Earlier today, Becky was sitting under my desk while I worked, like usual, snoring away.

When she got up, she suddenly couldn’t walk. She was collapsing, going sideways, even bumping into walls and walking in strange directions. She looked so confused, like her brain wasn’t telling her body what to do. And I immediately thought IVDD.

After getting advice from Deb, the amazing President of SoCal French Bulldog Rescue, I immediately drove to the ER in San Marcos, knowing a neurologist would be there. At first, I was told it could be something serious like a herniated disc in her neck requiring emergency surgery, or even a brain condition like meningitis. Hearing that was terrifying, and I felt completely overwhelmed trying to process everything and figure out what to do for her. The estimate was up to $13,000.

After getting through the initial shock, I agreed to move forward with the MRI. We finally got some answers. They found a large abscess behind her ear, and Becky was diagnosed with a serious, deep inner ear infection affecting her balance and nervous system!

I had been treating her ears with drops, and she’s had ongoing ear issues since I first started fostering her. It seems this infection had gone deeper where it couldn’t be seen or treated from the outside—even after multiple vet visits over the past year. The vet said this can happen even with proper care. That was still scary to hear, but better than neck surgery. I just can’t believe this may have been brewing for so long without us knowing.

The plan now is long-term antibiotics, medication, and close follow-up over the next couple of months. Recovery will take time, but we’re hopeful. They also performed a spinal tap, and we are still waiting on results to rule out encephalitis or meningitis. We are REALLY hoping those come back negative.

We’re praying the antibiotics work, because if not, more invasive procedures may be needed, such as flushing the inner ear or surgery to remove the affected ear canal. We’re holding onto hope that she recovers with this treatment!

I fostered and then adopted Becky from SoCal French Bulldog Rescue after we lost our sweet Jolie. Becky is such a special part of our family, and my boys adore her.

I’m still so emotional and just trying to do everything I can for her.

Today thankfully didn’t reach the $13k estimate, but still came out to about $5k. Insurance will cover some, but she will need ongoing follow-ups, possible additional scans, and continued care.

If you’re able to help in any way, or even just share, it would mean so much. Any little bit helps toward her care.