Our beloved cat Dandy is in need of an MRI to determine what in her spine is causing her to not be able to walk right. A week ago Dandy suddenly began to limp, then her hind leg just wasn’t being used right - impacting her ability to walk normally and comfortably. Two vet visits, a set of xrays, a comprehensive blood panel, two neurological examinations, and a consultation with a veterinary neurologist and we’ve determined something is going on in her spine.

If we can’t get an MRI, we’re left throwing random treatments at her and hoping something works and she improves. Multiple of the possible conditions are completely treatable with a good prognosis - and one is entirely curable. The problem is, some treatments can make certain conditions worse, and other conditions need the correct treatment urgently to have the greatest chance of restoring her full walking ability and preventing chronic pain. A small amount of possible conditions are terminal, and would be weeks of a painful decline that, at least with answers, we could humanely spare her of.

A little more on Dandy: Her name is short for Dandelion. She was named after the dandelions in the Dandelion Forest from the children’s show Dragon Tales. It’s because she seems loud and angry at first, but really she’s actually a big softy that just wants love and affection. She is a complete grandma cat - all she wants in life is a nice, warm lap to purr and nap in.