Hi everyone - I’m fundraising for our 3 year old French bulldog, Bentley. A few days ago, we started noticing that he was really shaky and wouldn’t hop up on the couch for some cuddles (and he LOVES cuddles). After a while, his back legs started to look weak and his gait was a bit altered. We made him a vet appointment the next day and were told it was a back issue and he was given some pain meds and a muscle relaxer. Shortly after we got home from the vet, his ability to walk became significantly worse to the point where he was mostly dragging his back legs. We called first thing the next morning to make him another vet appointment (his second appointment in less than 24 hours). She was very concerned that he had something called Intervertebral Disc Disease or IVDD. She recommended taking him to an animal hospital with a neurologist so that he could have emergency surgery. We left the vet and headed straight to Eastern Pennsylvania Veterinary Animal Hospital in Allentown, which was the nearest animal hospital a neurology department (about 1 hr 22 min away). When we got there he was examined by the neurologist, who also felt that surgery was the way to go. The CT scan (used to get imaging of his back in order to find out the issue and where to operate) alone costs $3,000. The surgery could cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 and a lot of it depends on how long Bentley will need to stay at the hospital after the surgery (most like several days). Therefore, the estimate they gave us was a range from $6,000-$8,000. This all happened within 48 hours and the vet bills are going to be very pricey. They told us with the surgery, there is a 90-95% chance that Bentley will walk again, and without the surgery (using crate rest and medical management) the chances were significantly lower. It is a lot of money, but we know that Bentley is worth it! I know that Kevin would appreciate any amount that you are willing to donate. Truly anything would help! Thank you so, so much!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kevin Laubach
Beneficiary