My name is Cassie and my husband, Jep, and I have had Murphy since he was a puppy. I had always wanted a corgi and was overjoyed to pick my very own 10 years ago. Murphy has always been an active, energetic dog, even after he was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2021; nothing can slow this corgi down!

On the evening of February 11th we noticed him straining to urinate. We were very concerned, especially since UTIs can be so common in diabetic dogs. The next morning, I made an emergency appointment with his vet as soon as they opened and rushed him up to their office. They performed an x-ray because they suspected a blockage and found multiple stones within his bladder as well as about six stones fully blocked in his urethra. They set him up to have emergency surgery that same day. During the procedure, our vet asked if we would consider getting Murphy neutered while he was already under anesthesia. The testosterone can sometimes be a contributing factor to stones, she said. We consented for her to go ahead.

Hours went by and we finally got word that he came through the surgery and we were able to come pick him up. We were so relieved. When we got there, Murphy's doctor showed us the stones they captured. She told us that some were quite grainy and were especially hard to remove. They are going to send them to a lab to have them analyzed and once we know what they consist of, we can map out a plan to change his diet so as to minimize the chance of more stones forming in the future.

That evening we brought Murphy home, but it was a rough night for him. He wasn't interested in eating at all so we weren't able to give him his antibiotic or insulin injection. His blood sugar was thrown way off. He was uncomfortable and asking to go out over and over but was having a hard time urinating when we did go out. It was one of the coldest nights of the year, down into the negative digits, and we could not have him in that cold just after he had surgery. He was miserable. It was heartbreaking seeing him like that. None of us slept that night.

The next morning we brought him back to the vet for her to check him out. She had him stay there for the day for observation so they could get his pain and blood sugar back under control and insert a catheter to help him empty his bladder. By the end of the day, he was much more comfortable and even had his appetite back.

They don't do overnight care there, so he came home for the evening. Buttercup, our cattle dog and Murphy's very best friend, missed him terribly and was so happy to have him home. We were shown how to use the catheter and every two hours we emptied Murphy's bladder. He did so well with it all, never complaining or whining. I think he knew we were trying to help him feel better.

We took him back up to the vet the next morning for another day of observation, per the doctor's request. They were able to remove the catheter around mid-day and he did pretty well urinating on his own after that. He came home again that night and did so well. He ate a full meal, took his medicine, got his insulin injection, went potty, and went to sleep. We were so happy he was finally able to rest.

Today he is doing so much better and almost back to his rambunctious self. He won't have to go back to the vet's office for another two weeks when it'll be time for his stitches to be removed, though I think he didn't quite mind being there during his observation days, as they said he just sat quietly in his crate, attentively watching them go about their business. Such a good boy.

We're so happy Murphy is on the path to recovery. It was a stressful, heart wrenching four days, but we got through it with the help of an amazing veterinary staff and the love and support of our friends and family. The financial burden was quite high so we put it all on a credit card, but for Murphy, there was no question about it. He's a part of our family. It was a very unexpected expense though, and with the diabetic supplies we purchase monthly for him, this has definitely thrown off our doggie medical expense budget.

Please consider donating to our fundraiser for Murphy. He promises to give corgi nubbin tail wags and kisses in return! Any money raised will go directly toward paying off his $2,411 surgery. Thank you so much <3