All morning, Astro was his energetic, goofy self. If you know Astro, you know when his energy is low, something is wrong. As the day went on, I noticed he wasn’t himself, and my heart just knew something wasn’t right with my baby. I rushed him to the emergency vet, praying it was nothing serious. By the time we got there, he had declined tremendously he couldn’t even walk, and then I heard the words no dog mama is ever prepared for “He’s paralyzed.”

Astro was diagnosed with IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), a painful spinal condition where a disc presses on the spinal cord and can cause paralysis. One minute he was running around, the next minute he couldn’t move his legs. My world stopped. I still can’t wrap my head around how fast everything changed.

My sweet boy… my velcro baby… My baby only just turned two years old in December. Seeing him confused, in pain, and unable to move like he used to is breaking me in ways I can’t even explain, but I know how strong my Astro man is. He is a fighter, and I’m not giving up on him.

Currently, he is being stabilized with medication to control his pain and help him relax. He will need intense crate rest for the next couple of weeks, and even with medication, the doctor says there’s only a 50-50 chance he could walk again, it all depends on his recovery process. I’m praying for a miracle.

Astro has a long and uncertain road ahead. Treatment for IVDD is intensive and expensive. The funds from this GoFundMe will go toward emergency vet care, hospitalization, medications, possible surgery, and ongoing medical expenses. If you can donate, share, or even just send Astro love and prayers, it would mean the world to us. Thank you for loving Astro and supporting us through this very difficult moment. My heart is shattered, but I’m holding onto hope.