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Hello,
Thank you for visiting this GoFundMe page. My name is Carol Garcia, and I am raising funds to help cover the cost of conducting an MRI and spinal tap for my dog Odin. I adopted Odin in May 2020 from a rescue in San Francisco, CA. He was originally found as a stray with four littermates outside of Fresno, CA. All the young dogs abandoned were born blind, and most likely abandoned for that reason. Moreover, rescue workers believe Odin’s litter was bred irresponsibly to obtain an all-white coat with the aim of obtaining dogs that would sell at a high price. Their story was featured in the local Fresno news and you can read about it here .
Odin had his first seizure in September 2020, and we have struggled to control the seizures since then. He has tried various anti-convulsant medications and alternative treatments. He has seen two neurologists and two different vets. However, we have not been able to get his seizures under control. In the beginning, he was having one seizure per week, but he is currently having three to four seizures per week.
Odin’s increase in seizure frequency is very concerning. It is dangerous for dogs to have uncontrolled seizures because, with every additional seizure, brain cells learn and become better trained at seizing, forming neural circuits that cause more seizures. This learning process in the brain is called epileptogenesis and it needs to be interrupted to allow the brain time to repair. Not to mention that a dog could go into a seizure that does not stop, which is life threatening. Moreover, in the past two weeks Odin has become increasingly restless, anxious, and struggles to recover from the seizures, remaining confused for longer periods of time. Odin has spent most of the past two weeks inside, as walks have become overly stimulating and he becomes tired and/or frantic if he is outside for too long. Odin went from being the most happy-go-lucky dog to simply having a really hard time.
Odin knows how to get comfy.
When Odin first started seizing, the vets explained that it was reasonable to assume that he was suffering from idiopathic epilepsy. However, since Odin is not responding to the medications and his seizure frequency has increased, it is imperative that we conduct an MRI and spinal tap at this time to determine if there is an underlying cause for the seizures, such as an immune-mediated disease or a tumor. In the best-case scenario, Odin’s MRI and spinal tap will be unremarkable and he can be officially diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. If that is the case, we can continue trying different anti-epileptic drugs until we find the right one.
Epilepsy is not well understood and what may work well for one dog, may not work for another dog. In the past eight months, I have spent about 3k on seizure related vet visits, neurology consultations and treatments. Unfortunately, nothing has kept Odin’s seizures at bay. The goal is to get the seizures at least six weeks apart and we are currently far from that goal.
Odin is the sweetest dog and, even on the roughest days, he manages to crack me up and break my heart. I am still very hopeful that he will live a long and happy life!
I think he was a little uncertain about the sand...
I recognize that this is a difficult financial time for everyone, but any donation of any amount will help with the next big hurdle: the MRI and spinal tap, set at about 2,500. His MRI/spinal tap is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24th. All donations will go towards the cost of these diagnostics for Odin. Unfortunately, I do not have a form of income at the moment, and I am on the job hunt. Any donations are greatly, greatly appreciated!
Odin is my goose, by which I mean that he is my love. He has brought so much joy to my life and we both need him to be healthy and happy! We appreciate any support from the bottom of our hearts!
Thank you for visiting this GoFundMe page. My name is Carol Garcia, and I am raising funds to help cover the cost of conducting an MRI and spinal tap for my dog Odin. I adopted Odin in May 2020 from a rescue in San Francisco, CA. He was originally found as a stray with four littermates outside of Fresno, CA. All the young dogs abandoned were born blind, and most likely abandoned for that reason. Moreover, rescue workers believe Odin’s litter was bred irresponsibly to obtain an all-white coat with the aim of obtaining dogs that would sell at a high price. Their story was featured in the local Fresno news and you can read about it here .
Odin had his first seizure in September 2020, and we have struggled to control the seizures since then. He has tried various anti-convulsant medications and alternative treatments. He has seen two neurologists and two different vets. However, we have not been able to get his seizures under control. In the beginning, he was having one seizure per week, but he is currently having three to four seizures per week.
Odin’s increase in seizure frequency is very concerning. It is dangerous for dogs to have uncontrolled seizures because, with every additional seizure, brain cells learn and become better trained at seizing, forming neural circuits that cause more seizures. This learning process in the brain is called epileptogenesis and it needs to be interrupted to allow the brain time to repair. Not to mention that a dog could go into a seizure that does not stop, which is life threatening. Moreover, in the past two weeks Odin has become increasingly restless, anxious, and struggles to recover from the seizures, remaining confused for longer periods of time. Odin has spent most of the past two weeks inside, as walks have become overly stimulating and he becomes tired and/or frantic if he is outside for too long. Odin went from being the most happy-go-lucky dog to simply having a really hard time.
Odin knows how to get comfy. When Odin first started seizing, the vets explained that it was reasonable to assume that he was suffering from idiopathic epilepsy. However, since Odin is not responding to the medications and his seizure frequency has increased, it is imperative that we conduct an MRI and spinal tap at this time to determine if there is an underlying cause for the seizures, such as an immune-mediated disease or a tumor. In the best-case scenario, Odin’s MRI and spinal tap will be unremarkable and he can be officially diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. If that is the case, we can continue trying different anti-epileptic drugs until we find the right one.
Epilepsy is not well understood and what may work well for one dog, may not work for another dog. In the past eight months, I have spent about 3k on seizure related vet visits, neurology consultations and treatments. Unfortunately, nothing has kept Odin’s seizures at bay. The goal is to get the seizures at least six weeks apart and we are currently far from that goal.
Odin is the sweetest dog and, even on the roughest days, he manages to crack me up and break my heart. I am still very hopeful that he will live a long and happy life!
I think he was a little uncertain about the sand...I recognize that this is a difficult financial time for everyone, but any donation of any amount will help with the next big hurdle: the MRI and spinal tap, set at about 2,500. His MRI/spinal tap is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24th. All donations will go towards the cost of these diagnostics for Odin. Unfortunately, I do not have a form of income at the moment, and I am on the job hunt. Any donations are greatly, greatly appreciated!
Odin is my goose, by which I mean that he is my love. He has brought so much joy to my life and we both need him to be healthy and happy! We appreciate any support from the bottom of our hearts!