Help Gus Walk Again!

Hi, I’m Laura, and Gus is my 4 year old rescue dog. He needs your help so that he can walk again.

 

Gus is an absolute joy. He is friendly - so friendly, in fact, that he once followed a couple into their apartment, having decided that the few pets they gave him weren’t enough. I have a photo album of Gus “adopting” new families at the dog park - he makes a new friend every time we go.

Unfortunately, Gus suddenly lost the ability to walk Monday morning. I took him to the vet who administered laser therapy, prescribed pain meds, and advised me to take him to Oklahoma Veterinary Specialists. After calling OVS, they advised me to take him to their ER, as spinal issues can cause complete and irreversible paralysis if left untreated. Gus spent the night at the ER and was seen by a surgeon the next morning. He was given a CT scan and rushed to surgery. Gus was diagnosed with an Intervertebral Disc Herniation. Basically, one of his spinal discs ruptured and pressed into his spine, causing paralysis of his hind legs. You can find out more about IVDH here.

The surgeon mentioned that Gus’s disc rupture was quite sizeable, and that if we had not proceeded with the surgery, it would’ve been extremely unlikely that Gus would’ve been able to walk again.

 

This surgery was not cheap, and was unexpected. Gus has already had surgery this year for a luxating patella, which has wiped out my savings. Here is the breakdown of expenses:

 

Initial vet bill, including pain medication, laser therapy, and an office visit: $104.14

 

ER visit, including emergency exam, catheterization, hospitalization, medication, and other expenses: $580.43

 

Surgery, including sedation, medication, anesthesia, hemilaminectomy, and other expenses: $4,231.44

 

There will also be an expense for a follow-up neurological exam in 4 weeks to make sure Gus is healing properly.

 

Gus is such a ray of sunshine, and he is my best friend. I’d appreciate any donation to help him walk again.