So, after about 6 months of back & forth and lots of research I have decided to get Ella the surgery she needs to be able to return back to her happy, healthy self. For almost a year now the joints and tendons in her front paws have been "breaking down" and becoming lax. I have taken her to 4 different vets, had lots of bloodwork and imaging to figure out why, but we are to the point that she needs surgery to stabilize her joints regardless of the why. Since all blood panels have been completely normal and there are no signs of cancer, arthritis, or any other systemic processes- the vet thinks she has a great prognosis and this is likely due to her anatomy and the way she has been walking/chasing squirrels for the past 6 years. He does not see this spreading to her back legs as the structure is different between front and back legs.

She is in pain, she has low activity tolerance and is limping. She occasionally moans out in pain. The longer I wait to stabilize her joints/tendons surgically the less chance she has to return back to normal and may never walk normally again. I have received many quotes and have landed on a vet orthopedic specialist who can do each paw for $3500 (totaling $7000). I am not in a financial position to be able to afford this right now on top of life expenses and paying for my Master's to become a nurse practitioner. Before taking a loan out for my girl, I thought I would reach out to friends and family who know Ella and see if you all would be able to help me in this lofty vet bill. Her left paw surgery will be March 2 and the right will be 8 weeks after that. If you have any questions- let me know. As is the case with any fundraiser, every little bit helps. You all know how special Ella is to me. She has been my best friend for over 5 years and I can't wait to get her back on the trails with me!