My name is Eliana, and this is my boyfriend's dog Meatball. His mother and I created this fundraiser on his behalf to help raise money for Meatball's recent, unexpected spinal surgery. 

To give you a background on Meatball, he hasn't always had an easy life.
He was found in 2015, wandering aimlessly through the woods in Florida by two hikers.
He was famished, terrified, and alone until he was rescued by Michael.
Instantly, they became inseparable.
From motorcycle rides to camping trips, and everything in between, these two truly became the dynamic duo.
Early 2018  Meatball suffered a minor neck injury that left this active pup bed-ridden for three weeks, and pumped up on anti-inflammatory pills. That being said, it left his dad, Michael with a hefty vet bill. 
The vet warned him of the potential of a reoccurring injury, but instead of just a minor tweak, due to his breed, there was a chance this would result in a disc rupture which could potentially leave him paralyzed. Luckily, with the help of medication, rest and lots of TLC, Meatball was back on his feet. 
Fast forward to the beginning of December of this year, Meatball started to act out of character. He was constantly panting and pacing back and forth with his head down between his legs. We thought it was just a minor tweak to his neck, and that he would be back to himself in a couple days. The next day, he began shrieking in pain, and without skipping a beat, we rushed him to the emergency room only to be handed another round of pain mediation and anti-inflammatory pills to keep him comfortable. Weeks went by with little improvement, until one day Meatball seemed back to normal. He went without needing his pain medication for three days, and on the fourth day it seemed that all the progress was thrown out the window. The shrieking, panting and pacing all returned, and he was rushed to another emergency vet this past Monday, the 3rd to have an MRI, and a consult with a neurologist. 
She gave us some pretty crushing news:
1. This was more than just a muscle tear.
2. This was most likely a ruptured disc, if not multiple ruptures.
3. Due to his breed, there was an extremely high possibility that this was a spinal defect.
4. Meatball has a heart murmur that went undetected for years.
5. He was going to need surgery.
They decided to keep him overnight to do the MRI of his back, and ultrasound of his heart first thing Tuesday morning. That way, depending on what they found the surgeons could get to work right away. 
They found two ruptured discs, one worse than the other, and were able to successfully remove the excess material released by the rupture, and stich Meatball up without any complications. He's okay, for now.
Depending on how his body takes the healing process, there’s a high potential for physical therapy, and a risk of another disc rupture that could leave him paralyzed.
Let's face it, pets aren't cheap. Even with pet insurance, Meatball's surgery wasn't covered because of his previous injury in 2018.
We appreciate you taking the time to read Meatball's journey, and especially appreciate any donation you're able to make. 
Even if you're unable to contribute,  just hitting the "share" button is worth more than a dollar.
After all of his medical expenses are paid ( and receipts will be shown) any additional funds will be donated to another pet family in need, and Ruff Tales Rescue, where Meatball was rescued from.
We understand the emotional and financial toll that a distressed pet can cause.
Again, we're so grateful you took the time to read all of this.