Hi, our names are Caitlin and Josh and we are fundraising for our dog (and best friend) Ollie. On Monday, 5/23, Ollie began acting out of the ordinary. He appeared tired, sluggish, and uninterested in playing. We figured he was tired and let him sleep, but he began appearing more uncomfortable and less willing to walk throughout the day. At that time, we started calling urgent care facilities and made plans to bring him in the next morning, but around 11pm he took a turn for the worst and became increasingly distressed and unable to move his hind legs. We rushed him to a 24hr animal emergency room where he was seen and immediately recommended to be transferred for neurology specialty care. Since being admitted to the second hospital he underwent lab work, xrays, pain control, and an MRI ultimately determining he had suffered a slipped disc causing compression to the spinal cord extending from T10-L3 due to underlying intervertebral disc disease. Unfortunately this disc disease is common in dogs of Ollie's build (long and low to the ground) and eventually even jumping up to the couch can slip a disc. The surgeon notified us they could not determine where the disc had slipped due to extent of the injury but recommended immediate surgery for best chances at function. Ollie is currently undergoing surgery which will only be the first step in his long road to recovery. Post-operatively he will need to stay hospitalized for a few days for pain control and then be completely restricted in activity and confined to a crate for 4-6 more weeks. After that we will begin to see what amount of the deficit was due to compression of his spinal cord and what was permanent nerve damage. Our current bill for the hospitalization and surgery alone is $13,200 which is why we are seeking support. This does not include the ramps that will need to be placed within our home, physical therapy, and training to assist him in no longer jumping when excited (which if you know Ollie will be a challenge). We appreciate any support and ask that you keep Ollie in your thoughts during this time. We will keep this updated as we know more.