Hello.

My name is Millie, a first year student veterinary nurse, and I have a gorgeous 4 year old miniature dachshund called slinky.

Two days ago, our lives were turned upside down when slinky was diagnosed with Stage 4 intervertebral disc disease, and was faced with massive amounts of veterinary fees.

please take any free time to read below slinky's story as it's crucial for those to understand how painful and deadly this disease is. If i help someone from this and prevent them from being in the heartbreaking position i was in that's all that matters for me

Slinkys road to recovery from Intervertebral Disc Disease, Stage Four.

Friday 28th march 2026 will forever hold a pain in my heart.

i woke up preparing for an exam & to go downstairs & see my absolute soulmate struggle to walk changed me. as a student vet nurse myself, i already knew what the problem was.

after rushing to emergency triage, the vet suspected a possible neurological issue linked with his spine. slinky was administered a steroid injection, pain relief, & anti inflammatories. he perked up a few hours later.

saturday 29th march 2026 will remain the most painful, yet eye opening day for me.

overnight, slinky had lost feeling in his back legs & his ability to walk had disappeared. we were called straight down to the vets & were referred to Wear referrals, in bradbury. the phone call an hour later consisted of how the neurologist wanted to see slinky as soon as possible, & led to the payment of almost £5000 as a deposit. this included of a consult, MRI, & anaesthesia.

words cannot explain the pain i felt in that moment. to somehow make up almost £5000 in around 45 minutes. i was ill. i thought to myself, this is it. we're going to have to say goodbye to my beloved best friend. the one who has been by my side through absolute thick & thin for 4 & a half years. i was hysterical.

i had less than 45 minutes to make a decision. my phone had never called so many people at once. with the help of my amazing family, we were able to atleast go & carry out the MRI, as there were so many things that were put on the table that could be causing the issues for slinky.

to also find out on the phone, if there was surgery needed, would be another estimated price of £5000. my amazing family helped out in ways i couldn't imagine. "of course we'll help." "it's slinky, don't worry about it" etc etc. without the help of them, my baby wouldn't be here. nothing will ever be able to tell them how infinitely grateful i am. i have so many people surrounding me that were willing to give up savings, rent, mortgages, sacrificing credit cards to help save slinky's life. i will never ever forget that day. i will forever think about it when i close my eyes

saturday 29th march, 1:30pm, we were seen by an amazing on call neurologist.

to see slinky in that consult room, words cannot describe how awful it was see my normally bouncy, barky, sassy boy unable to walk. unable to run. unable to get his balance. i couldn't help but think if only i done better. if only i took more caution. done things differently. i knew the risk. i knew this could happen. it did happen. i was consumed by them feelings & thoughts.

the neurologist explained what i was thinking the second i saw slinky the friday morning. possible intervertebral disc disease.

there was 1 of 3 options. medication & rest which had a 50% chance of recovery. surgery which had a 95% chance of recovery. or saying goodbye.

in that moment, the only thing i would be saying goodbye to, was my car and my credit scoreas i knew it was not his time. i couldn't let go without knowing i had done every possible thing for him. i opted for the surgery. despite another £5000 needed afterwards. i was willing to do anything to get him through it. to get him better. seeing him the way he was, seeing the determination in his face, i couldn't say goodbye.

so off he went for his MRI. i had a phone call around an hour later.

the reason this will remain as the most painful day for me - slinky was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) which is a serious condition that effects 1 in 4 dachshunds, & so many other breeds. slinky had gone from stage 1 IVDD, to almost stage 4, stage 5 being the worst, in 48 hours. i was absolutely beside myself. the guilt, the pain, the thought of the neurologist saying there's nothing they can do.

the neurologist was happy to go ahead with surgery straight away & asked if that's what i wanted. YES. they would phone me after the surgery. all i could think about were 2 things. my slinky might be coming home, & that wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for the love my family had shown. he would not be coming home if it wasn't for them, donating out of their own pocket. they saved his life❤️❤️❤️

after hours of agonising anxiety, the phone rang.

"the surgery was a success. slinky is in recovery"

god the tears. the many breaths of pure relief. i was so overjoyed. overwhelmed. so many emotions at once. they worked so hard all together & saved my slinky's life. i will be eternally grateful. they explained what happened, what they've done, how they're extremely pleased & confident with the surgery & outcome, & i could visit him tomorrow (today).

sunday 29th march, 10:30 am.

i got the phone call of how well he was doing, & i could go & see him!!!!!!

sunday 28th march, 2pm.

my gorgeous boy came out in his sling, & oh my god the change was amazing. the kicks of the back legs, the glimmer back in his eyes, the cheeky personality❤️ he is on the mend, & hopefully coming home tomorrow

without the absolute love, support, & selflessness of my family will never go unnoticed, & never be forgotten. they are the reason slinky can come back home. there are no words, no gifts, nothing, that can really describe how grateful & thankful i am that they've helped my baby come back home to me❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ thank you all❤️❤️❤️

& the amazing neurologist & nurses that carried out the surgery, the recovery, looking after my character of a sausage i will be eternally thankful❤️

Monday 30th March, 2026, 11:30am.

We had a phone call at around 9:30am, explaining how slinky had been doing absolutely amazing, and he was able to come home at 11:30am.

Off we went at 11am to pick up my gorgeous boy.

The pure joy and happiness in my slinky's face is something i will never forget - there is no love like a dogs love.

The happy whines were music to my ears, to know my baby was safe and sound

he is currently at home, in his usual spot on my lap, sleeping away like nothing happened!

im asking for anyone reading this to take this condition seriously, do not think for one moment this can't happen to you, or a friend, or a family member - we thought exactly the same thing.

im also asking for any support or donations via go fund me, to be able to pay the costs back for credit cards, my family's rent, mortgages, savings. as a full time university student, i'm currently prepared to use every bit of income from student finance, and my one-day-a-week job to pay off the payments.

donations from £5 to even £10 would be a massive help slinky's recovery will be recorded, and updated daily so any watchers, donators, those who just want to see some good news, will be able to follow along and see my brave boy go through this awful, but inspiring journey

if there's one thing i must say, and one thing to take from this story is:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research when getting any animal. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get insurance for them. i was in the position of having to say goodbye due to the price. PLEASE do not make the same mistake i did, it almost cost slinky his life. PLEASE❤️

Thank you for reading Slinkys story please feel free to follow me on social media linked below for updates on my slinky

Any donations, support, will be publicly appreciated

INSTAGRAM: slinkythe_minidachshund

TIKTOK: mills.maeex