48 hours, her pain has intensified. She’s crying, restless, guarding her belly, and struggling to get comfortable.

This comes after six months of repeated vet visits, nearly $2,000 of upfront payments, multiple blood tests, an abdominal ultrasound, a diagnosis of Addison’s Disease, and starting Prednisone to manage it.

But even after all that… her suffering never stopped.

Her painful GI episodes have continued and progressively worsened. She was last seen on November 21st, and the vet wanted to run multiple tests including x-rays, full bloodwork, and a blood gas electrolyte test. At that time, I was only able to afford for her to have a blood gas electrolyte test done. (I couldn't even afford the exam visit with the test, but they were kind enough to waive this for me.)

That test confirmed she wasn’t going into Addisonian shock — but it did not explain why her pain keeps escalating. Her vet is now very concerned that she may also have a stomach/bowel blockage or that this may be a severe IVDD flare causing spinal compression. Both require urgent diagnostic testing — x-rays, more bloodwork, and possibly another ultrasound — to determine if this is a surgical emergency.

This is not a “wait and see” situation. Without these tests, her condition can worsen fast, and she could lose mobility, become septic, or end up in a level of pain no animal should ever have to be in.

Gracie isn’t “just” my dog. She is my partner, my best friend, and my guiding light, the one constant always by my side willing to walk with me through even the darkest days of my cancer fight — the one living being who has never left me.

And it is Gracie that reminds me every day to not give up and to keep fighting because she loves me and needs me to be here for her just like I need her.

I never wanted my challenges in life to negatively affect her, so I do have pet insurance for her. The only problem is that it does me no good right now. Pet insurance is not like human medical insurance; it does not pay for services upfront. This means that I must pay the full cost of all of her care upfront and out of pocket in order to get her seen regardless of having insurance for her.

I am trying to do everything within my power to help her, but the reality of my situation is harsh: I am disabled, on SSDI ($1,744/mo), and juggling my own medical care and bills. I’ve sold what I can and used every resource available to cover the last 6 months of her upfront vet costs. At this point, I have stretched myself as far as possible.

Right now, I simply don’t have the money to pay for the upfront amount she needs to be seen, and we are both terrified of what will happen if I am not able to get help in time.

I am asking for help to cover the immediate cost to get her seen, diagnosed, and out of pain.

Note: If any portion of her care is reimbursed by insurance, it will go directly back into her continued medical care — medications, mobility support, follow-up visits, or additional imaging. (See below for more information)

Here is a breakdown of what that currently looks like:

This brings the total estimated cost of diagnostic testing to approximately $1,300. These are the estimated costs from the Animal Hospital she has been going to. I am currently reaching out to other clinics that offer services at lower rates.

This does not include an ultrasound, pain management, possible fluids, or follow-up meds. If any of those things or if surgery becomes required, I will update immediately with documentation.

If you’ve ever loved a dog, you know how helpless it feels to watch them suffer. I am asking for help to get Gracie through this and out of pain.

If you can’t donate, even sharing this would make a huge difference.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring about my little girl. And thank you to anyone willing to help me fight for her.

Written with love and hope by Tiffany Noonchester with Gracie Girl at her side (just like always ❤️)

Additional Information:

I am working on uploading Gracie's recent medical records and receipts for full transparency, and will continue to post every vet bill, itemized receipt, and update here for all to see exactly how donations are being used.