Bambi’s back surgery & recovery

Hi my name is Kirsten and my miniature dachshund Bambi turns 6 years old on Monday, March 18! Bambi suddenly lost the use of her back legs Thursday night! She somehow got herself inside without anyone even noticing right away but didn’t want to move from where she was sitting and was totally paralyzed in her back legs!

We’ve had doxies with some back flare ups before but never quite this extreme. We took her to our regular vet Friday morning and they advised us to take her an hour away to a neurologist in Richmond. There, the MRI revealed a herniated disc between L2-L3. She never has had a problem before and we are not aware of any injury but maybe something while she was outside in the yard before bed?!

They said there was about 80% compression and a lot of fluid and that surgery was basically the only option. The MRI and appointment were about $3,000 and then the surgery was another $7,000+! I am in shock at how much this costs. And there will be more charges for the recovery process and followup appointments.

We mulled over the idea of not doing the surgery but the vet basically said her case is not one they recommend waiting on. And I was not going to put her down or have her life be so compromised. I have seen other weenies use wheels and things to live happily but I just had to give her a chance! She is such a spunky girl and it’s so terrible to see her so sad. She is usually the one on patrol in the yard and is always investigating everything and it made me so sad to think of her unable to do her favorite activities anymore. In addition to being the best snuggle buddy when you’re not feeling well, she is so smart and knows many commands. She usually spends a lot of her time begging on her hind legs which I’m sure is now out of the question.

I decided to go forward with the surgery and have maxed out my CareCredit card and borrowed some money from my parents which I will need to pay back. But I have no idea how I’m going to pay it off in time. We couldn’t wait to do the surgery so it was a rushed decision.

I’ve never considered doing a GoFundMe but someone recommended it, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I tried posting on another vet bills assistance facebook page but they would not allow my post since I had already charged the surgery. I guess they’d prefer to help fund people who are unwilling to put their own financials in jeopardy.

They said the surgery Friday night went well and she is now home Saturday afternoon and resting but is not happy and still cannot move her back end at all. This will be a LONG recovery process.

She’s turns 6 on Monday and I feel so terribly that her birthday is being spent this way She’s only 8lbs and is so helpless looking when she’s hurt❤️

ANY financial help will be so greatly appreciated!

Or if you’d prefer, you can find me on Venmo @kirstenmac https://venmo.com/u/KirstenMac