Hi everyone, over the past weekend Ivy was diagnosed with stage 5 IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) which has caused her to lose complete mobility in her hind legs. She was a healthy, happy and playful pup all the way up until Saturday morning. We noticed she wasn’t moving her back legs at all and had bowel/urinary incontinence. My baby girl was in severe pain when we brought her to the ER vet where they told us they think Ivy had Stage 4 IVDD with deep pain sensation and it was very critical we get her into a neurology vet specialty clinic for an MRI. Unfortunately, the neurology vet wasn’t able to see her until Tuesday morning. By this time, the MRI results showed she had a very bad disc rupture and her condition was now at stage 5 with no deep pain sensation which meant her odds are walking again with an immediate surgery was now at 50% and only a 10% chance without the surgery. Without much time to discuss, we knew we had to move forward with the expensive surgery even if it meant we’d be straining ourselves financially for just a 50/50 chance at her fully recovering from this.

As some may know, me and my boyfriend Chris have dealt with neurological problems ourselves. In 2021, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome which is a rare disorder in which your immune system attacks your nerves. The paralysis spread throughout my body, mostly affecting my legs. I wasn’t able to walk for a couple of months accompanied by excruciating neuropathy in my feet that still lingers to this day. Chris on the other hand has already had 2 back surgeries for his herniated disc and still has flare ups just from doing day to day normal activities. Although our experiences may have changed our lives drastically, Ivy has always been our constant. Her unconditional love helped us through these tough years and I honestly don’t know where I would be today without her.

Me and Chris are still trying to back to our normal lives - physically, mentally and financially. We thought we got through the toughest part of our journey together until Ivy’s sudden disease. We’ve put most of our savings into paying for the deposit on her surgery and we’ll be facing even more costs paying for rehabilitation/therapy and home accommodations to give her the best chance at full recovery. We are not ones to ever ask for help but all pride aside, it’s going to be extremely difficult for us to recover from this financially. Any donation, small or big would make a huge difference to our little family. These next few months will be tough but we are determined to get through it together. ❤️