Support Piper's Journey to Comfort

It all started in a Texas shopping center. The night air was cold, or so I’m told, as a good Samaritan stumbled across a box abandoned in the parking lot. The box contained several puppies which were brought back to Colorado to avoid Texas kill shelters. Amongst these beautiful little nuggets was one special nugget, known now as Piper. It was love at first sight for me as I immediately set the wheels in motion to adopt this precious baby. The rescue, as well as her foster mom, were thorough in the care of all the pups, including noticing that Piper’s walk was a “little wonky.” The veterinarian checked her out, and although she agreed that Piper's walk was a “little wonky,” she did not think it was hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of “a little wonky” stuck and officially became her pre-existing condition.

Fast forward to 2024, and Piper has been in therapy for 2 of her 2.5 years of life. She now has a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This is a hereditary disease that affects connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Her little knees pop in and out of their sockets, which has caused degenerative arthritis as young as 9 months old. Her hips do not seem to cause her problems, but her sacral-lumbar area has been a problem area this past year, sometimes rendering her unable to walk and causing her a great deal of pain.

Piper receives amazing care from Red Sage Integrative Veterinary Partners. They have taught me PT that I can do at home with Piper, as well as 2x a month PT visits at the clinic, 1x/month acupuncture, and other therapies. Her Physical Therapist has even donated a cart for Piper to be able to go on walks without irritating her sacral-lumbar area. I have been able to keep up, financially, with these basic therapies, but the additional regenerative processes (listed below) that are recommended to increase strength and muscle are out of my reach.

Shockwave to lumbosacral region - 4 sessions at an interval of 2-4 weeks, total = $600

Shockwave to stifles (knees) - 3-5 sessions, interval of 2-4 weeks ($250-$750 per stifle)

Lumbosacral Injections and neural therapy to the lumbar spine - ~ $1100

Other options, if possible, would be Spryng and Hyaluronic injections to the stifles, adding $1000-1500 to the cost.

These are recommendations by her Dr., in priority of Piper's needs. Possibly continued over time, based on how she responds to these processes.

Piper is absolutely the sweetest dog I have ever had. She commands attention whenever we take her in public. Children adore her, and adults fawn over her. She just wants to love everyone. At 2.5 years old, she has so much life ahead of her, my only goal is to make that life more comfortable.