We are urgently asking for help our little girl, Penny.

Just days ago, Penny was her happy, bright, spunky self—full of life and energy. She celebrated her 4th birthday in January, and we never imagined how quickly everything could change.

Last Friday, she began having trouble with her mobility. At first, we thought it was related to her previous diagnosis of luxating patella. She wasn’t showing much pain—just struggling to bend one leg—so we scheduled a vet appointment and kept her on crate rest with medication.

By Saturday morning, everything took a terrifying turn. Penny could no longer stand.

Because of the holiday weekend, every emergency vet near us was at capacity. We spent hours calling, hoping someone could see her. Finally, on Sunday morning, we were able to get her into an ER. They performed an exam and X-rays, noting some back pain, but they couldn’t confirm what was wrong.

The next day, our regular vet looked at the xrays and told us what the previous vet had missed-Penny has IVDD, and several discs in her spine have mineralized and are pressing on her nerves. This is causing her pain, incontinence and loss of function of her rear limbs.

We rushed to schedule an MRI with a neurologist for Wednesday—but Penny’s condition worsened too quickly. She began whimpering in pain, and we had to take her to another emergency hospital immediately.

Now, she needs emergency surgery.

This surgery is her best chance to walk again—and to live without pain. She’s so young, and we’re not ready to give up on her.

We do have pet insurance and savings, but even after exhausting everything, we are facing around $12,000 in out-of-pocket costs for her hospitalization, MRI, and surgery. On top of that, her recovery will likely include ongoing care such as physical therapy, incontinence support, and frequent veterinary visits.

We are trying to do the best for Penny, but need help.

If you’re able to help in any way—whether through a donation or simply sharing Penny’s story—it would mean the world to us. We just want to give her the chance she deserves. We have been dealing with infertility and going through IVF and Penny has been my support and source of strength throughout that process.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our sweet Penny ❤️