Nowhere in my mind did I think I would be writing a post like this 😞
Today, September 16th 2026, I took Diesel to the neurology vet because he started showing weird symptoms last night. Though we originally planned on taking him to our primary vet down the road, my husband called and explained the situation and the receptionist referred us to the neurology vet for a more professional opinion and treatment options.
It started last night, almost completely out of nowhere, that we noticed he started to walk funny, his back legs were bowing in and he seemed very weak to walk, sit, or communicate as normal. He continued for the rest of the night very clingy to us, but all playing gone, and he had a constant chattering of teeth, shivers, and excessive panting. All he wanted to do was curl up next to one of us, but he would NOT let us touch his hips or his back without wincing or lowering himself away (his butt and hips are his favorite scratchy spots… 😞)
We let him sleep in our bed to keep an eye on him and give him some rest, hoping things would be better today, but when waking him up this morning, all of the symptoms continued, he ate his breakfast on the couch wrapped in a blanket next to dad, I carried him outside to go to the bathroom and then took him straight to the neurologist.
After visiting with the very nice team and doctor, our options came back, very limited, partially expected, but also heartbreaking and my husband and I are both literally at a loss of words.
After a quick exam with the neurologist, where he saw all of the symptoms from home and then some, and pointing out that Diesel’s breed is one of the most susceptible to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD in dogs), his recommendations prove that our internet search leading us to IVDD was more than likely accurate 🥺
https://medcovet.com/blog/ivdd-symptoms-in-dogs
The option we selected today was to bring Diesel home under extreme resting restrictions; he will be crated for 6 full weeks with a couple of pain medications to get him through, HOPING that it helps his pain… the “give it to me honestly” answer I asked for, in asking about the success of choosing this option, is that this current issue “will simply get better or get worse within the next 24/48 hours.” ($500)
The second option was to have him stay at hospital for the next 24 hours to be under watch while he takes the medications. ($3000+\-)
And the third, most concrete option is to perform MRI imaging and X-rays, as that is the only absolute way to know how bad his case is… and to potentially get surgery. ($13,000+/-)
We are the absolute last people on this earth who ever like to ask for help… But we also know we can only do so much at this time for our boy and have created a fundraiser for him in efforts to getting the imaging and proper care he needs. If anyone is able or willing to make donations, we appreciate you more than all of the stars in the galaxy.
Any amount is so greatly appreciated as we are now on this wildly unexpected new journey with my boy, Diesel… 💔
