Maximus Deserves a Chance

Maximus Decimus Meridius has been a good boy for all 6 years of his life so far. Maximus deserves a chance to continue being a good boy.

Maximus went in for a routine ultrasound Wednesday to investigate a very sick tummy. When we picked him up, they brought him out on a stretcher and said the sedative should wear off in an hour or so. They tipped him off the stretcher, onto his back- and into the car. We sat with him for 2 hours, trying to get him out of the car- thinking he was just super sedated. He was actually paralyzed.

Thankfully the fire department, like the heroes they are, lent their assistance and 2 firemen helped me pull him out of the car, onto a sheet- where I then dragged him a few feet into the garage. I gave him a pillow, some blankets, and an electric heater- and we had a slumber party in the garage.

As the hours started to tick by, and Maximus still couldn’t get up, I started to panic.

I started to pinch his feet, but he felt nothing. His legs were extended out, not moving, and unbendable. I started looking at my credit limit and googling animal ambulances. How was I going to get my massive dog in a car to get him some help?

By the early hours of the morning, Maximus’ back legs started feeling a little sensation again. His right leg would move a little when I tickled the back of his leg (his favorite tax), the left not so much- but I could feel him regain a small amount of strength in it.

I managed to book him an ambulance.Watching him get loaded up was heartbreaking and one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to watch.

After a neurological exam, the working theory was a spinal cord stroke, a cartilage embolism. Anxiously but gladly we agreed to start with X-rays and an MRI. So Maximus was left at the animal ER, and we went home to get some sleep.

The neurologist called right after the MRI, Max still knocked out from more sedation, he had a ruptured disc in his neck; and he wanted to take Max from the MRI directly into surgery to fix it. He said it was the second most common surgery he performs, and there was a 90% chance that Maximus would be able to walk again in 2-4 weeks.

So how do I say no to those odds? Yes- please max out my credit card. Gladly- take all of my money. So now, Maximus’ surgery went really well. He’s at the animal hospital for the weekend, maybe until Monday; and he’s going to need some physical therapy for a few months.

But now I’m sitting here, tears running down my face, a pile of tissues in front of me- with no way of actually paying for his entire treatment by myself, let alone the physical therapy he is going to need. I need help.