Help Us Help Ike!

Dear friends,

I never thought I’d be writing one of these—but life has a way of throwing curveballs, and over the past year, Vanessa and I have had more than our fair share. One of the things that’s kept us grounded through it all has been our two Australian Shepherds—Ivy and Ike. They are our rocks. I honestly don’t know what we would do without them.

Recently, our 12.5-year-old Ike started showing alarming symptoms—excessive drinking, compulsive swallowing, tremors, and drooling (which he’s never done before). A trip to the ER turned into an overnight stay... then another... with lots of tests, plenty of theories, but still no answers. Right now, the leading suspicion is a neurological issue—but to confirm that, Ike needs an MRI and a spinal tap.

We were lucky to get an appointment with a neurologist last night, hoping he’d get the tests immediately. But once again, another curveball: they discovered a heart murmur. The specialist wants a cardiologist to clear him before proceeding with sedation for the neurological tests.

So now Ike is undergoing a $1,400 cardiac workup before his $5,500 MRI and spinal tap—on top of the $7,000+ in ER bills we've already paid. And this is just to find out what’s wrong. Any treatment plan would be in addition to that.

If you know us, you know there is no price we wouldn’t pay for our dogs—but even with insurance, this is starting to exceed what we can manage on our own. Ike is the most earnest, lovable dog you could meet, and we want to make the best decisions we can to support him, but without a firm diagnosis we feel like we are flying blind.

If you’re reading this and are able to help us fund his diagnosis and care, we would be eternally grateful. Every little bit helps. And even if you’re not in a place to give, just sharing this means the world.

Thank you for your love and support.

Scott & Vanessa