Help Truffles walk again

Hello, my name is Mary Ann. I am a paw parent to Truffles, our 8lb chihuahua, who just celebrated her 5th birthday last month. We’ve had Truffles since she was 6 weeks old, and she’s a very sweet dog who loves to walk, run, play fetch, and travel. Sadly, due to an unexpected turn of events, she suddenly lost control of her hind legs and has been unable to walk since last week.

We took her to the vet ER, where we were told that she might have IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) and might need surgery. We paid almost $400 and were discharged with steroids for inflammation, pain medications, and strict crate rest, hoping she'd get better. We were also advised to see a neurologist for a better plan of care.

A week later, she still has not improved. We decided to make an appointment with the neurologist today. We were told that surgery is highly recommended as soon as possible for her to be able to walk, eat, pee and poop independently. Today's neurology visit is $200 and he quoted us $12k for Truffles' surgery. We called around and found that most neurosurgeons in our area are quoting $11-14k for this kind of surgery for dogs.

Luckily, we found a neurosurgeon in another county who can do it for $6500-7500. We have her scheduled for an MRI and surgery tomorrow, but the cost is unexpected, and we need to ask for help. Unfortunately, we do not have pet insurance for Truffles to cover this expense, so we need to reach out to our community for assistance. Any amount will be greatly appreciated!