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Coco is my adorable 10 month old beagle! I got her in December of 2018 and she was the companion I never knew I needed. Unfortunately, in April of 2019 she began to decline health wise at the age of 6 months. Weeks of vet visits didn’t answer our questions- Memorial Day weekend we were forced to hospitalize her for much needed emergency medical care. She was initially diagnosed with leptospirosis, however the medication regime didn’t take and there was no improvement. Because she had been spayed just before symptoms developed, we thought it might’ve been that. She was in pain and wouldn’t move- a constant high fever made us realise this was getting more and more serious. After countless visits with specialists and lots of failed treatments, we received our answer in mid June: Beagle Pain Syndrome or Steroid Responsive Meningitis Arteritis (SRMA).
This condition is rare but occur more frequently in certain breeds (including beagles) and generally starts when the pup is 5-10 months old. “Beagle Pain Syndrome is a form of meningitis caused by inflammation of the blood vessels, called polyarteritis. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the blood vessels that go to the brain. It affects Beagle puppies 5-10 months old and causes fever, depression, and severe neck pain.” (https://www.harlingenveterinaryclinic.com/services/dogs/breeds/beagle)
Two months out and a steroid regimen still in progress, Coco is back to playing and running around! I’m super grateful to the staff at Dogs and Cats Veterinary Referral and Emergency in Bowie, MD for helping Coco get back to her happy self. That being said, I didn’t have an insurance policy on Coco so everything had to be paid upfront. I’m lucky because I had family who could pitch in and access to a credit line that approved me right away. I’ve paid in total close to $2,500 out of pocket to pay for her treatments, in addition to taking on $5,500 in debt. I work full time and am trying to pay each doctor visit off within 6 months, otherwise I start accruing 30% interest each month. I need help to keep up with this, and am asking you for that help. Even $5 gets me closer to paying off the next installment. My first deadline is in November and I’m hoping to pay enough off to not have to worry about making those deadlines because once that one hits its deadline after deadline within weeks of each other. If you can’t donate, please share this so others can see it. Coco is the sweetest girl and continues to improve every day. Thank you so much.
This condition is rare but occur more frequently in certain breeds (including beagles) and generally starts when the pup is 5-10 months old. “Beagle Pain Syndrome is a form of meningitis caused by inflammation of the blood vessels, called polyarteritis. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the blood vessels that go to the brain. It affects Beagle puppies 5-10 months old and causes fever, depression, and severe neck pain.” (https://www.harlingenveterinaryclinic.com/services/dogs/breeds/beagle)
Two months out and a steroid regimen still in progress, Coco is back to playing and running around! I’m super grateful to the staff at Dogs and Cats Veterinary Referral and Emergency in Bowie, MD for helping Coco get back to her happy self. That being said, I didn’t have an insurance policy on Coco so everything had to be paid upfront. I’m lucky because I had family who could pitch in and access to a credit line that approved me right away. I’ve paid in total close to $2,500 out of pocket to pay for her treatments, in addition to taking on $5,500 in debt. I work full time and am trying to pay each doctor visit off within 6 months, otherwise I start accruing 30% interest each month. I need help to keep up with this, and am asking you for that help. Even $5 gets me closer to paying off the next installment. My first deadline is in November and I’m hoping to pay enough off to not have to worry about making those deadlines because once that one hits its deadline after deadline within weeks of each other. If you can’t donate, please share this so others can see it. Coco is the sweetest girl and continues to improve every day. Thank you so much.