Diesel's Story: The owners love and loss

Hello, My name is Melissa. My husband and I recently lost a precious member of our family. Our furbaby, Diesel, on 5/2/2025.

Diesel was a handsome Doberman pinscher who was just a little over 2 years old. As most young Dobermans-Diesel was very energetic, loyal and a guardian.

On 4/26/2025, he mysteriously started having behavior changes. Pacing, not eating, not drinking, standing still and staring, trembling, not wanting to jump, not running.

We took Diesel to a local vet on 4/29/2025 who thought it could be wobblers disease. No labwork or Xrays were completed. She prescribed a muscle relaxant and 2 pain medications. She also recommended crate rest for 4 weeks.

We administered the medications as ordered. The evening of 4/30/2025, we noticed Diesel occasionally dragging his hind left leg and started to fall. I called the vets office twice that evening and left a message wanting Diesel to be seen again the next morning as he was getting worse.

5/1/2025 at 8am, I was called by the local vets office and was told to take him to an emergency vet. At the same time I was talking to the vet, my husband had carried Diesel outside. He was no longer able to stand on his hind legs. [you can see in one of the photos]. This started a journey that we wouldn't wish on any animal owner.

We traveled 2 hours to MedVet in Canal Winchester OH. They felt there was a disc problem in Diesel's back. This would require an MRI under anesthesia to confirm and then taken straight to surgery to correct. This could only be done at the MedVet in Worthington OH. Canal Winchester completed labs, inserted a foley catheter as Diesel had been unable to pee due to the paralysis. They forewarned us this would be costly and wouldn't be cheap. Diesels 'care plan' was $8300 to $10000. We were beside ourselves. We love him, he had been healthy until these last few days and we HAD to try something. So we charged the $8300 deposit and we were on our way to MedVet in Worthington to see the neurologist.

Diesel was taken in right away at Worthington. Dr Dixon was excellent. However, her news was not. Diesel was paralyzed in his hind legs, his front legs were weak, cranial nerves were affected as he was showing weakness in his face and his esophagus was even showing weakness as there was little to no gag reflex. She did not feel this was his back. Something was affecting his muscles and nerves. She recommended he stay there for 1-2 days while they completed labs and a lumbar puncture to try to determine the cause. Little did we know when we went in to say our goodbyes to Diesel in ICU that day, it was going to be our last.

Dr Dixon called later that evening. The lumbar puncture was completed and there were a couple of things really high. She mentioned giving a high dose of IV steroid and chemotherapy to suppress Diesels immune system and she wanted to observe Diesel's respiratory status overnight as she felt he could experience respiratory distress.

The next day, I was called with an update on Diesel. No improvement. the Dr mentioned about giving Diesel the chemotherapy on this day which would be a 10 hour infusion and send him home the next day which would be 5/3. The treatment may/may not work, could be weeks before any result is seen (if any).

Remember earlier when I said at the beginning that Diesel was very energetic? My husband and I cried and talked about Diesel and how he would want to be. He tried to get up when we walked into ICU so we knew he would not want to lay ALL THE TIME every day. So after much crying and there still is- we made the decision not to let him suffer. He was full of life. He loved playing, running and having fun. It wouldn't have been fair to him if he couldn't continue to do that. It would have been out of our own selfishness if we chose to keep him with us knowing he couldn't do the things that he loved. With broken hearts, we made the decision to put him to sleep.

Diesel is being sent to OSU for a necropsy. We are heartbroken and want to know what took our loved one so soon and so quickly.

Funeral/cremation arrangements will be handled by https://www.schoedingerpets.com once OSU is finished with Diesel.

PLEASE to everyone reading our story [even if you are unable to help with the emergency medical care/funeral costs for Diesel] show your pets you love them each and every day. They love us just as much as we do them. And just like Diesel's case, they can be taken from us with very little warning.

Thank you for taking the time to read Diesel's story.

UPDATE ON 5/5/2025- We received a credit from MedVet for the unused amount of our deposit so there has been an adjustment made in our fundraiser goal.

UPDATE ON 5/6/2025: OSU has finished with necropsy and Diesel arrived at Schoedinger pets yesterday morning.

UPDATE ON 5/6/2025: Donations received will be used to pay toward the emergency vet charges. Thanks to all that have read Diesel's story. Please continue to share with others.

UPDATE ON 5/9/2025: Spoke to MedVet doctor regarding Lumbar puncture result. No infectious cause. Autoimmune most likely and that Diesel was "very sick." Saw OSU external autopsy- no spinal cord or brain trauma/abnormalities.

** Diesel's case is still a mystery to us. While he may no longer be with us physically, please keep his story alive and share his story with others. **