Donate to Help Arlo Overcome IVDD

In the care of my sister, brother-in-law and most importantly baby Arlo, I have created this GoFundMe to help support Reid and Teagan with the care and costs of Arlo’s unfortunate diagnosis which developed rapidly this past week.

Arlo was found Monday evening as his happy self by Reid. He was playing with his sister Remi in the backyard when he fell over, unable to get up, panting in distress. Reid rushed Arlo to the animal clinic in Moose Jaw where they did X-rays and found him to have an unusually large stomach. At the time, the clinic figured Arlo was in extreme pain due to his stomach and sent him home in hopes that he would be able to expel the matters in a few hours.

By 3 AM, Arlo had declined considerably. His back 2 legs were weakened, he was dragging his paws and falling over every few steps. He looked dazed and was not responding to his name. Both Reid and Teagan rushed him to urgent care in Regina where they diagnosed him with the possibility of a slipped disc and figured he was in so much pain that it was contributing to his odd behaviour. Arlo was sent him home with pain medication and placed on strict bed rest.

By 7:30 AM Arlo was completely paralyzed in his hind legs and his body was tense. His head was moving up and down involuntarily and his breathing was rapid. Reid and Teagan rushed Arlo to the Moose Jaw animal clinic once again where they determined his condition was a medical crisis requiring immediate attention at the Vet College in Saskatoon.

By the time they arrived in Saskatoon Arlo had lost control of his bladder. They admitted him to doggy ICU and suspected he had IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) which would require confirmation in the morning with further diagnostics. The next day they decided to do a CT scan versus MRI to expedite the process as Arlo was requiring immediate surgery and was considered paraplegic at this time. IVDD had been confirmed by imaging and he was operated on that afternoon. The surgeon informed Reid and Teagan that Arlo had severe spinal cord compression from a slipped disc which the vet was able to repair and he should have an 85% chance for a full recovery.

Arlo remains in doggy ICU. Teagan and Reid have not been able to see him as they are trying to limit any stress or excitement although they get periodic updates. Reid and Teagan have estimated total costs will be around 10-13K for Arlo’s stay, surgery, imaging, medication, and recovery care. His path to recovery will be long and they expect 6 months of rehab with the possibility of manual expression of his bladder 2x per day. Arlo will also have daily pain medication, wound care and close monitoring for his recovery.

Lastly, Reid and Teagan have an upcoming wedding on September 24th, that Arlo and Remi will be a part of. Their two doodles are their absolute best friends, their babies, and their lifelines!

I hope this GoFundMe can help support my family and little Arlo get back to his goofy, full-of-life self. If you can find it in your heart to donate, even $10 we would all greatly appreciate it.

Thank you ❤️