I took my sweet Maurice "Mo" (2 years 10 months old unaltered male) to the emergency vet (Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle) last night (10/16/24) due to him having a substantial neurological deficit on the right side of his body. The most affected being the front right leg and some deficit on the rear as well.

This all happened so quickly...I was in the garage working on my car and my partner was washing dishes when our little man came in limping from our backyard. By the time my girlfriend washed her hands and grabbed a towel to see why, his front right leg kicked out and his body slid to the ground. She yelled for me to come inside and that's when I saw my pupper trying to get up but his right legs weren't sustaining him up due to the lack of motor function. En route to the emergency vet, his right rear leg got really stiff (couldn't bend it). He then started to shake/shiver and developed an odd tick where he would cock his head to the side like he was wincing in pain.

Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle wanted to do an MRI but their machine is down for maintenance and even if it was running, they say it is $5-$7K just for the MRI, and about $10-$15k for MRI and procedure.

Unfortunately, I am not in the position to afford all the costs associated with Mo's care, so I am here humbly asking for help from my community. Also, if you have any information where I can get an MRI that's more affordable in the state of Washington or Oregon, please reach out. Any help is appreciated.

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UPDATE #1 - 10/17/24 (AM)

This morning, we gave Mo his prescribed medication cocktail...codeine, prednisone, trazodone and gabapentin and tried to take him to go potty and now seems like his whole body is limp. When we try to set him down enough to have his feet touch the ground, they all just give out to the side. I honestly think his deficit is spreading. He is eating and will drink from a syringe, but that's about it. He looks so helpless and we feel completely powerless. I called a couple veterinary offices for a neurologist appointment and secured a neurology consult at Blue Pearl in Tacoma.

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UPDATE #2 - 10/17/24 (PM)

We finally were seen by a neurology specialist this evening and have some news about Mo...Without an MRI, we cannot pinpoint Mo's diagnosis. The doctor says that in her best educated guess (without MRI to confirm), Mo either has:

1. Meningitis and/or Encephalitis

2. Ruptured Disc in the neck

With the MRI being out of reach ($4-$6k), we have elected to try steroids and other immunosuppressant medications to see if he responds well to them. If he improves, we know it's Meningitis and/or Encephalitis. If he doesn't, then he likely has a ruptured disc. Since we are not within reach of an MRI at this time, surgery definitely won't be an option, as estimates are $12-$15k for an MRI & Surgery.

We aren't quitting on Mo yet, but we are definitely preparing to make a difficult decision if he takes a turn for the worst. He is currently staying overnight at Blue Pearl Emergency + Specialty Pet Hospital in Lacey, WA (which was $2k to have him stay there overnight).

If you believe in a higher conscious, or are religious and/or spiritual, please include Mo in your thoughts and prayers. And if you are able to contribute, we have set up a GoFundMe for Mo and all funds will go straight to his care.

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Update #3 - 10/19/24 (AM)

We were finally able to take him home yesterday evening. His blood pressure is stabilizing and his heart rate is going back up. He was in deep waters the night before last. He's on a doggie drug cocktail and is on strict crate rest for 8-12 weeks. Gonna give him some steroids for a week or so and see if we get any improvement. We are still shopping around for a more affordable MRI but we will be making the trip to Tacoma for all his upcoming follow up neurology appointments. He had zero response to deep tissue pain tests yesterday and is having a slight response on one side today. Baby steps.

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Update #4 - 10/22/24 (AM)

The past few days have been rough to say the least. He is currently still paralyzed from all extremities and requires 24/7 care.

The good:

- He is eating, drinking, going pee and having bowel movements.

- He's had some movements in his hind legs a couple times.

- He seems to be fighting and not giving up.

The bad:

- He can't seem to get comfortable for more than 30-45 mins at a time.

- He requires to be flipped from one side to the other every hour or so.

- He's getting restless doing nothing and get's visibly and verbally agitated.

- He seems to be constantly "dribbling" and we're burning through puppy pads and diapers like hot cakes because Mo hates the feeling of pee on himself.

- The past four nights have been very little sleep.

We have a follow up appointment on Thursday at Blue Pearl in Tacoma with Neurologist Dr. Chaverra and will hopefully have more information about Mo's status.

*** Thank you to all who have reached out, made a donation, or have shared the GoFundMe link. It is all appreciated more than I can ever express ***