Support Charlie's ER Recovery Journey

Hi everyone, if you know me, you know Charlie. He’s my 3-year-old golden retriever who has brought so much happiness and joy into our lives. He truly is the best dog with the craziest personality. All he wants to do is be the best boy, and he exceeds at doing that. He has a big heart full of love for everyone. Over the past 24 hours, he has had to visit the ER twice, and he is currently there for an overnight stay.

We noticed he wasn’t himself this past weekend, and his head was constantly tilted to one side. He started whimpering throughout the day, and after bringing him to the ER yesterday, he came home with medication and was diagnosed with peripheral vestibular disease due to a possible deep ear infection. We aren’t 100% sure because the vet wasn’t able to check his ear due to the sensitivity it was causing.

He seemed to get worse as the day went on, and he would not stop crying in pain. His balance was off, he was restless, and he would run into the wall/objects. After calling multiple vets to schedule an MRI, we were finally able to book an appointment this coming Thursday. But due to his pain and constant crying, we decided he should go back to the ER for an overnight stay. He will be seeing a neurologist tomorrow morning and getting an MRI scan to see if it’s an ear infection or if it could be something worse, such as a stroke or tumor, that is causing these symptoms. We don’t know what the next steps will be until tomorrow, but we will do anything to get him back to his happy self.

UPDATE: The MRI results are in and there is more bad news to share. The results show a lesion in the thalamus of his brain. We don’t know if it benign or malignant, but they took some of his spinal fluid to get tested. He is currently on steroid medication in the meantime, and we are doing everything we can to help him. We are hoping for the best possible outcome since surgery/removal of the lesion is not an option. He is currently restless and crying at all hours.

UPDATE #2: Spinal fluid analysis is finalized. The analysis supports a form of autoimmune disorder resulting in brain inflammation. We have been informed to adjust his steroid medication in the meantime as this is the only line of treatment. He is still extremely uncomfortable & restless. Please pray for Charlie & his recovery since it is unknown what will happen at this time.

Update #3: Charlie has been prescribed anxiety/sleeping medication on 1/25 due to his crying & restlessness. After taking one dose that night he hasn’t expressed any emotion of crying/whining. This is extremely relieving & he has shown signs of improvement day by day. His tail’s wagging & most importantly he’s able to rest without interruption. We hope that the medication is helping to reduce the inflammation in his brain. His next check up is in a couple of weeks. He is extremely strong & we couldn’t be more proud of him and his progress.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about Charlie’s story. This has been a devastating time for all of us. We would've never expected something like this to happen and for symptoms to progress within 2-3 days of the first signs. I appreciate all the support and kind words. ER visits are costly and the continued medical expenses have been overwhelming. Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a big difference in ensuring that Charlie gets the care he needs to recover and live a healthy life.

If you're unable to donate, sharing this campaign with your friends and family would be just as appreciated. Thank you again ♡